Shailesh Hazela, the newly appointed MD and CEO of Stellantis India, says the SUV game has moved to the sub-Rs 20 lakh segment, and the company would want the iconic Jeep brand to have a presence there.
Hazela told Autocar Professional, "We’ve been in the Jeep segment, which is Rs 25 lakh-plus. The market [volume] is shifting. The core is moving from Rs 25 lakh to Rs 17 lakh; that is the market we must play [in]."
The comments from Hazela confirm our scoop that Jeep was working on an all-new Rs 15-20 lakh SUV. While the project is still said to be in the study stage, people in the know say the B-segment Jeep SUV is likely to be based on Citroen’s Common Modular Platform (CMP), which underpins the French company’s recently introduced Basalt coupe-SUV and the C3 range of cars in India.
However, Jeep’s answer to the likes of the Hyundai Creta, Tata Curvv and the bevvy of midsize SUVs will retain the Jeep DNA by likely offering AWD or 4x4 tech, which would make it unique in the segment. Hazela went on to say, “We aspire to play in that [sub-Rs 20 lakh] segment and keep the Jeep DNA, with the tech integrated, so we can sustain for 7-8 years.”
The new SUV is highly unlikely to be just for the Indian market and is expected to be a global product. Multiple models are under consideration on the Citroen platform but will not be introduced in India alone. Hazela states they will have a global role, especially in the ASEAN region.