Jeep launched sales of its first electrified product in China, the plug-in variant of the Grand Commander, last week, addressing efforts from local regulations pushing automakers to expand electrified vehicle output.
The SUV has a starting price of 309,800 yuan ($44,070) after government subsidies, according to GAC-FCA, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles’ joint venture in China.
It is fitted with FCA’s 2.0-liter turbocharged GME-T4 gasoline engine and two electric motors, and can drive for up to 900 kilometers with fuel economy of 1.6 liters per 100 km.
When powered by batteries only, it has a range of 70 km on one charge, according to GAC-FCA.
GAC-FCA was incorporated in 2010 as a 50-50 partnership between GAC and FCA. It only assembles vehicles for the Jeep brand.
The joint venture also produces the standard gasoline-powered Grand Commander as well as three other gasoline SUVs – the Cherokee, Renegade and Compass.
Jeep’s China sales have been hit hard by the protracted market downturn that started in mid-2018.
In the first ten months of the year, Jeep delivered 57,804 vehicles, a drop of 46 percent from a year earlier.
In 2018, local sales fell 39 percent to 125,181, according to GAC.
