With the new years celebrated, I took the Compass for a drive out in the open on the first day of the year which showed why having 4×4 matters in many places.
New Delhi: With so many other luxury SUVs being launched, the question is, should you consider the Jeep Compass now? The Compass is a familiar name being around for sometime but the update, it got in 2021, pushed it further towards a more premium SUV- a rather well-timed move with loads of new products coming later. However, to see if the Jeep Compass should still feature on your list of premium SUVs to buy, we lived with the fully loaded diesel automatic 4×4 model for a considerable amount of time during our new years break.
Read More : Union Budget 2022: Expectations for the automobile and rental car segments
New Year break means time off but actually the last two weeks of the year had lots of work for me in fixing up my room which involved multiple trips to get furniture and other new stuff. That is where the Jeep Compass came in India. The biggest plus point of the Jeep Compass, I feel, is the fact that it is not huge.
The fact is that it is more of a big compact SUV rather than a full sized SUV which meant I could take it through narrow roads and dense traffic areas. I think many of the big SUVs are only suited for more open roads but with the Compass I took it everywhere. It also helps the fact that I rather enjoyed driving the Compass more and did not feel like taking a small car which is due to its tough suspension along with the way the SUV feels to drive.
There is a big highlight with the Compass and that is with its ride quality which helps it go over potholes, speed breakers with ease and in the city, its suspension plus the compact size is what makes it stand out. The steering is also not too heavy and not too light yet has a proper SUV feel. You also sit high hence have a commanding view of the road.
The Compass I drove was a diesel and the one to go for, being a 2.0l 170 bhp/350Nm unit with a 9-speed automatic. Paddle Shifters are not there but I really did not miss them in the city with a decent, if a bit unhurried response from the gearbox. In the city, there was a tiny amount of lag but the overall power delivery was smooth. You do get to hear the diesel as it does have the typical diesel sound filtering in. But, that aside, the Compass diesel gave me 10-11 kmpl in the city which was pretty decent considering the stop-go traffic I mostly used the car in.
Those days of using the Compass in the city also highlighted the premium audio system and the rather nice interior. The car I had was the top-end ‘S’ model which costs Rs 30 lakh and yes, the cabin does feel like that in terms of being premium. The all new interior is way better than the earlier one and is one of the best cabins with its multi layered dashboard, soft touch materials, leather inserts and chrome etc.
Even the doors feel heavy and shut with a reassuring thud of a more expensive SUV. Another change is the equipment list and I particularly found use for the superb 360-degree view camera and the dual powered seats with even ventilation. There are of course other features like connected car tech, panoramic sunroof, a digital instrument cluster and lots more. You can’t ask for more. However, you do think that the Compass needs more space. While I praised the Compass for its compact size, the rear seats are a bit small and lack the space which a similarly priced SUV gives- that said, it is comfortable enough for four passengers overall.
With the new years celebrated, I took the Compass for a drive out in the open on the first day of the year which showed why having 4×4 matters in many places. The off-road ability of Compass is what gives it an edge along with its various settings to adapt to conditions like snow/mud/sand. That makes the Compass go places other premium SUVs normally would not go without 4×4. Despite this model not being the more off-road focused Trailhawk, the Compass still will impress you with its off-road ability and again its compact size also comes in handy here.
That in many ways sums up why you should still consider one because the Compass with 4×4 brings off-road ability, a premium SUV experience and toughness into one package. Of course, it might seem expensive at Rs 30 lakh, but it does do a bit more than other luxury SUVs.
