[Tucker48]

Autocar says, Jeep is working on India specific model, a sub 4m CSUV which they are calling Jeep Junior at the moment. It might look like mini compass but it's going to shake up the segment for sure even if it's priced at 25% premium to others, esp with AWD.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.aut...ith-awd-420159

[Hayek]

Originally Posted by justwheels

If they are looking for numbers, they need to price it into the Endeavour Fortuner category, which clearly they have not. If they want this to be treated as luxury, it goes against entry SUVs of marquee brands. Not sure if it holds ground there.

I don’t get why we insist on comparing products which have no relation with each other. The Fortuner and the Endeavor or bare bones made for Emerging Markets SUVs built on a low cost pick up platform. The Wrangler is a lifestyle product - in every market where it is sold. They have nothing to do with each other. The Fortuner and Endeavour will sell volumes - the Wrangler will not, if it does 100 units a month, Jeep will be over the moon on the performance, and even 20-30 units a month (similar to the Toyota Camry) would be respectable performance. This is a Halo product - meant to induce people to buy the Compass in larger numbers. It is not being launched for volumes.

Think a ₹53 -58 l ex show room (similar to the X3) is a very good price indeed for the product. I would not buy it - I am not rich enough to spend that much on a lifestyle car, and frankly, don’t lead the off-road lifestyle either. But there would be an audience for this car, and it is well priced for that audience.

[justwheels]

Originally Posted by Hayek

I don’t get why we insist on comparing products which have no relation with each other....
This is a Halo product - meant to induce people to buy the Compass in larger numbers. It is not being launched for volumes.

Think a ₹53 -58 l ex show room (similar to the X3) is a very good price indeed for the product....

I don't think I wanted to compare the products in different segments. What I was comparing is the price bracket. My only question in that post was, what does it achieve for Jeep. I agree it is a halo product and Jeep knows it won't sell much.

But my simple question was, how does a Wrangler costing 50+ lakhs bring footfall for compass. Will a consumer enter Jeep dealership looking to explore Wrangler and then end up buying the compass or vice-versa. They are also 2 different segments placed far apart. (Or may be I am mistaken as I surely don't belong to either price bracket).

The way I read it, compass is still considered to be an expensive SUV compared against Harrier kind of vehicles. Hardly anyone buys it as a hardcore offroader, which exactly Wrangler is. If Jeep had many models across the price range, Wrangler was a great marketing product, undoubtedly.

So I only expressed my inability to understand how Wrangler is going to help Jeep get more numbers for any other product they sell currently. May be it will, and will be great to see, as who doesn't want competent Jeep products to sell in India at the right cost. If I had the moolah, I would buy a Wrangler anyday.

[avira_tk]

Originally Posted by justwheels

But my simple question was, how does a Wrangler costing 50+ lakhs bring footfall for compass. Will a consumer enter Jeep dealership looking to explore Wrangler and then end up buying the compass or vice-versa. They are also 2 different segments placed far apart. (Or may be I am mistaken as I surely don't belong to either price bracket).

A good question, this halo product thing works when you constantly push it in media channels. I wouldn't care for the wrangler or the 7 slat grill if I got to buy a Jeep. The market simply wants a capable crossover, sales of the hard core trailhawk is an indication that off roading is the last thing customers are going to do with vehicles in this price range. The wrangler is a mall crawler, the only place you'll see this will be near the city centre hotspots, not many people in rural areas have the income to buy such a toy.

The posters going on about not comparing it to the thar are simply amplifying Jeep's marketing. My FIL has a jeep, a basic major or whatever it's called, the tourists who come to the home stay can't get enough of it. They come from places with mature markets, the appeal to the major is how old school it is, something they say is no longer available in their home markets. The wrangler is not a competitor to the thar, but in India the thar has enough street cred.

[imranstael]

Originally Posted by justwheels

My only question in that post was, what does it achieve for Jeep. I agree it is a halo product and Jeep knows it won't sell much.

But my simple question was, how does a Wrangler costing 50+ lakhs bring footfall for compass. Will a consumer enter Jeep dealership looking to explore Wrangler and then end up buying the compass or vice-versa. They are also 2 different segments placed far apart. (Or may be I am mistaken as I surely don't belong to either price bracket).

So I only expressed my inability to understand how Wrangler is going to help Jeep get more numbers for any other product they sell currently. May be it will, and will be great to see, as who doesn't want competent Jeep products to sell in India at the right cost. If I had the moolah, I would buy a Wrangler anyday.

The credibility and reputation that the brand Jeep builds for itself by having products like the Wrangler trickle into everything else they sell. People may not have the requirement or money for such halo products, but they believe that all the other products made by the brand also have a slice of that engineering, heritage and quality built into them.

This is the same reason that for example Mitsubishi and Subaru compete in Rallys and sell the Subaru WRX STI or Mitsubishi Evo X. Why waste time building expensive high performance rally cars that hardly sell compared to their other products? Because the very existence of these halo products is what leads to the success of the other products they make.

The same way The Mustang or Camaro work for Ford and Chevrolet. Or the M3 or AMG series work for BMW and Mercedes.

None of these products were ever designed or meant to sell volumes.

And this completely ignores the trickle down of technology from all halo products into the volume products that are sold.

Nobody wants to buy a sports car made by a company that doesn't win at competitive racing. Nobody wants to buy a 4x4 made by a company that isn't building rally winning 4x4 vehicles.

[dragonfire]

The old one was 64L with a 110% excise duty for CBU.

So the actual price should have been 30.5L before excise duty.

Now add 60% excise for CKD which makes it about 49L.

Now, they have to put the CKD together. Also add the cost of knocking it down in the first place. Isn't 5L a reasonable amount for that and the additional logistics?

Well, its not like Fortuner/Endeavour buyers were holding their purchases back and waiting for the CKD Wrangler.

But whoever had their eyes set on a Wrangler already, is going to have a reason to jump right in.

[guranshwalia]

I am Rubicon owner from Chandigarh. I got the import model in June 2020 (69L). Since then I have installed several mods on the vehicle (I plan to make a long post once most of my build is complete), and I have already done 25000kms on the vehicle. I do moderate to extreme offroading in the car with an RFC team and well known offroad group in Chandigarh, where all kinds of vehicles come together, including all the vehicles mentioned in this thread. I also use the vehicle as my daily driver.

Here are a few impressions:

On Road:

• It is a comfortable car, even though I am running OEM 32" KM2 MTs at the moment.
• If I have to compare, it rides better than a Fortuner, but not as well an Endeavor. Body roll is well controlled, shocks are not too stiff. On roads riddled with potholes, my Rubicon is better than all ute based vehicles and even luxury SUVs (including Landrovers and Audis), in a sense it retains traction extremely well after hitting potholes.
• Things will change for better on 35"s.
• The 268bhp engine has more grunt than required for Indian roads. The only thing holding me back are the MTs that don't grip well on tight turns after 80kmph.
• Rubicon has tech too. Android Auto/Carplay, ultra HD rear camera, 500something watt sound system, and a very responsive and intuitive touch screen.

Off Road:

• I have driven most vehicles offroad. By offroad I do not mean mild trails and an odd rock here or there. Most of what I do cannot be done by stock vehicles without scraping their bottom and breaking something. In terms of sheer capability, nothing even comes close to the Rubicon. I have climbed up rocks higher than myself without any wheelslip whatsoever. On trails, I seem to leave everyone behind and have to slow down every time for others to catch up.
• On steep off-camber hill climbs with loose wet rocks, almost all modified vehicles will need momentum (including my LRD5 with low range and two lockers), but in the jeep I do it in first gear at 3kmph.
• Mind you my vehicle is still mostly stock.
• I cannot put it in words how this vehicle dominates a trail. I drive hard enough to broken both front and rear plastic bumper, all the fenders are broken. These parts are welded by metal plates to the chassis/underbody for the time being until my metal bumper and fender mods are complete.

Comparing it to the new Thar (because everyone wants to):

• A Rubicon customer will not consider Thar. They will not even consider the option, let alone debate the similarities or pros and cons.
  
• I have no clue how Thar drives on-road and I am doubtful it will drive better compared to a setup tuned by Fox Shox.
  
• Off the road, I would drive an Old Gypsy than go with the new Thar. The front end has negligible articulation, the front radiator hangs too low and I will probably end up damaging it way too soon, and the car slips and bounces any time it meets with a serious obstacle. Sure it goes over, but, c'mon. One is better off with a used Fortuner equipped with a rear locker.
  
• The front IFS setup in Thar just isn't right and I am not sure what weight the CVs are rated for. I am guessing you are on borrowed time running heavy MTs on a stock Thar CV and going wheeling every weekend.
  
• Point being, Rubicon and Thar offroad is simply not a comparison. Plus, I get to make my Rubicon my own with millions of mods available in the market. It's easy too, considering the car is modular and very welcoming to mods.

[ATTACH=Resized 2.JPG][/ATTACH]

[VRJ]

Originally Posted by guranshwalia

I am Rubicon owner from Chandigarh.

Hey Guranshwalia, welcome to the forum. Thank you for sharing your experience . You should start an ownership thread for your Wrangler since you put your Jeep to proper use and we also don’t have any ownership threads of the Wrangler. I know of one Wrangler owner who uses it only for his office commute, lol. Couple of questions:

1. How efficient is the petrol engine? Is it safe to assume 4-5 kmpl while off-roading, 5-6 in city and 7-8 in the highways?

2. Any service packages that Jeep offers in India? Maximum warranty period? Service costs?

Cheers!

[guranshwalia]

Originally Posted by VRJ

Hey Guranshwalia, welcome to the forum. Thank you for sharing your experience . You should start an ownership thread for your Wrangler since you put your Jeep to proper use and we also don’t have any ownership threads of the Wrangler. I know of one Wrangler owner who uses it only for his office commute, lol. Couple of questions:

1. How efficient is the petrol engine? Is it safe to assume 4-5 kmpl while off-roading, 5-6 in city and 7-8 in the highways?

2. Any service packages that Jeep offers in India? Maximum warranty period? Service costs?

Cheers!

Hi VRJ. Yes I will start an ownership thread soon. As for the questions:

• 2.0 Petrol gives me 9kmpl to 11kmpl on highways depending on how I drive. In cities it dips to 7kmpl but never below that. I drive in a very spirited fashion.
  
• No I don't think they were at the time since it was an Import. I am not sure about any packages for the made in India variant. Warranty is for 2 Years unlimited kms, though mine has probably been voided considering I have modified the vehicle and will mod in the future. Replacement parts are quite cheap if ordered directly from USA instead of getting from FCA India.

[Turbanator]

Originally Posted by guranshwalia

I am Rubicon owner from Chandigarh.

Welcome to the Forum

Now, that's exactly what a prospective owner wants to hear about the Wrangler and for the keyboard buyers, you have also touched similarities (or the lack) with Mahindra

If you are visiting Jeep showroom sometime, try to listen to the Audio with missing Sub on the CKD vs yours and post your views. Not that anybody buys a Rubicon for Audio, but it used to sound so nice before.

[guranshwalia]

Originally Posted by Turbanator

Welcome to the Forum
====
Not that anybody buys a Rubicon for Audio, but it used to sound so nice before.

Hi Turbonator

Yes I will post my views my about the sound system, though its an easy fix. Better yet I will check for the relay and post here.

[ralto]

Originally Posted by guranshwalia

Hi VRJ. Yes I will start an ownership thread soon.

Nice to have (un) found you here. [For other readers that is a reference to his insta handle]

So good to see you making use of every bit of the immense potential that this vehicle has. Looking forward to reading your ownership thread.

[jayendra]

Launching the Wrangler as a CKD has brought in quiet a major fall in price. However, still priced at around 55L ex showroom, I don't find the value preposition in it. Also considering the new 2L petrol, is it worth the price?

[Turbanator]

Got a chance to check CKD- Wrangler in Gurgaon this evening. Local dealership have got one for Test Drive. But I came back unconvinced

Exterior/ Interiors-

Top Grade! quality of the plastics, leather and metal parts, everything is exactly same as CBU. Switchgear feels nice to touch and operate though I didn’t like the placement of controls like window up &down. Similarly, the cabin interior is not well lit and not all controls get lights so finding these in dark can be an issue.

On-Road Drive

For some reasons, past sales history, or just how the way Jeep wants to market, Dealerships have got test drive vehicles in Rubicon trim. Engine sound is minimal as expected and gears are smooth but the moment you pull up the speed, the steering behaves very differently. I don’t know whether this is due to some of my daily drives that I am used to or is this something to do with CKD or just the characteristics of Rubicon with those BF tyres. But, its super vague. Now, mind you this is despite my experience with 2-Door Sahara JK for few thousand Kms in Canada, so this came as big surprise to me.

Maybe some other members can drive and post their views but if someone is willing to book one, will suggest to go for a longish drive before putting an advance.

Originally Posted by guranshwalia

[*]If I have to compare, it rides better than a Fortuner, but not as well an Endeavor.

Can you drive the local one and see if there is any difference or is it just a characteristic, I know, its a Jeep thing but I am disappointed.

[SuperFlyBoy]

Originally Posted by Turbanator

Got a chance to check CKD- Wrangler in Gurgaon this evening....

On-Road Drive

I don’t know whether this is due to some of my daily drives that I am used to or is this something to do with CKD or just the characteristics of Rubicon with those BF tyres. But, its super vague. Now, mind you this is despite my experience with 2-Door Sahara JK for few thousand Kms in Canada, so this came as big surprise to me.

Maybe this is the reason?:

Originally Posted by guranshwalia

On Road:

• The only thing holding me back are the MTs that don't grip well on tight turns after 80kmph.