FCA confirms EV launch for India - Jeep electric SUV coming
FCA has confirmed its first EV launch for India, as per a new media report. The Italian-American automaker's first battery-powered model in the country will be a Jeep electric SUV.
FCA is developing EVs, but none of them are India-focused. However, the company still plans to bring these presumably global EVs to India. The latest development has been confirmed by Partha Datta, the President and Managing Director of the company's Indian subsidiary. Below is what he has said on the matter:
"FCA has electric at the global level. We are watching the Indian market. Today we are basically meeting consumer demand. When the consumer dictates that he wants us to bring them here then we have the technology. They are being developed as we speak. The current pipeline of products we have for India includes EVs."
FCA has called quits on the Fiat brand in India. The company is focusing mainly on the Jeep brand in our market now. So, it is safe to assume that it will launch electric vehicles also under the Jeep brand here.
The Jeep Compass took the market to the storm when it was launched in 2017 and became the first truly global C-segment SUV to be sold in high volumes in India. Its immense success motivated many rivals to launch C-SUVs in the country. While the only main competitor was the imported model Hyundai Tucson initially, the rivals include locally manufactured and far more economically priced C-SUVs as well now - the Tata Harrier and the MG Hector. Next year, Great Wall Motors will launch a locally manufactured C-SUV under its Haval brand.
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FCA hasn't revealed the launch timeline for its EVs in India, but it's safe to assume that those models are still at least two years away. In the meantime, the company will give the Jeep Compass a facelift and launch a 7-seat SUV based on the Jeep Compass' platform and a sub-4 metre SUV. The company will also boost the sales of its imported Jeep SUVs with the launch of new variants and refreshes (both mid-cycle updates and full model changes).
[Source: moneycontrol.com]