Jeep has sold over 35,000 Compass since its launch in 2017.  The iconic name, the heritage and the looks made it an instant hit countrywide. We at Throttle-Blips were very excited that the Jeep Compass Petrol AT came to our long term garage for a month.

After spending a great amount of time with the Compass in the city, I got an opportunity to take it out onto the highway for a quick weekend getaway to Daman, a Union Territory located on the west coast of India. Ten people, one car and a Compass to guide us through! Sounds like fun.

The Compass scores big in the style department, even though the traits of the elder brother, Grand Cherokee, are quite visible. But what’s the harm? Jeep is cashing in on their heritage especially the iconic seven-slat grille. The sleek lamps, with squared wheel arches and side profile make it look like a perfectly balanced SUV. The dynamism of the front is not visible on the rear though. The occupants in the other car were very impressed by the stance while it’s moved on open roads, admitting that it was quite the looker.

We were a little behind schedule as news of political unrest poured in from few pockets of the city, and we left for Daman once everything was safe. This meant that we would be reaching Daman in the afternoon.  The Compass appears to be compact on the outside but its spacious on the inside and feels premium too. The 7-inch infotainment system was very easy to use, and though there is a bit of lag in the response, there’s nothing much to complain about. The 6 speaker audio setup sounds nice and helps quite a bit while munching the miles.

The rear seat occupants have been watching their weight for sometime now and felt comfortable in terms of space, legroom, shoulder-room and headroom. However, I felt it might be a cramped affair for three incase the occupants are on the plus side.

The seats felt comfortable and none of the occupants complained during the 200 km.  I was impressed with the way the Compass took the Manor section of lil’ twisties with ease and cornered well. The change of direction, be it for clearing the truck traffic or free flowing sections of the NH-8 with nearly no noticeable body roll was noteworthy.

The Compass is offered with two engine options. While the 2.0-litre diesel is a hoot to drive; we had the 1.4-litre Multiair engine producing 160 bhp and 250NM torque mated to a dual clutch 7-Speed automatic gearbox. The engine is un-energetic at lower speeds, but comes to life once it crosses 2000 rpm. On the highway it feels a lot more confident as the engine spends most of the time in its forte – the mid-range. After the initial lag, the petrol Compass builds speed quickly thanks to its turbocharger, and can effortlessly cruise at 100 kmph at less than 2000 rpm. While covering those kilometers, three things were sorely missed – Sports Mode, Paddle Shifters and Cruise Control. Many buyers would love to use the Sports Mode on the open highways. Surprisingly, we got clear roads both ways, and that’s when cruise control would come in handy. Paddle Shifters are always useful for those quick overtakes, especially on the highways.

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