A fortnight ago, the Meridian Overland 4×4 went back to Jeep India and they sent this—the Compass Model-S 4×2 AT to me for a review. Read on to find out if it impressed me as much or whether I’d still take the Meridian.
Design
I had said this back in 2017, and I’ll say it again today—the Compass looks and feels like it has been carved out from a single block of adamantium. The sheer sense of solidity it exudes is simply unmatched by anything and everything under 50 lakh rupees.
In fact, while most other unibody SUVs in this price range appear to have been designed by Charlie’s Angels, with a few inputs from Preity Zinta, the Compass has always felt like it was conceptualized by Iron Man, carved out by Wolverine, sculpted by Thor and Captain
America, and strength-tested by the Hulk. It’s a no-brainer, then, that it indeed carries a “five-star” rating…
In other words, while most other SUVs have puffed cheeks, double chin, belly fat, and cellulite, the Compass is an absolutely chiselled specimen. In a herd of cows and bulls, it’s a Thoroughbred…
Cabin
The interior is also a class act. It feels premium, but not flashy, and the overall design is easy on the eye. In fact, thanks to the neat and uncluttered layout, this is one of those cabins where you won’t be confused about the essential controls, buttons, and switches, except for the dedicated audio-controls (volume and track) placed at the back of the steering wheel.
However, I must add here that though hidden from your direct line of sight, they are not cumbersome to use as the placement (at 3 o’clock and 9 o’clock) is ergonomic, making your fingers fall naturally on them. Alternatively, you may use the left-most dial on the center console to adjust the volume, and the touchscreen to change the track. The touchscreen itself is quite responsive and intuitive to use.
Also, everything is well put together and there were no rattles or squeaks whatsoever in the entirety of this test. And that’s saying something because media units see a lot of abuse in the hands of auto journalists, youtubers, and freeloaders masquerading as lifestyle influencers.
Talking about the actual lifestyle of its intended customers, who expect a comfortable cabin, I am happy to report that all seats are supremely comfortable. The front seats are of course fantastic, and even the rear seats have great cushioning. Not just that, there’s good underthigh support as well, and the kneeroom won’t leave you wanting either. The headroom would also suffice if you aren’t over six feet tall. If you’re taller, get the variant without the panoramic sunroof. The AC would then be even more effective. It’s not bad right now by any stretch of imagination. In fact, as compared to the Meridian, which is bigger, the Compass didn’t require the AC to run at full blast in the recently horrid summers in Delhi.
Performance, Ride Quality, Handling, and NVH
Now we come to the section where the Jeep Compass has always been second to none in the segment. The 2.0 L diesel remains as flawless as ever, and, though it’s the six-speed manual that extracts this motor’s power exactly how you’d want it, the nine-speed torque converter isn’t half bad either. I managed the customary 0–100 km/h (speedo, not GPS) run in 11.6 seconds, which is quick enough to help you get away from most forms of traffic at the lights.
Overtaking ability of the Compass is good too as the downshifts are reasonably quick, and you’ll never have a heart-in-mouth situation in the trickiest of overtaking maneuvers. What adds to your confidence is the exceptional handling and chassis behaviour of the Compass, which allows you to precisely dart in and out of gaps that you wouldn’t dare to attempt in most of its competition. The braking is mind-boggling as well. So, yes, it’s a great city vehicle. But what about the highways, you ask? Well, it’s sublime there too—it wafts at 100 km/h at just a shade over 1,500 rpm in top gear, and at 120 km/h, the crank is spinning at 1,800 rpm. That’s beautifully relaxed! And you would be relaxed too because the insulation is top notch, and whatever little wind and tyre noise you hear won’t be tiring even on thousand-mile journeys.
In addition to the excellent NVH levels, and the aforementioned seats, what further keeps the occupants comfortable is the astounding ride quality and body composure of the Jeep Compass at high speeds. You might have read about it a fortnight ago in my Jeep Meridian’s review, but there’s no harm in reiterating it, so here it is again—there is absolutely nothing under 50-lakh rupees, which, at high speeds rides AND handles better than the Jeep Compass (the Meridian is as good) and it’s primarily due to the simple, yet highly effective frequency selective dampers (FSDs) by Koni, which I became a fan of ever since I tested the first Compass back in 2017.
What do they do? Well, contrary to what any manufacturer, including Koni, claims, FSDs work like normal dampers at low frequencies. However, at higher frequencies, the FSD valve opens up for, in layman terms, more flow of oil, thereby keeping things more compliant and “even” on the highways. Please note that unlike some reviewers’ understanding, the “high” in highways and the “high” in higher frequencies have no correlation whatsoever. The FSD valve would open even at low speeds if the “frequency of suspension movement” is high. For example, the Jeep Compass will have excellent ride quality on a continuous bad patch, even at low speeds, but, on an absolutely smooth road at low speeds, if you encounter a sudden sharp bump, you will feel it more than, say, you would feel in the C5 that has what Citroen refers to as progressive hydraulic cushions. I must also mention here that the Meridian has FSDs with hydraulic rebound stoppers, which the Compass doesn’t get, and as such the Meridian’s body composure at low speeds is even better than the Compass’s. In a nutshell, the Jeep Meridian and Compass are equally great, and better than the C5, in high frequency situations, whereas it’s the Citroen that takes the first position in low frequency situations, with the Meridian coming a close second.
Fuel Efficiency
The Jeep Compass 4×2 will give you around 8-10 km/l in the city, and 14-16 km/l on the highways, if you aren’t too enthusiastic with the right pedal.
Miscellaneous
The headlights on this top variant are brilliant, and so is the music system.
Verdict
Before I give you the verdict, I will tell you that I am a bit disappointed that Jeep India doesn’t sell the Compass 4×4 with a manual transmission anymore (as if discontinuing the fabulous TrailHawk wasn’t enough for them!). Yes, all Compass manual variants are 4×2 . You can get a Compass 4×4 only as an automatic, and that too in this top-end Model-S trim.
Let me break it down further for you for easier understanding. The base Compass Sport is available only as a 4×2 manual, whereas all other variants (Longitude, Limited, Black Shark, and Model-S) give you the option to choose between the 6-speed manual and 9-speed AT, but it’s only the Model-S that gives you the option to get a 4×4 and that too only with the 9-speed automatic. And, of course, there are no petrols, but you know that already.
Now, my pick would have been the erstwhile Limited 4×4 manual, but since it’s not available, I would go for the base variant (Sport) which is incredible value at an ex-showroom price of just Rs 18.99 lakh, and zoom past all Hyundai and KIA showrooms in a 170 PS, brilliant handling, 5-star, front-wheel-spinning frenzy. Or, if I had the money, I would go for the Meridian 4×4.
But, if you can’t spend that much, or, you can, but you don’t want anything bigger than a Compass, then, just like the Meridian, even this, the Model-S 4×2 AT (at around 30 lakh rupees, ex-showroom) does the most crucial things better than everything else in this segment. Still, get the 4×4, please!