Jeep sales starting in India by mid-2016
Jeep will officially have a presence in India later this year, according to parent company Fiat Chrysler Automobiles.
The Jeep logo is seen on a vehicle at the Auto Expo in Greater Noida, near New Delhi, India, (Feb. 3, 2016). Jeep is currently developing a new Wrangler model.
Tsering Topgyal/AP/File
Jeep managed to sell 1,237,583 vehicles worldwide in 2015, which represents the highest total in the brand’s 75-year history. The total this year is likely to be even higher, though, as Jeep will finally have an official presence in the growing Indian market.
Parent company Fiat Chrysler Automobiles [NYSE:FCAU] has confirmed that Jeep sales in India will commence by mid-2016. And to help mark the introduction of Jeep in India, the brand presented the Wrangler, Grand Cherokee and Grand Cherokee SRT models earlier today at the 2016 Delhi Auto Expo currently underway in the Indian capital.
India is the fifth-largest market for new cars, and with a population of well over a billion people the country certainly has room to move up the ranks. India will also play a significant role in Jeep reaching its recently revised target of 2 million sales in 2018.
“Our aggressive expansion in international markets is one of the key drivers behind our current global sales momentum,” Jeep CEO Mike Manley said in statement.
But Jeep isn’t just selling vehicles in India. Next year, the brand will start production of at least one model at a plant in Ranjangaon, located to the west of the major city Mumbai. The identity of the model is yet to be announced, though it’s expected to be either the Cherokee or the upcoming replacement for the Compass and Patriot. Once online, the new plant will join other Jeep plants located in Brazil, China, Italy and the United States.
This article first appeared at MotorAuthority.