Jeep Compass: Heading in the right direction, for now

The Jeep Compass is a much-awaited model from the iconic American sports utility vehicle maker. This will be the brand’s smallest SUV and after a frenetic four years of action, it is being launched in the key markets, for which it was developed. India, of course, sits at the core of the market strategy for the product.

The Compass is due to be officially launched in our market by mid-June, but word out on the street has it that buyers are already streaming into the dealerships enquiring about the compact SUV. Many of them are apparently willing to put down the cash for booking the vehicle even before FCA India officially announces the opening of bookings. So, for all of you who have been salivating without evening seeing the offering in the flesh, here are the ingredients that maketh the Compass.

At about 4.4 metres long, the Compass will be a manageable, optimum size of the kind of crowded conditions we face in most Indian metros today. However, Jeep designers and engineers at hand earlier this week at the company’s Ranjangaon facility were quick to point out that the SUV will be big on utility, versatility, and optimising interior space.

The design of the Compass is very Jeep-like with a number of cues being borrowed from the Grand Cherokee. The surfacing and quite a few of the design elements in the Compass are said to have been inspired by a range of contemporary icons ranging from the SR-71 Blackbird fighter aircraft to the blue glowing eyes of Marvel’s Ironman. The classic Jeep design elements are also very visible starting from the seven-slot bonnet grille to the trapezoidal wheel arches and the slightly curved clam-shell bonnet slab.

At 1,667mm, the Compass is not very tall, but getting in and out shouldn’t be a problem at all. The rear design is an upright SUV style construction, but with a mild crossover flavour thanks to the sloping roofline. The large wraparound tail-lamps spill into the tailgate and the overall stance of the Compass is that of an urbane SUV with the promise of all-terrain capability that the Jeep badge has always stood for.

According to Jeep officials, 64 per cent of the Compass’ chassis has been constructed out of high strength steel. The vehicle will also be fairly light for a model in its class.

Details regarding the interior of the India-spec Compass are yet to be fully revealed. But company officials have confirmed that a number of classic Jeep elements like the trapezoidal layout for the top of the dashboard and short centre stack will be there. The Compass is likely to be offered with three interior themes including a black Urbex, a beige/ light brown Sandstorm and a Grey Mix (especially for India and China). You have to wait for the launch to get more updates about the other interior trim features that will make it here including whether the dual-panel sunroof and the 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system will be offered here at least in the top trim.

The Compass is being fully manufactured here in India and quite a bit of testing has been done here too. In keeping with this aim of making as much of it locally, the first engine to be assembled and launched on the Compass will be the two-litre diesel engine. Jeep officials have revealed that the 2.0L engine will deliver 170+hp of peak power and 350Nm of torque.

The other engine that will also be offered in the Compass is the 1.4-litre multi-air petrol engine, which will be capable of generating 160+hp of peak power and 250Nm of torque. The transmissions that will be offered with these engines are a 6-speed manual and a 7-speed dual dry clutch DDCT automatic gearbox. Jeep officials have clarified that both these engines will be scalable to the BS VI emission norms when it becomes mandatory.

The Compass will also be available in 50 different trim, powertrain, transmissions and colour combinations.

Jeep officials have added that there will be a number of standard fitment features in the Compass including six airbags. But the one to really stand out as an ideal for our conditions could be the Frequency Selective Damping (FSD) tech. Part of the Chapman (independent) suspension at the rear, the FSD shock absorbers use a special valve inside to enable an optimal ride at both high and low frequencies (read bad and good road conditions), essentially improving ride quality.

Front suspension is also independent. The Compass has already been tested on over 25.7 million kilometres on-road and off-road. Though the company may choose to launch a lower-end version of the Compass without four-wheel drive tech, the one to look out for will be the trim with the legendary 4X4 capability called Jeep Active Drive. The system is equipped with Jeep’s Selec Terrain Traction Management and driveline disconnect tech (DDT), which basically controls the availability or otherwise of the active four-wheel drive system.

The Compass is also going to be offered with 50+ safety features including electronic stability control, dynamic steering torque, hill start assist, adaptive brake lights and panic brake assist.

The Compass promises to be quite a packed, feature-laden compact SUV. Jeep officials have also said that at launch, the Compass will have as much as 60 per cent locally sourced content, with more to come later.

But, the key factors for the success of the Compass will be an aggressive pricing strategy (a sub-₹20 lakh tag may be) and a further expansion of dealerships and workshops. Jeep’s previous vehicles were all imports and so tended to be overpriced; and FCA’s reputation in the post-sale customer experience metric needs to improve.