India – The milestone vehicle rolled off the assembly line at the Ranjangaon factory near Pune, a joint venture between Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) and Fiat India Automobiles Private Limited (FIAPL). The Jeep Compass is expected to enter full production in July, serving both local and global demand.
“The establishment of manufacturing operations and start of production of the Jeep Compass is an important milestone for our journey in India,” commented Paul Alcala, FCA's chief operating officer for the Asia-Pacific region. “The Compass will be the first ‘Made in India’ Jeep vehicle, and we are appreciative of the Government’s efforts to make India a desirable manufacturing destination for multi-national organisations, such as ours.”
The Ranjangaon plant received an investment of $280m to produce the Jeep Compass and join China, Brazil and Mexico as a manufacturing and export hub for this model. It will be the exclusive export facility for right-hand-drive markets worldwide, with shipment due to begin in Q4 2017. Locally, the Jeep Compass will be available in three variants, the Sport, Longitude and Limited, by Q3 2017.
By the end of this year, the Jeep brand in India will consist of three new models: the Jeep Compass, the Jeep Wrangler and the Jeep Grand Cherokee.
