Everyone is eagerly waiting for the American utility manufacturer Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) to launch the much-anticipated premium SUV manufacturer Jeep, brand in India at the 2016 Delhi Auto Expo. Jeep India’s debut has been delayed on a continuous basis. However, it looks like things will finally be moving ahead for Jeep because the company’s pre-launch website is finally up and running. Prior to an official launch, the website showcases models including the Grand Cherokee and Wrangler Unlimited which will ultimately retail in our country. Currently, the website comes listed with three models for the Indian market - the Grand Cherokee, Grand Cherokee SRT and Wrangler Unlimited.
Jeep has showcased the Grand Cherokee SRT at North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) also known as Detroit Motor Show. The Grand Cherokee SRT is a powerful luxurious SUV with most of the modern amenities. It was at the Detroit Motor show that Jeep CEO Mike Manley, speaking to Brian Makse of VVUZZ.com, confirmed that the Hellcat Powered Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT Trackhawk exists in the company’s future plans. When Makse asked Manley if a 6.2-liter supercharged Hellcat V-8 could be installed into the Grand Cherokee, Manley responded: “Not only can I put a Hellcat motor in [a Grand Cherokee] for you, I’m going to bring that to market by the end of 2017.” However, no one at Fiat Chrysler has confirmed Manley’s Trackhawk statement, but if what Mr. Manley said is right, then the Hellcat-powered Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT Trackhawk will be introduced to the market (presumably the USA) before the end of 2017 while in India the premium SUV will enter Indian auto market via CUB (Completely Built Unit) route. That being said the carmaker is already working on plans for local assembly of Jeep SUVs in India. If reports are to be believed, the company has announced its plan to invest roughly around 1854 Crore ($ 280 Million) in India to expand its Ranjangaon manufacturing plant near Pune for the assembly of Jeep models.
The interior of the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT is dominated by an attractive center console that can be used to control the SUV’s electronic features. The Grand Cherokee SRT is one of the few SUV to incorporate a launch control feature which is located ahead of the gear selector knob. The Grand Cherokee SRT gets light-weight carbon fiber trim accents on the driver door, dashboard and front passenger door. The cabin of the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT is stuffed with 19 high-quality speakers from Harmon Kardon to provide its occupants with the best quality of sound and an 8.4-inch touchscreen display that shows real-time performance figures.
Under the hood, the ultra-powerful performance SUV will derive power from a 6.4-litre HEMI Hellcat supercharged V8 gasoline engine that churns out 475 BHP of power and a massive 650 Nm of torque. The engine is mated to either an 8-speed automatic transmission or a 6-speed manual transmission. This enables the SUV to hit 100 km/hr from standstill in just 5 seconds (4.8 seconds, to be precise) goes on to an electronically limited top speed of 258 kmph. It comes with launch control, different modes including Sport and Track, a lowered ride height and Brembo high-performance brake discs. It will be priced in the region of Rs. 1.40 crores (ex-showroom) and will compete with the likes of the Mercedes-Benz GLE63 AMG and the BMW X5M.
Stay tuned for more updates!