Jeep India has announced that its dealerships across the country will start accepting bookings for the new Compass Trailhawk from today. The booking amount of Rs 50,000, which is fully refundable, can be paid at any of the 82 FCA showrooms across India.

Compared to the standard Jeep Compass, the Trailhawk gets the well-earned Trail Rated badge, underlining the SUV’s off-road ability. Along with design changes outside and inside to suit its more hardcore nature (ground clearance is up by 30mm, water wading depth has increased and approach, ramp breakover and departure angles have improved), the Compass Trailhawk gets Jeep’s ‘Active Drive Low 4x4 system’. This four-wheel-drive system comprises a low-range, hill-descent control and a Rock mode for the Selec-Terrain system in addition to the Auto, Snow, Sand and Mud modes.

The other major highlight of the Jeep Compass Trailhawk is that it is the first version of the Compass in India to get a diesel-automatic drivetrain. While all Compass diesel models share the same 173hp/350Nm, 2.0-litre, four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine, the standard model gets a 6-speed manual, and the Compass Trailhawk gets a 9-speed torque convertor automatic. The Trailhawk is also the first Compass to get a BS6-compliant engine; this motor will replace the current BS4-engine in the standard Compass variants later.

In terms of features, the Compass Trailhawk is nearly on par with the current top-spec variant, the Compass Limited Plus, with creature comforts like an 8.4-inch touchscreen infotainment system with in-built navigation and Apple and Android connectivity, auto climate control and keyless go, auto start-stop function, cruise control and a 7.0-inch multi-info display. However, it misses out on a panoramic sunroof (available as an optional extra), powered driver’s seat, auto headlamps and wipers.

Standard safety kit on the Compass Trailhawk includes six airbags, ABS, ESC, traction control, hill-start assist, roll-over mitigation, electronic parking brake and reverse parking sensors and camera. 

Expect Jeep to price the Compass Trailhawk around the Rs 24 lakh mark (estimated, ex-showroom) when it launches in July this year, which means it would cost about Rs 1 lakh more than the Compass Limited Plus.