AutoCar India, Gives Us The Scoop On The New 7-Passenger Jeep® 598:

Over the past several years, the Jeep® brand has been expanding its offerings around the globe. This includes some models that aren’t available in the United States, home to the iconic brand. This started with the introduction of the 2019 Jeep Grand Commander (K8), a three-row midsize SUV built exclusively for the Chinese market. Since then it has continued with the introduction of the 2020 Jeep Commander PHEV (plug-in hybrid) in China, and the European 2020 Jeep Renegade and Compass 4xe PHEV models. 

With Jeep looking to expand its global notoriety even further, there are some global markets where the brand has a tough time selling certain models due to cost, as well as vehicle size. So instead, Jeep has decided to build a specific model for that market like the Commander/Grand Commander for China. One such Jeep will be launched later this year in two different global markets – Brazil and India.

The Jeep 598 platform, is a three-row SUV based on the current Jeep Compass. Codenamed H1 in Brazil and H6 in India, the yet-to-be-named vehicle will be manufactured in both countries fulfilling the need for a bigger SUV which the current two-row Compass and Cherokee can not.

Thanks to our friends at AutoCar India, we are now learning more details about the India-spec version which is expected to launch in April 2022. 

According to their sources, the 7-passenger Jeep 598 will share most of its underpinnings with the newly facelifted Compass which started production in January. They expect that the new H6 will use a formula similar to the new Grand Cherokee L (WL) and upcoming long-wheelbase Grand Wagoneer (WS), by using much of the Compass’ updated front styling upfront, with changes made to the body from the B-pillar rearward. AutoCar India indicates that the rear doors will be more upright in the rear, with unique rear styling mimicking the newer Grand Cherokee.

They expect that the H6 will retain a lot of the creature comforts from the Compass. The Compass has a handsome new interior that might be a carryover to the new model, as we believe Jeep will want to save as much money as possible in the development of the new H1 and H6, as those markets tend to purchase vehicles on the lower end of the market. But it shouldn’t keep Jeep from offering captain’s chairs for the middle row in some trim-levels.

AutoCar India, also shed some light on the upcoming powertrain for the Indian marketplace. It expects that the H6 will come with the same 2.0-liter Multijet turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine as the Compass. However, they believe that it might be upgraded to make around 200 horsepower because of the added weight. Currently, the 2.0-liter makes 173 horsepower under the hood of the 2021 Jeep Compass.

They also expect that it will come standard with a 9-speed automatic transmission and offer 4×4 capability on the higher trim levels. There was no word about a gasoline-powered model for the Indian market.

They did however briefly mention the Brazilian H1 model, stating that it will probably get the 1.3-liter turbocharged GSE-T4 (or Global Small Engine – Turbo 4-Cylinder) we have come to love under the hood here in North America in the Renegade. The 2.0-liter Multijet diesel will also be available in Brazil.

The Jeep H6 enters the Indian marketplace with added competition from Volkswagen and Skoda, which are bringing new vehicles to the segment soon. While those two vehicles feature gasoline offerings, AutoCar India believes that the diesel offering in the H6 could place it as a competitor of more body-on-frame SUVs like the MG Gloster, Toyota Fortuner, and Ford Endeavour.

The new 7-passenger Jeep should be going into production first in Brazil sometime in August. Production for the Indian market should start in April of 2022.

A special thanks to our friends at AutoCar India and AutosSegredos for the help with this article.