Jeep previously announced that they are working on a 7-seat SUV from India, which is codenamed H6 and the Left-hand drive version of the same SUV is being called H1 internally. The new model will sit above the Compass. It will go against the likes of MG Gloster, Ford Endeavour and the Toyota Fortuner. According to Autocar India, the new SUV is expected to get unveiled in the second half of 2021 while the launch is will happen in 2022.
Jeep H6 will be manufactured in India at Jeep’s plant in Chakan. The Chakan plant will be the manufacturing hub for the right-hand-drive models of the new 7-seater SUV. The new SUV’s production for India will start in April 2022 while the launch is expected to happen in May or June.
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The underpinnings will be shared with the Compass Facelift which was recently launched. The first half of the SUV will stay the same as the Compass. So, it will borrow the same body panels from the Compass for the front and the front doors. The difference will start after the B-pillar so there will be longer rear doors which should help in easy ingress and egress to the third row of seats, it should also open up more legroom for the occupants. The tailgate will be more upright so that there is enough space for the third-row. The rear styling will be different from the Compass to give the H6 a unique identity. The design elements are expected to be borrowed from Grand Cherokee L and the Grand Wagoneer Concept. So, we can expect some slim horizontal tail lamp design with overall boxy design. There will be a faux skid plate, rear wiper with washer and there should also be an electric tailgate considering the segment that the new SUV will be competing in.
There will be a lot of creature comforts that will be borrowed from the Compass. So, there will be a panoramic sunroof that will provide an airy feel to the cabin. There will be cooled ventilated seats for the front occupants while the rear occupants will get their own AC vents and armrest. The new 7-seater SUV will be offered with a choice of captain seating for the second-row to provide the best in segment chauffeur-driven experience. The captain seats will also make it easier to go down to the third-row as there is a lot of space left between the two seats. There will also be other features like a digital instrument cluster, dual-zone climate control and connected car technology.
Jeep H6 will come with the same 2.0-litre, four-cylinder Multijet 2 diesel engine that is doing duty on the Compass and other vehicles. However, the engine is expected to be in a higher state of tune. So, it will be producing around 200 PS of max power instead of 170 PS like it does on the Compass. In the current state of tune, the engine produces 350 Nm of torque, but with a higher tune, the torque figure should also go up. The engine will be offered with a 9-speed torque converter automatic gearbox as standard. Being a Jeep, the higher variants will be offered with an all-wheel-drive system. It is not yet confirmed if the SUV will be offered with a petrol engine or not. What is confirmed is that the H1 which is the left-hand drive version will be offered with a petrol engine which is most likely to be the new 1.3-litre turbocharged unit.
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