Jeep Compass- Fusion of India & America

Today almost every car manufacturer is trying its best to develop a new segment rather than what they are known for. But there is only one American company which has solemnly retained his history of manufacturing only sports utility vehicle. Yes, we're talking about Jeep, a company which is manufacturing SUVs from last 75 years and engineers in their factory know perfectly what they're building.

A Fiat Chrysler Automobile(FCA) subsidiary entered Indian shores last year with some great yet expensive models. Well, after understanding the requirements of Indian market they are finally up with their new launch named 'Compass'. Jeep pioneered the SUV segment and the concept of off-roading and knowing that love for such type of cars is on hike in India, so this the best time to launch Compass in a segment where other auto companies are trying hard to keep their sales up.

Price & Engine

With prices starting from 14.95 lakh to 19.40 lakh for petrol and 15.45 lakh to 20.65 lakh for diesel ( ex-showroom, Delhi), Compass will surely take away some sales from the hands of XUV 5OO, Hyundai Creta and Tuscon, and even top end variants like Toyota Fortuner and Ford Endeavour.

Though the automatic version for Compass will be launched at diwali, but the current models are available with two engine options- a 1.4 litre MultiAir turbocharged petrol and the 2.0 litre Multijet II turbocharged oil burner. The interesting point to be noted with diesel engine is that it will provide a mileage of 17.1 kmpl(Company claims that). If we talk about power, the petrol engine generates

162 bhp with 250 Nm of torque and in case of diesel it is 170 bhp with 350 Nm of torque.

It also gets an option of 4x2 and 4x4 drive-trains. The 4x4 options gets a Select-Terrain system with four different modes- Auto, Snow, Mud, and Sand. Is there anything left?

Exterior

With 4447 mm of length, 1813 mm of width and 1651 mm of height , Compass offers a sufficient amount of space inside the cabin and yes 178 mm of ground clearance too.

The front is taken from its so called daddy Grand Cherokee which gets a seven-slat chrome finished grille along with projector head lamps and integrated LED DRLs. The air intake

just below the grille makes it look more aggressive, but Jeep hasn't done much on the bonnet as it does not look that catchy. On the side of the car, you will love those shark fin type D pillars and also the plastic cladding which goes all the way to the back. There are these square shaped 17'inch alloy wheels which also could've been better especially when other companies are opting for diamond cut alloy wheels.

The chrome piece coming from front and matching at rear windscreen gives it a nice premium touch, you will feel like you are driving around in a high end luxury Suv.

Interior

So as we move on to the cabin, we know that we will spend most of our time inside. The dashboard looks boring but it is practical to use. The leather seats and soft touch materials makes it feel like you're sitting in an high-end car. You will not be impressed much by the touchscreen because instead

of having Apple car play, the screen is cluttered with unwanted items. The cabin is mostly designed with white materials which I don't think is a great idea because of the dust we face everyday on Indian roads. The rear seats are much more comfortable due to given thigh support but not as much as we have in Hyundai Tuscon.

So, Jeep Compass is a best choice for those who are looking for some adventure along with a badge of pure American based car. The car is bold as the price is bold and even my experience with such an amazing car was also bold. And the best thing to know is that Compass will be manufactured in India and will even exported outside to those countries where they have Right Hand Drive vehicles.