Jeep Compass, the long awaited mid-size SUV from the American carmaker today made its official debut in India. Slated to be launched in the country later this year, the all-new Jeep Compass will be the carmaker's most affordable model in India. The India-spec version will remain very much similar to the global spec Jeep Compass but there will be some considerable amount of changes in terms of mechanicals and features along with some styling cues. We have already told you everything that we knew about the Compass, but based on the latest updates here's what the SUV has to offer.
In terms of design, the India-spec Jeep Compass remains similar to the version that we saw in the US and we have the images here to show for it. The Compass is largely influenced by the company's flagship SUV - the Jeep Grand Cherokee and its effects can be seen from the SUVs exterior and cabin design. The wide stance, clamshell bonnet and the 7-slot grille are some of the signature design attributes of a Jeep SUV.
In terms of dimensions, the Jeep Compass measures 4398 mm in length, 1819 mm in width and 1667 mm in height. The SUV offers a generous wheelbase of 2636 mm but the ground clearance is limited at 178 mm. The Compass offers a 17-degree approach angle and a 32-degree departure angle.
Jeep Compass shares its design and styling with the Grand Cherokee
One of the key attributes of the body structure of the Jeep Compass that the company shared with us today was that fact that more than 64 per cent of chassis is built using high-strength steel and composite. Also to keep the weight of the SUV to a minimum and at the same time to improve its strength, engineers at Jeep have used hot stamped parts, which constitute 17 per cent of Body-In-White (BIW) weight if the Compass.
The Compass gets MacPherson front suspension which is claimed to offers a responsive steering feedback, better handling and increase maximum lateral acceleration. On the other hand, the rear comes with independent Chapman suspension which maximises spring rates and improved cornering performance. The Compass also comes with Frequency Sensing Damping (FSD) which aids in better ride quality.
Jeep Compass will enter production in June 2017
The Jeep Compass offers a host of styling and smart features that make it quite an interesting package. Among them we have the Grand Cherokee inspired headlamps that come with projector lights and LED daytime running lights. We already mentioned the signature 7-slot grille with chrome details and the black treatment for the face. In fact, Jeep also says the LED taillamps design is inspired by Ironman.
Coming to comfort features, the cabin is smartly designed and looks very up markets. Jeep says that they have made a very conscious effort in creating a connection between the Compass and the Grand Cherokee and cabin is one such example for that. Jeep has also used some premium material for the comfortable upholstery and interior parts. There is a well-designed dashboard similar to what we have seen in the Grand Cherokee.
Under the hood, the Jeep Compass features two engine - a 1.4 litre 4-cylinder turbocharged petrol and a 2.0 litre 4-cylinder turbocharged diesel. The petrol engine makes over 160 bhp and 260 Nm of peak torque and oil burner churns out over 170 bhp and 350 Nm of peak torque. The gearboxes on offer will be a 6-speed manual or a 7-speed automatic. The Jeep Compass will get a four-wheel-drive system, which will get Jeep's terrain response system. The driving modes will include Snow, Sand and Rock options, which change the characteristics of the power delivery and drive dynamics of the SUV.
Jeep India will begin the production of the Compass SUV from June 2017 and the launch is expected to be some time before Diwali. The company has invested over $ 280 million in the Ranjangaon facility for the production of the Jeep Compass. Rivals will include the Hyundai Tucson and Honda CR-V and expected price is somewhere in the range of Rs. 20 lakh to Rs. 25 lakh.
