Everyone is waiting for this one. Jeep lovers, Fiat Dealers, as well as people who are looking for an all American SUV at an affordable price point. Enter Jeep Compass an SUV that made FCA invest almost Rs 1800 crore to make this one in India. Price is something that no one knows on the Jeep Compass but that's for another day. We drove the Jeep Compass in Goa and here's what we think about it.
Looks
It can't get bolder than this, the Compass brings in a fresh take on SUVs in India. It derives its lines from the Jeep Grand Cherokee in a much more compact five-seater design. The big front grille and that Jeep logo make a style statement and this SUV is a real head turner. The rear of the SUV integrates well with the overall proportion of the car and does not look like a fix-up job. The projector headlamps are well integrated and give the Compass a rugged look. And what we liked the most is the fact that the Jeep Compass has minimal use of chrome on the exterior to keep it classy.
But yes, of course, that means cheap aftermarket chrome will be seen a lot on these when they officially hit the Indian roads. The front sports a Seven-Slot Grille surround with chrome rings that will make you notice this car the moment you look at it. The rear of this SUV also look beautiful and the LED tail lamps gel well with the design lines of this car. The designers of this car also have some Easter eggs for you to find like a Lizard below the front driver side windscreen wiper and a Loch Ness monster on the rear glass.
At 4395mm in length, the Jeep Compass is not a very long SUV but just the right size for Indian SUV lovers. At 1640mm the Compass is not that tall as well. So what the Jeep Compass is in reality, is a C-segment SUV. So, you can guess that this one should not ideally be exorbitantly priced.
The Drive
The Jeep Compass that we drove had a 2.0L Multijet II engine with 6-speed manual transmission. This engine produces 173ps of power and 350nm of torque. So, it's not like the Hyundai Creta, but an SUV that is powerful. In our drive experience, the Compass was very linear to drive. It has effortless gear shifts and the power delivery on this vehicle is smooth and not at all jerky. What this means is that this vehicle can glide on open roads with ease.
But the real habitat of the Jeep Compass is where there are no roads. The Compass is as capable as any Jeep SUV. It loves going where there are no roads. On a natural offroad track the vehicle had no issues taking on any obstacles. That's also because it comes with a 4X4 drivetrain and an off-road management system. What we were left impressed with is that the passengers and the drivers sitting inside don't feel thrown around in the vehicle when it's on an off-road trail. During our off-road experience we never really had to go over 1200 rpm to make the vehicle cross any obstacle and yes it included some climbs as well.
The Jeep Compass comes with very plush looking interiors.The Ski-Grey McKinley leather upholstery with ruby red stitching on the seats makes the interiors way more interesting than what you find in SUVs of this class. The steering wheel also has a chunky feel to it and yes it's leather wrapped.
There is also a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment display on the Compass that's touch responsive. The display is bright and has a resistive touch feel to it. So accuracy while selecting options on the display matters for the right results. There is also integrated voice command that surprisingly understands Indian accent and also supports for both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The music system on board is also very good in sound quality and the 6 speakers onboard give out a good result. People who love the bass in their music will certainly appreciate this one.
The rear leg room is also good on the Jeep Compass, some might complain about the under thigh support, but it's certainly in the comfort area. The Jeep Compass can easily fit in four people, five can be a bit of a crowd for this one. The ascending shoulder line near the c-pillar of the Compass might make a few claustrophobic. But both the ride and drive comfort on the Jeep Compass is top notch. What we would have liked is a little more commanding position for the driver on the Compass, but that one can live with on this car.
Safety
For safety, the Jeep Compass comes with a lot of safety equipment. You get 6 airbags, electric parking brake, all-speed, traction control system, electronic stability control, ABS with EBD, electronic roll mitigation, hill start assists and more. This is one SUV that has all the basic equipment that you need for being safe in a car in India.
Verdict
The Jeep Compass is a C-Segment SUV that might not come at the price point of a D-segment SUV. That means this car will certainly be priced keeping in mind the Hyundai Creta and not the Tuscon. And unlike Hyundai Creta, the Jeep Compass is a complete SUV and is capable of climbing any Tuscon that you wish to take it on. And, if that's the case the Jeep Compass is the one that you should wait for if you are planning to buy an SUV.
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