2024 Jeep Compass 4x2 AT review, first drive - widening the net
The Jeep Compass has always managed to stand out in what is now an especially crowded segment. Jeep being able to maintain this SUV's premium rugged positioning over the course of its life has played a part in this, but the intense competition from more affordable, well-equipped rivals has become increasingly difficult to keep at bay. This is why we now see this, a Jeep Compass with a front-driven automatic drivetrain.
2024 Jeep Compass 4x2 AT Driving impressionsThis drivetrain combination had been a stark gap in the Jeep Compass line-up so far, plugging which Jeep says has widened the Compass' footprint in its segment notably. The recipe is familiar, the 2.0-litre Multijet diesel with its 170PS and 350 Nm, paired with the 9-speed torque converter automatic.
In the short spin we had with the Jeep Compass 4x2 AT around Jeep's Ranjangaon facility, the driving experience was a familiar one. The motor is slightly noisy by the standards of this price point but makes power in that typically diesel manner. There's good low-end torque so you have that diesel pull soon enough as you set off, aside from a touch of sluggishness just off idle since it starts off in 2nd gear. Like before, the Compass' engine does its best work when you exploit the flat diesel mid-range torque where it'll cover ground steadily enough.
The engine does rev to over 5,500 rpm, but it's best you keep things below 4,000 rpm where it's at its strongest. Jeep says the Compass 4x2 will do 0 to 100 kmph in 9.8s, in the real world it feels a touch slower than this but still should be alert enough in most traffic situations. The ARAI mileage figure is 16.2 kmpl.
Jeep says the 9-speed torque converter uses the same ratios as the AWD version, so that experience isn't all that different too. It's still not the sharpest shifting gearbox around and is at its best when you keep throttle inputs steady. That said, Jeep has over time smoothened this gearbox out and that seems to continue here too. It seems a touch quicker and more decisive with the gears it chooses, so the experience is quite fluid if you keep things calm.
The new Compass variant also comes with a reworked suspension setup. The focus seems to have been on making the SUV more comfortable. The slightly firm low-speed ride seems to have become more pliant now, most noticeable over broken surfaces. This has come at some cost to body control, the Compass seems to roll a touch more around corners taken quickly. But this is a trade-off most will accept since the solid, hardy sense that the Compass always gave off on the move hasn't been lost
There are no drive modes and the off-road modes too have gone with the AWD system. But the font-driven Compass is still fairly competent off-road. At Jeep's off-road track in Ranjangaon, this version of the Compass could still handle a fair few of the obstacles on the course like the articulation pits and the steps. The latter needs a heavier dab of the throttle to make up for the loss of traction at the rear.
2024 Jeep Compass 4x2 AT Black Shark Styling, interiors, features
The Jeep Compass 4x2 AT look identical to the other versions, except for the lack of the 4x4 badge on the boot lid. As part of its MY2024, all Compass variants get a new, quite sharp-looking set of alloys. The biggest visual change comes with the new Black Shark variant that sits below the top Model S now. This black-themed trim looks quite appealing with its black seven-slat grille as well as the all-black treatment to the badges, the front air dam and lip as well as to the 18-inch alloys. Especially well done are the Black Shark badges on the fenders. The overall treatment gels seamlessly with the compact, blocky look of the Compass.
The interiors of this Compass are again nearly identical to the 4x4 versions except for a simpler central tunnel. The 4x4 functions are now blanked out and the mode selector is missing too, replaced by a larger electronic parking brake. The Black Shark variant carries on with the theme it sets on the outside. That quite plush feeling that the Compass' dash had with the soft surfaces is retained here but with all-black panels. The chrome highlight from the Model S is now replaced by a dull red accent, which also finds itself on the steering wheel, seat upholstery and door cards, all also in black.
The Compass in its 4x2 AT guise can be high right from the one-above-base Longitude trim all the way up to the Model S. The Compass Black Shark gets largely the same features as the Limited trim with highlights being the full-LED lighting, auto-headlamps and wipers, a 10.1-inch touchscreen with wireless Android Auto/Apple Carplay and 6-speaker audion, powered driver's seat, wireless-charging, dual-zone climate control, part-digital instrumentation with a 7-inch screen and panoramic sunroof. Safety equipment includes six airbags, hill-hold, TPMS and ESC.
2024 Jeep Compass 4x2 AT Black Shark Price, verdict
Prices for the Jeep Compass 4x2 AT start from Rs 23.99 lakh for the Longitude, going up to Rs 29.99 lakh. The Black Shark is priced at Rs 28.49 lakh. The Compass is still a pricey proposition, but these new variants do make the Compass' butch appeal more viable to a larger audience. That the driving experience hasn't changed all that much and may have improved for some, is a handy bonus.
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