Jeep has revealed additional details of its new SUV, the Compass which is slated to launch in August this year. The carmaker had showcased the SUV back in April.
Equipment and features
The Compass will be offered in India in three variants – Sport, Latitude and Limited. The primary differences between the variants will be in seating surfaces, choice of paint shades and interior trim bits, along with varying alloy wheel design and sizes. Higher variants of the Compass will come with a 7.0-inch Uconnect infotainment system; this system will come with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Sources tell us that Jeep will not compromise on the interior quality of the Compass sold in India and the models will have exactly the same levels of fit and finish as the ones that will be exported. All Compass variants in India will feature a 60:40 split rear seats and top variants will offer six airbags. Lower trims will come with two front airbags as standard. Additional safety features will include a reverse camera with sensors, along with the usual safety equipment like ABS, ESP, electronic rollover mitigation and hill-start assist.
Exteriors
The new Compass looks like a mini Grand Cherokee. The profile is more square than sporty, setting it apart from the crowd. There is an air of sophistication in the manner in which the body and the roof integrate towards the rear, and the chrome lining that loops around looks quite upmarket too. Up front, you have the familiar Jeep seven-slot grille and headlight combo; the Jeep's typically squared-off wheel arches stand out too. The Compass also gets LED elements in the headlamps and tail-lamps. Five exterior paint shades will be offered for the India-spec Compass.
Built on the same platform as the Renegade (Small Wide 4x4), the Compass, however, features a longer wheelbase for greater space on the inside and a mildly altered suspension system. It also gets frequency selective damping, which automatically alters the dampers for rough roads and corners, and an electric handbrake as well.
Interior
On the inside, you get the feel of a much larger SUV. The design is pretty conventional – there's a traditional instrument panel, a clearly defined centre console, and the large steering is shared with other Jeep SUVs and hence, is full of buttons and controls. The top part of the centre console features a 7.0-inch touchscreen flanked by two vents on each side. The layer below that has the air conditioning controls, and the four-wheel-drive controls and gear lever are positioned below that.
The Compass for the Indian market will get a two-tone interior in some variants and plenty of metal brightwork or bracketing to give it an upmarket look. Unique features include a Terrain Select dial and a smaller 3.5-inch driver information display. Plastic quality is impressive in places, similar to that in larger Jeeps. It appears to be tough and hard-wearing, which is important for the Compass' positioning, and bits like the central console are built better too. The India-specCompass will come with a soft-touch dashboard and dual-zone climate control. What the Compass has in abundance is excellent seat comfort. Being a global SUV, which will also have to service markets like the US and Europe, the front seats are more than ample with loads of thigh and back support. Higher variants will get leather seats as standard. Rear seat passengers also have it good. Ingress is quite effortless, the seat is placed at the perfect height, and back support is very good. There's even a bit of surplus legroom. Headroom, though, could feel a bit for passengers taller than six feet. The Compass for India, however, won't get a sunroof, but all season tyres will be standard on higher trims.
Rivan RS 
Viraaj Bhatnagar
Uday Singh
Suraj Viswanathan
