TRACK NOTES

The Compass stays safe, stable and benign when driven to the limit of grip at Millbrook – and, given its remit, that’s all it really needs to do. That a Jaguar E-pace or a BMW X1 would zip around with considerably more grip, pace and precision says more about their more road-biased dynamic briefs than any superiority in their dynamic execution.

The Jeep’s fast initial rate of roll comes as a bit of a surprise when you commit it to a tight bend, but the body’s lateral movement is ultimately checked before it undermines the car’s handling stability or steering authority.

The electronic stability control is wellmatched to the grip level of the tyres, and quells understeer before it’s allowed to build too far. Leave it on and you can banish any worry that you’re going to run wide by using too much mid-corner power; if you turn everything off, you’ll find quickly that understeer is what you’ll be met with on the limit.

Engine has enough torque to haul up to T6 in third gear, provided you catch it on boost. If you don’t, the climb can be hard work.

Electronic stability control and 4x4 system meter out torque on tighter corners like T4 to maintain balance and deliver good traction.

Isolated steering keeps the transmission bumps from deflecting the car down in T1 but also makes it trickier to gauge front axle grip level at times.