Jeep Compass Trailhawk Proves Itself By Driving Across The Indian Desert

The factory-fitted production-spec SUV covered the entire journey without using tarmac roads

• The Trailhawk is the more off-road capable variant of the Jeep Compass premium mid-size SUV.

• Its facelifted version was recently launched in India at Rs 30.72 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi).

• Driven by Abhimanyu Alsisar through 1,280km of an Indian desert in three days.

• Trailhawk gets increased ground clearance, all-terrain tyres, tweaked bumpers, and exclusive Rock mode over regular Compass.

• It is a fully-loaded variant with dual-zone AC, ventilated front seats, six airbags, 360-degree camera and digital driver’s display.

The facelifted Jeep Compass Trailhawk arrived in India in February 2022. It is the more capable, off-road focussed iteration of the regular SUV. With the intent to prove the car’s rugged abilities, Jeep India put the latest Compass Trailhawk through a real-world test by using it to cover 1,280km of the Indian desert while avoiding all tarmac roads.

The production-spec SUV traversed a variety of sandy, rocky and dirt terrains on its journey from Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan to Kutch, Gujarat. It took three days to cover the distance, weathering temperatures over 40-degree Celsius in the day and near-freezing temps at night. The Compass Trailhawk was piloted by Abhimanyu Alsisar, the Prince of Alsisar.

The Trailhawk variant is fully loaded in terms of comfort and gets a host of purpose-specific updates over the regular Compass. It has a higher ground clearance, different bumpers for better approach and departure angles, all-terrain tyres on its 17-inch alloy wheels, and a variant-exclusive ‘Rock Mode’ for the off-road driving modes. The Compass Trailhawk uses the 2-litre diesel engine, mated to a 9-speed automatic transmission, distributing the output to all four wheels. It also gets a low-range drive system, hill descent control, and frequency selective damping suspension. 

Also read: Jeep Compass Trailhawk: First Drive

In terms of cabin comforts, to keep the driver relaxed through its desert escapade, the Compass Trailhawk is equipped with dual-zone climate control, electrically adjustable and ventilated front seats, a 10.25-inch digital driver’s display, and a 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The safety list includes six airbags, 360-degree camera view, electronic roll mitigation, electronic stability control and full underbody protection plates.

The Compass Trailhawk is priced at Rs 30.72 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi), at a premium of Rs 1.38 lakh over the top-spec diesel-automatic AWD variant of the regular Compass. It has no direct rivals, while the Compass itself competes against the likes of the Volkswagen Tiguan and soon to be launched new-gen Hyundai Tucson.

Read More on : Jeep Compass Trailhawk diesel