Jeep Compass

On the inside, the Jeep Compass exudes top-notch quality and fit and finish levels, and from nowhere it seems like a Jeep SUV which is built to cost. The built-to-last feel of all the body panels on the inside, which are finished in black, lends the Compass a sporty and premium appeal.

The Jeep Compass has got a very ergonomically spot-on driving position, with a nice three-spoke steering wheel and simple looking instrument console with a very informative MID screen in between giving a nice field of vision. The center console of the dashboard here looks simple, but impresses with its chunky two-part design.

The upper center console gets a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system surrounded by trapezoidal AC vents on either side with piano black surrounds for them. The lower center console gets a wide trapezoidal panel for the controls of automatic climate control. 

The cabin has been designed to seat five people, however, the knee room at the back is at a premium. The Jeep Compass sold in the Philippines is in Longitude trim, and it misses out on several kits made available in the top-spec Limited trim sold overseas. 

The Jeep Compass much of the traditional design ethos from bigger and more premium Jeeps, especially the Grand Cherokee, and in flesh, actually looks like a scaled-down version of the latter. The upright stance and tough looks of the Jeep Compass make it look like a true-blue SUV despite smaller dimensions than a full-fledged SUV.

At the front, the Jeep Compass has a bold fascia, which comprises of the traditional seven slat grilles, with all the seven slats shaped in form of rectangle and getting chrome surrounds. This entire grille, which has black surround for the seven slats, is flanked by broad wing-like headlamp units, which do get thick L-shaped curved daytime running LEDs as well as halogen projector headlamps in them. The front bumper has trapezoidal housings for the fog lamps, which also come integrated with turn indicators in them.

The side profile of the Jeep Compass looks muscular, with the major highlights here being chunky squared wheel arches, with the slim body cladding running over them as well as the lower portion of the doors giving it a tough appeal. The kinked waistline towards the rear quarter glass, along with a nice chrome-finished upper window-line which flows in a wraparound manner towards the rear windshield, do give the Jeep Compass its own identity. The SUV gets slim roof rails, which could have been bigger to increase their functionality.

At the back, the chrome garnish below the large windscreen coming from the upper window-line of side windows and roof-mounted spoiler gives the Jeep Compass a premium appeal. The tail lamps, with their split design and curved edges, go well with the overall design and have prominent curved LED inserts in them.

The Jeep Compass has got a solid ride quality, and its ability to conquer over the tough terrains and broken patches of roads is taken care of by a very pliant suspension combination. This particular model is specifically a 4x2 variant with 17-inch wheels on offer, with power channelled to front wheels only.

The Philippines-spec Jeep Compass is sold with only one engine and gearbox combination, which is a 1.4-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine mated to a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. This powertrain makes a maximum power output of 162 PS, while the peak torque output maxes out at 250 Nm.

The Jeep Compass has got a decent list of safety features for its segment, with the basic safety kit in the SUV comprising of dual front airbags, rear parking sensors with camera, hill start assist, all-speed traction control, ABS with EBD and brake assist, electronic stability control, rollover mitigation, tire pressure monitoring system and electric parking brake.

The Philippines-spec Jeep Compass misses out on much of the kit of the model sold overseas. However, for a premium midsize SUV, the Jeep Compass makes a strong case for itself, owing to its punchy and powerful petrol engine and the sturdy ride quality it has on offer for the occupants.