News: JEEP is back in Malaysia

Jeep is back in Malaysia after a long absence. This time around Jeep Malaysia is a company under the DRB-HICOM Berhad group who have been awarded the exclusive distributorship from Chrysler Group International (part of the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles group). Today is the official launch of the brand and also the opening of the first Jeep 3S centre in Malaysia, located in Glenmarie, Shah Alam. By next year, Jeep Malaysia intends to open centres in Penang and Johor followed by one centre each in Sabah and Sarawak by 2016.



Four popular models are to be initially offered by Jeep Malaysia and these would be fully imported (CBU) units - the Jeep Grand Cherokee, Jeep Cherokee, Jeep Wrangler and Jeep Compass. All vehicles will be sold with a 5 year warranty or 150,000km which ever comes first. There is also an initial offer where Jeep Malaysia offers to pay for 2 years of insurance and road tax for the first 30 customers (quite a carrot as the petrol engines offered are a 2.4liter and a 3.6liter engine and prices that range from RM248,889 to RM468,889 or thereabouts; so the insurance would cost a fair bit too).

Lets start with the most expensive car in the Jeep Malaysia line-up. The 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland comes with a 3.6liter V6 284HP / 347Nm petrol engine with an 8 speed automatic transmission with fuel saver technology. It also comes with bi-xenon HID headlights with auto levelling, premium leather seats (which does feel good), leather stitched instrument panel and armrest, an exotic open pore wood trim and various exterior colours. You need about  RM468,889 to have one parked in your garage.

The second car in the Jeep Malaysia line-up is the 2014 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk. It gets the 2.4liter 4 cylinder petrol engine that gives 174hp/229Nm and a 9 speed automatic transmission. Yes, 9 forward gears for you to play with. Fiat Chrysler technology is pretty eye opening in the transmission department if you get what I mean. The 4x4 system in the Cherokee has rear axle disconnect and makes it a very able off roader when the need arises. It also gets navigation via a 8.4inch touch screen media system. All at a price of RM378,889.

The Jeep Wrangler comes next. This is Jeep's icon and remains true to its heritage and basic shape since it first came to be a good 70 years ago. It is still a traditional 4X4 with body on frame design, rear 5 link suspension system, live axles but with electronic diff locks. The engine offered is the 3.6liter V6 like the one in the Grand Cherokee. You need the brawn for such an icon and in road tax expensive Malaysia, the 3.6 seems to be the compromise between performance and tax. With the Wrangler, it is old meets some new tech here. But people like them for what they are and buy them for what they offer. Anyway, the 2014 Jeep Wrangler is available in the Wrangler Rubicon, Wrangler Unlimited Sahara and WranglerUnlimited Sports - RM338,889, RM328,889 and RM288, 889 respectively.

The final Jeep Malaysia offering is the 2014 Jeep Compass Limited. You get the same 2.4 liter as the Cherokee but in a smaller package and only 6 speeds in the automatic transmission. According to Jeep, the Compass should appeal to those with active lifestyles, urban dwellers and younger families. Prices start at RM248,889.

Jeep Malaysia is optimistic that they can achieve a sales target of about 700 vehicles for 2015. The 3S centre in Glenmarie will also provide MOPAR (Chrysler's in-house tuning arm) parts and accessories for those interested in adding some extra to their Jeep.

(Ed- stay tuned for an opinion about the Jeep models sometime soon)