Jeep Compass Test Drive Review

Performance – The Jeep Compass will be available with both 1.4-litre petrol and 2.0-litre diesel engine options. We got to test the 2.0-litre MultiJet diesel engine at the drive which makes its debut in the Indian market with the launch of the Compass. It produces 173 PS of power and 350 Nm of twisting force. This is one cracker of an engine that loves to pull in the magical mid-range. There is some lag under 2000 RPM post which you get fantastic acceleration. The motor keeps pulling until redline but the top end of this powerplant gets quite loud and coarse.

The 2.0-litre MultiJet is super thrilling to drive with its satisfying acceleration

This engine is mated to a 6-speed manual transmission and Jeep won’t be offering an auto box with the diesel motor initially. The 1.4-litre petrol will come with both manual and auto transmissions but the petrol Compass will be available later. The 6-speed gearbox is quite precise and offers great feedback while the clutch is light, making it easy to drive in city conditions. The first three gears have short ratios while the rest are long legged offering balanced driveability in both city and highway driving conditions. Ingear acceleration is good too but you need to shift frequently if you hit the turbo lag zone. NVH levels are quite strong and the motor feels smooth but once it’s past 3500 RPM, the loudness gets quite apparent inside the cabin. You can expect a fuel efficiency of 12-14 km/l in real world conditions.

Driving Dynamics – Jeep has impressed us in this department by offering Frequency Selective Damping suspension. The Compass is dynamically rich both on and off-road, having such equipment such as Dynamic Steering Torque (DST), Selec-Terrain and Jeep Active Drive. The ride is fantastic that filters out the bumps and potholes very well. The suspension is well damped and it’s only on huge craters that you feel the thuds filtering inside the cabin. There is some amount of body roll when you push around the bends but the steering feel and feedback is quite impressive for an SUV of this size. The Compass handles corners cleanly maintaining its line very well, thanks to the grippy all weather tyres and the AWD system.

The AWD system comes with four modes Auto, Snow, Sand and Mud. The power is front wheel biased and when it feels the need, the rear wheels come to action. We had an off-road session with the Compass in Goa in slippery and muddy conditions including water fording and a couple of steep inclines and declines. The baby Jeep proved to be quite capable in the rough terrain and it can handle some serious off-roading. The ground clearance is good but still, the front lip panel manages to touch the ground. The brakes are quite effective and offer strong stopping power.

Safety and After Sales Service – The Jeep Compass comes loaded with safety equipment such as 6 airbags, All-Speed Traction Control System (TCS), Electronic Stability Control (ESC), ABS, Isofix seat mounts, Electronic Roll Mitigation, Hill Start Assist, etc. One of the biggest questions for the Compass’ success in India is the after sales and poor service network across the country. The American carmaker is setting up new dealerships but currently, there are very few of them in India. Since the Compass is locally produced, we expect relatively affordable spare parts and maintenance costs.