Built at Fiat's Ranjangaon facility near Pune, the Compass is expected to be priced between Rs 18 lakh and Rs 25 lakh.

 

At this price range the Compass is expected to give other SUVs - right from the Audi Q3, BMW X1 to the Toyota Fortuner and even the Hyundai Creta - a run for their money.

 

Jeep's earlier offerings of the Grand Cherokee and the Wrangler, priced at Rs 1.09 crore and Rs 65 lakh, respectively, didn't cut much ice with the Indian customers despite the Jeep brand name.

 

The India-made Compass will also be exported to right- hand drive countries such as Japan, the UK, Australia, and Asean countries.

 

"This is the first time a vehicle made in India will be sold in Japan," said Ranjan Mitra, head of product planning and strategy at Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, India.

 

Mitra was at the Jeep showroom in the city to unveil the Compass, which opened for bookings today. "Production has already started," said Mitra though he refused to put a figure as to how many vehicles would be for exports and the domestic market. "We have a flexi line and it will vary according to demand," he said.

 

Jeep has facilities in China, Brazil and Mexico with the Ranjangaon facility being the fourth one. The localisation level of the Compass is 65 per cent, said Mitra.

 

"This was possible because of the presence of a global components supplier in India. We will increase the level of localisation as we find more suppliers who can match the standards," he said.

 

The Compass will be available in three trims - Sport, Longitude and Limited - with five colour options and both 4x2 and 4x4 drive wheels. It will have both diesel (170+ HP) and petrol (160+ HP) powertrains.

 

Jeep is also looking to introduce the Renegade - its compact SUV - in India though it is undecided whether the company will sell it as a completely built unit or manufacture it locally. The Renegade then will become the most affordable of the Jeep vehicles in India.

 

Fighting an image perception of poor sales and service, FCA has gone on a dealership drive with 50 stores across the country.

 

"Of these there are 10 destination and flagship stores in Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Kochi, Bangalore, Calcutta and others. The CBUs are sold from the flagship stores only," said Mitra. The after-sales service will be addressed by Mopar, FCA's global service brand.

 

FCA India has made a total of Rs 1800 crore investment till date in its Jeep project, including plant expansion, engineering investments, sales and service drives.