As things stand, FCA-owned Jeep sells just two models in India – the Compass and the Wrangler. There were other models on offer? As a matter of fact, yes. Jeep offered the Grand Cherokee SUV. It was launched in three variants back in 2016 – Limited, Summit and SRT. Now, none of them appears on Jeep India’s official website. But, is it a temporary development?

Jeep knew that it wouldn’t be selling the Grand Cherokee in huge numbers here. So, it adopted the CBU (Completely Built Unit) route for the model. Because of that, the price list was eye-watering, to say the least. As a result, Jeep’s flagship offering in India found few takers. And now, the model is gone. Perhaps, for good.

Do not, even for once, think that FCA-owned Jeep brand has gone out of ideas for India. No. In fact, it is working overtime to develop and offer more affordable products. For instance, the Jeep Compass facelift is arriving early next year. Reports suggest that could happen as early as January. The current model has a broad portfolio, covering Night Eagle limited-edition and the Trailhawk. Then, we’ve also got a seven-seat, Compass-based SUV in the pipeline. Also, India should get the Renegade model as well. That will rival the likes of the Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos and Nissan Kicks.

If all that doesn’t help you put faith in FCA’s plans, get this – the automobile group has announced that it is setting up a Global Digital Hub in Hyderabad, which would incur an investment of $150 million. It will create 1,000 new jobs by the end of 2021, and that count will rise over the following couple of years. And, let’s not forget, it is FCA that supplies engines to Morris Garages for the Hector range and Tata Motors for the Harrier. All-in-all, the Italian automobile group has a lot of business here in India.