Jeep has its sights set firmly on becoming a bona-fide rival to Mercedes-Benz and BMW in Australia.
The company has reaffirmed the fact it wants to be a premium offering in Australia, led by the new Grand Cherokee and its bigger Grand Cherokee L brother.
“We feel like we can compete with German luxury brands,” a Stellantis spokesperson told media.
Pricing for the new Grand Cherokee kicks off at $77,950 before on-roads, aligning it with a base BMW X3 sDrive20i, while the range-topper is nudging $105,000 before on-roads with a full suite of options, putting it in line with the likes of the Volvo XC90 B6 Ultimate.
A more expensive Summit Reserve model is coming later in 2023 with a plug-in hybrid powertrain, and a steeper price tag.
The most expensive Jeep in Australia is currently the Grand Cherokee L Summit Reserve, priced at $119,450 before on-road costs.
Jeep is aware the higher price – along with the fact there’s no diesel this time around – means the Grand Cherokee is unlikely to reach the sales heights of its predecessor, which at its peak in 2014 found more than 16,500 homes.
“When you look at how sales were going back then, it’s a completely different landscape. The Australian dollar was much stronger than the US dollar, that’s what we buy against, so that right there throws us completely out of whack,” the spokesperson said of pricing on the new model.
“We always have aspirations of a volume we used to be at,” the spokesperson confirmed, but said “we want to just be focused on providing the right amount of quality, getting it right with our dealers, getting the service right, and then we’ll see how the sales go”.
Beyond the new, more premium Grand Cherokee line-up, the Jeep range is gradually being overhauled in Australia.
The regular Cherokee is dead locally, while the smaller Compass was updated in 2021. The Wrangler has been treated to updates overseas, set to hit Australia around the end of 2023.
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