Jeep Compass
Our SUV of the year joins the fleet. The Ed is waiting for the rains to go off-roading
WE'VE GOT CARS AND BIKES COMING in and out of the office garage every day but there's always excitement when a new long termer arrives. For the next six months this is “our new car” and I enjoy that initial honeymoon period where we get settled in, figure out the little things that get overlooked in road tests and comparisons, and most importantly get feedback from friends and family –solicited or otherwise.
First impressions then of our Compass
– it is chunky. Everything feels butch and masculine. The steering wheel is so thick it reminds me of BMW M cars. The clutch is heavy. The locks drop audibly. The doors are heavy and shut with a solid thud. The gearbox, in that slight bit of recalcitrance to shift, adds to that feeling of weightiness. And the lag as the turbo spools up goes some way in making it feel more SUV-like. It feels like a man's SUV, one that you need to put a little bit of effort into. It reminds me of the presentation that Jeep India's marketing head made at the launch in Goa last year where his target audience was something like 90 or 95 per cent male. And, as my wife will attest, this isn't an SUV ladies will take an immediate fondness to.
As for me, I quite like it. The Compass gives off this air of ruggedness while suspension feels solid enough to take a beating. And a beating I've been giving it. Hopefully the rest of the car will hold up, I will keep you posted. This is also a fairly quick SUV though this engine feels more at home on the highways than pottering around in the city. Over the past week that I've been driving it in Pune it has averaged just 8kmpl and I'm hoping that's an aberration.
Now what I don't like. The seats feel too firm and unyielding – it might be good for long drives but not so for the city run. The infotainment is good, easy to use and the sound quality is also good but the volume controls behind the steering wheel are a little weird (though I'm used to it now). The cabin is snug, there's no sugar coating it. And for a not-so-cheap vehicle there's no auto lights, no auto day-night mirror and the wing mirrors don't fold in automatically when you lock it.
Yes, yes, I know. I'm nit picking. Truth is the Compass was assigned to assistant editor Aninda but I'm enjoying driving it so much I've pulled rank. Time now to gather together my friends who've bought the Compass (quite a few!) and go for a proper drive. ⌧
Date acquired May 2018 Duration of test 1 month
Total mileage 13,196km Mileage this month 198km
Overall kmpl 9kmpl Costs this month Nil
‘The steering wheel is so thick, it reminds me of BMW M cars’