High price and low volume. This is the approach that Fiat Chrysler Automobile is treading as it enters Indian Market.
The country, having a 1.2 billion population, is going to be an integral part of the FCA's worldwide goal of reaching an annual sale of 2 million units by the year 2019. The FCA is poised to set its network in 10 major urban cities in the country and given the automobile that the are offering it's likely that they'll target luxury consumers rather than aiming for the general masses.
Starting price for the four-door Wrangler Unlimited in India is at $107,000, while diesel-powered Grand Cherokee Limited is at $140,000. And for the top-end Grand Cherokee SRT model, the price is hovering at $167,000.
In comparison to the US prices, the Grand Cherokee Limited kicks off at the price of $43,000, while its luxurious kin, the Grand Cherokee SRT, starts at $66,690.
However, the company is also preparing itself to start producing smaller, lower-costs SUVs next year that will be made and sold in India, as well as being exported to other nations, reported Times of India.
"The heart of that market is still very, very low-priced, dominated by local manufacturers," Jeep Chief Executive Mike Manley told Automotive News. "Even when global manufacturers break into that marketplace, it is with their lowest-cost platforms. All the signs are that, at some stage, India is going to develop and develop strongly, which is why we need to be there ... but our volume, certainly for the short future, is going to be constricted."
While this is the first time that Jeep, as a brand, will have a presence in India, Mahindra automobile has been manufacturing Jeeps in the country for decades; presenting a marketing challenge and a new setting of trends for the FCA.
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