Described as compact and entry-level yet capable as a Jeep ever should be, the all-new Jeep Compass 2018 seems to please us with practical comfort yet holds back the whole bliss by stopping short of bringing over a trail-rated adventure version.

The Design

Looking almost as big as the Cherokee yet less weird than the Halloween pumpkin inspired Jeep, the Compass is more down to earth. It resembles the new Renegade in some part and shares some of the Grand Cherokee styling inside – more a plain J in comparison but the Limited came with a bold two-tone black roof. The seven chrome slots in the grille are now set in black and the LED headlight bezels have a black outline while in the rear, long and slim LED lamps that flow into the tailgate lend recognizable character. The new Jeep Compass offers 7 wheel designs ranging from 16” to 19” and 11 exterior colours with exciting names likes spitfire orange and redline red!

THE DIMENSIONS: L x W x H 4420 x 1820 x 1650 mm, Wheelbase: 2640 mm, 18-inch aluminiun wheels (Limited)

THE SPECS: 2.4L I4 M-Air Engine, 9-speed automatic gearbox, 190 hp, 237 Nm,

THE HIGHLIGHTS: UConnect 4 Nav with 8.4″ display, Apple Car Play, Integrated Voice Command with Bluetooth, Comprehensive Driver Assistance Package with warning and intrevention

THE SAFETY FEATURES: 7 airbags (Advanced Multistage Front Airbags, Supplemental Front Seat Side Airbags, Supplemental Side-Curtain Front and Rear Airbags), Selec-Terrain System (Driving modes), ParkSense Rear Park Assist System

UPSIDE: For soft-core Jeep lovers, Urban soft-roading capable, A worthy upgrade to the mushrooming crossovers

FLIPSIDE: Entry level in power and prowess, Could be more exciting

Cabin and controls

The Limited Edition Compass I was testing had creamy skinned seats with stitches on the side, a bit like cricket ball seams. Finding my comfortable seating slot took a little while initially, with the right lumps pushing my lumbar zone. The dash also had a leather-wrapped rubber sort of a finish. A large dual-pane sunroof shone over the whole seating area, and at one touch retracted to leave a gaping sky window across half the roof.

The sound systems in Jeeps are generally good with a well-balanced treble and base, and this is no exception. The square 8.4” navigation screen too is typical of a Jeep cabin (7.0” in lower trims) and the infotainment works well but the controls are a bit all over the place – Besides an entire App system that shows radio, media and climate controls, you have a separate climate control menu that repeats many of the commands. There was something irksome about an otherwise well-managed setting. When I tried to raise or lower the temperature by sliding my finger along the screen, after staying with me a couple of times the cue jumped all the way up or down, to the maximum or minimum, and I had to start all over again! As for the air-conditioning itself, it’s rather efficient.

The Jeep Compass impressed me with a clever and thoughtful aspect about the navigation guidance. When a new turn or an instruction comes up while music is streaming, the voice message is intuitively and unobtrusively delivered through the driver side speaker even as others continue to listen to music. Why hasn’t everyone else come up with this?

The Drive

The Jeep Compass has a typical Jeep steering – right-sized and feeling good to the grip. The instrument cluster had something rarely found these days – a proper, non-digital speedometer! The Compass has mirrors that don’t need a Blind Spot Monitor but when the three rear headrests are up in a row, visibility rearwards is eaten into.

The drive felt light-footed and the heavy, planted sort of feeling was missing in corners, much to my chagrin. But once the drive dynamics was got used to, enough traction surfaced and corners were getting well tackled. The Jeep Compass has a four wheel drive lock and an option of auto, snow, sand and mud. (The Trail hawk has ‘rock’ too!) It does away with the pretension of a sport mode – anyway it’s only been a few years since that garnishing was added to cars of all sorts.

The build up of power was slow at low engine speeds. So even if you open the throttle, the 0 – 100 kmph climb takes close to 10 seconds and it’s rather gradual with the 9-speed transmission. But the engine quickly gathered 5 to 6 thousand rpms, where it comfortably delivered its might. In the manual mode, you shift down to the fourth or fifth, and the power is freely on tap. The 2.0L engine delivered a fuel economy of 12.3 L per 100 km and close to 11 L per 100 km on the highway.

As for capabilities, this isn’t the trail-rated Jeep Compass Trail hawk. Unfortunately, that isn’t even coming to our part of the world, because those who want such an option would go for the ubiquitous Jeep Wrangler or a Grand Cherokee. The Compass Limited Edition can anyway keep you happy with some hardcore soft-roading, till the time you go climb a dune that demands a lot more torque!

The ‘Limited’ comes with a whole deal of driver assistance – Adaptive Cruise Control, Forward Collision Warning, Blind Spot Monitor, Lane Sense (Lane Departure Warning Plus) and Rear Cross Path Detection. Which means, this Compass corrects itself if you stray or if you are too close to a car in front or if your backing up, with an approaching impediment. Seven airbags are standard across the Jeep Compass.

I admire these simple yet useful or thoughtful features in a car. Like how the Compass engages the parking brake automatically when you stop and releases it when you pull off.

Family Drive

The Compass feels the right size for an unpretentious Jeep. Tapering towards the rear, the only compact part seems to be the boot, paying the price for the kinda roomy seats. The Compass Limited features heated front seats while the rear flat-bench properly seats three. The ride is comfortable though a little firm side, true to its off-roading DNA.

Focusing on practicality, the rear seats can be tumbled down to make space for longer things and the rear central armrest when brought down makes a window to access things in the boot. However, cabin storage isn’t that great. There is reasonable space under the armrest but the doorside storage is meager.

Automatic boot opening and remote start add to the convenience and comfort of the Compass. There are parking sensors with adjustable volume and display but in a car that has all sorts of warnings and interventional assistance, how can there be no camera? Weird sense of humor!

The essential Jeep Compass 2018

In the 2018 Jeep Compass, satisfaction comes more from its functional drive and practicable features than the fulfillment of the adventure spirit. It fits in with the modern mapping of vehicles with a good fuel economy and a whole driver-sensing package. Which would make this rather popular with drivers who wouldn’t want to labour with the legendary Jeep yet like to have its legacy parked in the garage.