Jeep Compass: Old vs New

The premium SUV has debuted in its facelifted avatar before its expected India arrival in early-2021, but what’s new?

The Jeep Compass SUV is the brand’s best-selling model in India and the FCA’s only foothold in this market. It is due a facelift update which has debuted in China. The new Compass gets minor cosmetic updates to the exterior with more changes to the interior and a new engine under its hood. Jeep is expected to bring the facelifted Compass to India soon. So let’s see what’s different from the model currently on sale:

Exterior

Jeep has updated the front fascia with a new bumper design and sleeker LED headlamps with integrated LED daytime running lights now on top of the headlight. The fog lamp housings are integrated with the section between the grille and the enlarged air dam. It also gets a new design for the alloy wheels which are the same size as before. 

No discernable design changes have been made to the rear and side profile of the new Compass. The facelifted China-spec Compass is 29mm longer and 12mm taller while the wheelbase and width remain the same, at 2,636mm and 1,818mm, respectively.

Jeep also showcased the Trailhawk version of the new Compass which continues to get a more rugged design with different bumpers and alloy wheels. It still gets the iconic red tow hooks under the front bumper.

Interior And Features

The most notable updates have been made to the interior which gets a new dashboard and central console. We were expecting a 12.3-inch unit but instead, it gets a tablet-style 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Uconnect 5 software, connected car tech, and wireless compatibility for Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. It also comes with a new 10.25-inch display for the digital driver’s instrument cluster. Due to the floating touchscreen unit, the central air vents are now horizontally aligned below it.

Jeep also showcased it with two different cabin themes: all black and dual-tone (white and tan).

The climate control panel has been made shorter and wider with a storage space underneath, equipped with a wireless charging pad. It was showcased in its automatic variant with the 4WD control switches (4WD LOCK, 4WD LOW, hill descent control, etc.) behind the gear selector which is flanked by the e-parking brake and a toggle (likely to switch between driving/traction modes).

Powertrain

The facelifted Compass is expected to get a new 1.3-litre turbo-petrol engine to replace the current 1.4-litre turbo-petrol unit. It makes more power, at 180PS, and will likely be offered with the choice of a 6-speed manual and a dual-clutch automatic. The current model’s 2.0-litre diesel engine -- which offers 173PS and comes mated to either a 6-speed manual or a 9-speed automatic -- is expected to be carried forward.

Prices

Jeep is expected to price the facelifted Compass similar to the outgoing model with only a slight premium. The SUV currently retails between Rs 16.49 lakh and Rs 24.99 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi) but the prices will likely be increased marginally for 2021, as they do every year. It is expected to arrive in India by March 2021.

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