A Real Jeep or a Reel Jeep?: Jeep Compass
Well its been over 5 months since JEEP unveiled its Compass in India. Jeep also made its entry into the Indian market with the Compass. With over 10K bookings in a matter of few months, Jeep seems to have got its Indian recipe right. A regular crossover based SUV, a market where anything from foreign is luxury and Bahubali like advertising, the best recipe for the Indian market.
Lets leave alone the marketing, what can the car do ? Is it a regular FCA car with a deceiving Jeep badge or a real Jeep?
Drive:
While the Compass also comes with the option of a 1.4-litre petrol with a six-speed manual transmission and the same with an automatic option, this review is focused on the trim which gets Fiat's 2.0-litre Multijet II diesel engine. At close to 170hp of power, the spec on paper is quite commendable. Most of it does translate onto the road as well in the six-speed manual transmission. Steady, stately and solid, the Compass has a solid feel about it.
On the climb though, the car constantly needed down-shifting which was, frankly, quite an irritant. The gear-throws too aren't the best and will take time getting used to - especially in city traffic conditions.
Out in the open though, the Compass manages to bypass most of these hitches and punches forward easily into triple-digit speeds. That the steering has a heavy feel about it is great at high speeds but - once again - could be a tad bit of a problem when trying to cram the car into tight parking spots Indian cities are infamous for. That said, it is understandable that Jeep chose to go with a heavier steering feel because a) one cannot have it all, and b) the reassurance from clean highway drives would mitigate the troubles left behind within the city drives. And then there is the fact that there is not much noise seeping inside the cabin to distract you.
The suspensions also have a big role to play in keeping the drives comfortable and on the compass, they are a bit on the stiffer side. So, while minor bumps would be gobbled up by the Compass at cruising speeds, chances are that city speed-breakers would be felt more often than not. But it is not a deal-breaker by any means.
Off-road drive:
What is an SUV if it cannot conquer uncharted territories? That is exactly where the Compass thrives in a field full SUVs minus off-road capabilities.
Equipped with four drive modes - auto, snow, sand and mud, the Compass does quite a decent job in picking and pulling itself through challenging terrain. This review put the car through a stream, wooden ledges, slush, mud and brutal gravel and it managed to - assisted amply by the all-weather Firestone tyres - climb through.
Verdict:
The Compass is a big step in the right direction for Jeep in India. It is also going to be manufactured here - at the company's Pune facility - which means that the strong pricing - in the range of Rs 20 lakh and Rs 25 lakh - can be expected when officially launched this August.
For those looking for bragging rights courtesy cars from more recognised brands, the Compass may fall short of expectations. For those looking for a nearly unending list of features too may look elsewhere. And for those looking for the constant thrill of a peppy drive within city limits, the Compass won't quite hit the mark.
Yet, this here poses a major challenge to the likes of Hyundai Tucson, VW Tiguan and perhaps even the big seven-seaters from Ford and Toyota because of the fresh appeal it brings with it. The Compass ticks all the right boxes when it comes to both sophistication and ruggedness. It has good looks, great interiors, composed drive and - while most never would take it off the safety of tarmac, excellent off-road capabilities. The bulls-eye that remains to be hit is the pricing.
