Jeep 526 (K8) images leaked

The new Jeep K8 images have been leaked before its official unveil on 19th of April in China have been leaked. This is an all new compact SUV, which we reckon could even make it into India. Jeep has been working on two SUVs for India, one is the Compass, which will be unveiled on 12th April and the second one shall be a compact one. The second one is codenamed as 526 as per multiple reports and shall be launched in India as well. This will be manufactured in India and exported to other markets. From what we understand, both the Jeep 526 and K8 should be the same.

Jeep 526 Price 

As this will be a Jeep model, it could be priced a bit more than the competition. It has been benchmarked against bigger SUVs and we expect the pricing to be around INR 9 lakhs to INR 13 lakhs (on-road). This will be a B-segment SUV for the Indian car market. This will be a compact SUV, which is one of the fastest growing segments in India.

Jeep 526 Launch Date

There has been no official statement on this SUV’s launch date, however we expect it to be launched in India by early 2018. First the Jeep 551 (Jeep Compass) will be launched, which will be followed by the Jeep 526. The new Compass will be making its way into India by mid 2017. This will be manufactured in India and it will be exported to other countries. The 526 will be a smaller SUV so more work has to be done on to maintain its pricing.

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Jeep 526 Design

Now, Jeep is likely to design this SUV on the Renegade’s design language. This could follow the similar styling. The Jeep 551 (Jeep Compass) looks more like a crossover. This one will look more rugged. Expect a lot of similarity in design to the Renegade. This is the same platform (SCA) as Fiat and Jeep both will be using it make all its products in India on it. The Jeep 526 will be the company’s most affordable SUV. The same platform will help to reduce the pricing of the new Jeep 526. How? The SCA platform has already been localised for the Indian car market. The current generation Linea and Punto are also made on this platform. This is a modular platform and it has high level of localisation.

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Jeep 526 Features

In terms of features, this SUV will be loaded. It will be a more upmarket SUV and it will cater to what you pay. Not just brand image, but even the features it shall offer. This will be a five-seater SUV and Jeep is keen to enhance its market share with this new SUV. As per the details, the company will be looking at adding a lot of features to add on to the brand value of Jeep. The American brand has been famous in India as it was sold still 1950s under the Mahindra brand.

Also Read: Ford Ecosport 2017 Price and Features

Jeep 526 Engines

The new Jeep 526 will come with a 1.4-litre T-JET petrol engine and the diesel will be the new 1.5-litre multijet. This will be used on the 526 and a new upcoming Fiat sedan as well. The 2.0-litre multijet production is already on a trial run and soon we will see the 1.5-litre diesel also soon. Our sources confirm that the new 1.5-litre diesel is under its final stage of testing. The decision to manufacture this engine hasn’t been confirmed. If this engine doesn’t make it, then the 90bhp 1.3-litre multijet will be powering the Jeep 526. The 1.4-litre T-JET is already made in India.

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Jeep 526 Competition

Jeep brand’s 526 shall be competing with the Ford Ecosport, Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, Mahindra TUV300 and the Mahindra Nuvosport. There will be more new SUVs in this segment like the Tata Nexon and the Hyundai Carlino.

Image Source: allpar.com