Jeep To Use Tata Motors Platforms For New SUVs: Major Comeback Begins

Jeep has now partnered with Tata Motors to develop new SUVs for India and for many other global markets. The Stellantis-owned company will use Tata Motors' highly competitive platforms for its upcoming SUVs.

Stellantis-owned Jeep is one of the most renowned SUV brands in the world. However, the company has been struggling to gain strong sales momentum in the Indian market. Not only Jeep, but other Stellantis-owned brands like Citroën are also facing challenges due to weak sales and limited market penetration.

Jeep To Partner with Tata Motors For SUV Platform

During the 'Fastlane 2030' Investor Presentation, Stellantis announced the surprising development that it will partner with Tata Motors for SUV platforms. A total of five new models will be launched for the APAC region by 2030, and one of these products will use a Tata Motors-derived SUV platform.

Gregoire Olivier, Asia Pacific COO of Stellantis, said, "Tata Motors has been a Stellantis partner for more than 20 years and will provide a highly competitive platform to develop a new Jeep vehicle, which will be developed in India and assembled in India at our Stellantis-Tata JV facility, for India and global markets."

Why this partnership?

Jeep Compass was initially a very successful model when it was launched in 2017. However, the Indian SUV market gradually became more competitive as several new players entered the segment and captured significant market share.

Despite having four SUVs in its portfolio, Jeep currently holds only a limited share of the market. Models like the Jeep Compass and Jeep Meridian, priced under Rs 30 lakh, are struggling to compete against rivals such as the Hyundai Creta, Hyundai Alcazar, Tata Harrier and Tata Safari, which offer more features and better value at comparatively lower price points.

Success of Tata Motors

Tata Motors, on the other hand, continues to strengthen its market position with popular products like the Tata Sierra, Tata Punch, Tata Nexon, Tata Harrier and Tata Safari. The company has captured a significant share of the Indian SUV market and is competing aggressively with Hyundai Motor Company for the No. 2 position in India.

Stellantis already shares its manufacturing plant in Pune with Tata Motors, while vehicles like the Tata Harrier and Tata Safari continue to use powertrains sourced from Stellantis. The two companies have been collaborating for more than two decades.

Jeep's Comeback Strategy

This new partnership does not come as a complete surprise, and platform sharing with Tata Motors could help Jeep make its products more competitively priced and regain market share in India. Tata Motors could potentially allow Jeep to utilise the Sierra's ARGOS architecture and develop its own premium SUV based on the platform.

This platform is highly capable of supporting multiple powertrain options, including petrol, diesel, hybrid and CNG at a low cost. Jeep could utilise this opportunity to introduce more value-packed products with advanced technologies and modern features, areas where the brand has often lagged behind its rivals in India.