The name Jeep conjures up multiple images: Mountains, tough terrain, the wide, wild world. Now, a decade after the last Classic Jeep rolled out of its assembly line, Mahindra & Mahindra, the country’s most diversified auto manufacturer, is bringing back the Jeep, a treat for the adventurous and the nostalgic alike.
M&M is in the last lap of finalising its plans and an announcement is likely by year-end. The soft-roof Jeep will be powered by a 2.6 litre turbo-charged engine and is likely to cost Rs 4.5-5.5 lakh. Aimed at the tourist markets of Kerala, Rajasthan and the North East, the company expects to sell 5,000 units per year.
?This is part of M&M?s strategy to do something different from its competitors… It may not sell too many units initially, but it?s a case of simple brand positioning,? a source privy to the company’s plans told FE on condition of anonymity.
He explained that with Maruti Gypsy also running low on production, it provided M&M the opportunity to penetrate this segment. He added that Mahindra & Mahindra is yet to finalise on the branding of the vehicle.
When contacted, Pawan Goenka, president (automotive & farm equipment) Mahindra & Mahindra said: ?We do not comment on future product programmes.?
In June 1949, Mahindra built the first Willys Overland Jeep in the country at its plant in Mumbai (then Bombay). The company later introduced several versions of the vehicle, keeping the exteriors largely similar. In 1991, the company introduced the ‘Commander’, which was an instant hit. Currently, the company’s fully-loaded jeep ‘Thar’ is available in South Africa.
Vaishali Jajoo, auto analyst with Angel Broking said M&M had lined up big plans for the passenger car segment in the country and the decision to introduce the Jeep was purely strategic in nature. ?There are hardly any volumes in this segment. M&M would want to leverage its brand to push the vehicle into rural areas where they already enjoy a lot of brand recall,? she said.
M&M is also strengthening its leadership in the heavy utility vehicle category with several new and refurbished models next year. Industry sources said the company has started work on a Xylo Pick-Up and a Gio passenger vehicle. Xylo pick-ups will be available in both single-cab and double-cab versions.