Test drive Jeep Compass
With a raised body and toothy tires, the Jeep Compass Trailhawk looks more like an SUV than a lightweight crossover. A smaller copy of the Grand Cherokee will arrive in Russia by the end of 2017
Four sun-tanned surfers inexplicably fit into an old Fiat with all their boards. They look at the new Jeep Compass with undisguised envy also because the American brand supports the World Surfing Championship. In Russia, the associations are different: it is important for us that the new jeep crossover looks like a big Grand Cherokee.
The similarity is such that from afar I confused the cars in the parking lot and headed towards the "senior". And it is forced - the first "Compass", presented in 2006, had its own face. This was the first attempt at a crossover for the Jeep brand and well conceived: the global platform was created in partnership with Mitsubishi, with it and with the involvement of Hyundai - a 2,4-liter engine. But the execution let us down. The designers wanted to do something unusual for new clients, but the result was not very good.
The design was not the only problem of the old Compass: gray and frankly cheap interior plastic, sluggish and gluttonous variators, nondescript handling. On the plus side, it was possible to add only the smoothness and omnivorousness of the suspension, as well as the unusual folding section with audio speakers on the rear door. The same went for the Patriot / Liberty twin, crafted in a more traditional, angular jeep style.
Fiat saved Jeep from complete failure. The crossovers got better quality interiors, and Compass got serious face plastic surgery, which turned it into a small Grand Cherokee. And besides, they have equipped it with a traditional "automatic machine" instead of the variator.
In the US, it worked and sales went up, but in Europe, the Compass and Patriot / Liberty never hit the mark. Stubborn people work in Jeep: the "parquet" strategy has remained the same, it has only been slightly modified. The new Compass has become a little more compact than its predecessor, and the resemblance to the Grand Cherokee has been raised to the absolute. The square and round-eyed Liberty was replaced by the Renegade, which successfully plays in a more compact class.
The Compass is slightly shorter and lower than the previous generation crossover, but retains its width and wheelbase. Outwardly, it looks more impressive and harmonious at the same time. But this is not an exact copy of the "Grand" - the designers Chris Piscitelli and Vinche Galante were bored simply copying the square design. They have elegantly rounded the headlights and lanterns in Italian, giving a spectacular break in the window sill line.
An unbreakable molding line extends from the side mirrors - it goes over the windows, cuts off the C-pillar from the roof and outlines the tailgate window. Large cutouts for foglights and running lights in the front bumper neatly hinted at the Jeep Cherokee. In general, they speak carefully about this model and its prospects in FCA - despite criticism for being too avant-garde design, in America it goes with a bang.
The Jeep Compass is offered in both regular and off-road versions of the Trailhawk with increased ground clearance, redesigned front bumper and underbody protection.
The interior styling is familiar from the Cherokee: a protruding plateau in the center of the panel, a hexagonal shield with air ducts and a touchscreen. At the same time, there is less avant-garde here, straight lines again refer to the "Grand". Top quality: leather-lined armrests, soft plastic, small gaps. The old Compass and the new one - cars of different classes. In the past, and ergonomic miscalculations like the casing under the steering column, clinging to the knees.
The back row has become wider at the shoulders, but tighter in other directions - a couple of centimeters below the ceiling, slightly less headroom. And more comfortable - a more comfortable profile of the seats, the folding center armrest and soft door. In addition, additional air ducts and a USB connector appeared paired with a household outlet.
Compass's trunk has lost in volume - 438 liters with a repair kit and 368 liters - with a full-size fifth wheel. For comparison, the previous generation crossover offered a full-fledged spare tire and 458 liters of loading liters. The backs of the rear seats are horizontal, while the new car has a slight slope. The fifth door of the new Compass is electrified, and the button is located in an unusual way - on the trunk wall.
The round wheel hub here is like the Renegade, but Compass does not exploit the brand's heritage to the same extent. A small SUV does not climb the windshield, a fake spider does not lurk under the gas filler flap, and the painted dirt does not stain the dials. There is a minimum of "Easter eggs" here, the most noticeable of which is a jeep signature on the inside of the tailgate, a grille with seven slots and round headlights.
The dials, slightly old-fashioned, are shared by a large display with colorful graphics. Maintaining its deliberate brutality, Compass lives with the interests of the young: the Beats speakers are what Dr. Dre ordered. The 8,4-inch touchscreen multimedia system supports Apple and Android devices. No modern car can do without new technologies and various safety electronics.
Here a jeep flavor is added to them. Compass has an off-road Jeep Skills among its many apps like online radio. In addition to various information, it awards badges for passing special routes and allows you to share your achievements on the off-road with other users. The adaptive cruise control adjusts the distance to the drawn army Willys.
“The ocean is very cold today,” says our frustrated surf instructor. "But you Russians are used to cold temperatures." Our man, Europeans believe, lives in harsh conditions, and therefore he should be interested exclusively in the off-road version of the Compass Trailhawk.
Her ground clearance is increased to 21,6 cm, the belly is covered with steel protection, the front bumper is rounded for better geometry, and towing eyes stick out from it. The road version of Limited with a low bumper lip, a shorter steering wheel and 198 mm ground clearance was instantly disassembled by European journalists and they were not eager to change to an off-road version.
All cars were diesel. Two-liter engine with 170 hp. lows quietly and gives out its 380 Nm before the tachometer needle crosses the 2 rpm mark. Acceleration to 000 km / h takes 100 seconds, and for a leisurely Portuguese traffic dynamics is quite enough, especially since the 9,5-speed "automatic" switches quickly and smoothly.
With a 2,4-liter aspirated gasoline engine, which is more relevant for the Russian market, Compass would have completely turned into an American. The light and empty steering wheel becomes more or less informative at large angles of rotation of the wheels. The brakes are soft and force you to depress the pedal when decelerating quickly. With a raised body, tall and toothed tires, the Compass Trailhawk behaves more like an SUV than a lightweight crossover. This is a kind of "Easter egg" - this is how a real Jeep should be, even if it is a crossover.
Rock Mode for stony terrain is only offered on the Trailhawk version. As well as "downhill" - the automatic transmission keeps a short first gear.
On a country road in the local national park, Compass is comfortable - the energy-intensive suspension is not afraid of holes. The rear struts of the Chapman instead of the usual multi-link suspension provide better suspension travel, but even with the suspended wheels, the Compass confidently climbs over the obstacle. The body is located at a decent height, and the steel protection will take the blow of a large boulder.
The short first gear and the special Rock XNUMXWD program (both only available on the Trailhawk) make rocky climbs easy to tackle. In automatic mode, the crossover does not climb so confidently: the "automatic" is trying to switch up, the multi-plate clutch is late with the transmission of traction to the rear axle, the wheels are slipping.
Surfers will surely appreciate the sandy mode, while Russian crossover owners will appreciate the snowy and muddy mode. There is no hard blocking here: the electronics constantly change traction in favor of the rear and front wheels. The transmission operation diagram can be displayed on the central display - it's a pity that other important information like the angle of rotation of the wheels or roll angles is not displayed on one screen. You have to constantly travel around the menu. But if everything is not going smoothly with the multimedia off-road, then on the real off-road there are no problems.
The previous Jeep Compass in Russia did not sell well, and last year it went up to almost $ 23. The new crossover, in all likelihood, will not be cheap either - the cars are planned to be brought from Mexico. The Russian representative office is aiming at BMW X740 and Audi Q1, therefore it relies on four-wheel drive cars with automatic transmissions and in rich trim levels. It can be assumed that the starting price tag for the Compass will be around $ 3. And the rate this time may work not only because of the similarities with the Grand Cherokee - with such a cabin and a set of options, claims for a premium are quite justified.
The exact prices are promised to be announced in July, and the first crossovers will arrive at dealerships at the end of the year. We will be offered an aspirated 2,4 liter with a capacity of 150 and 184 hp. and possibly a diesel. Considering the future persecution of diesel engines in Europe, automakers should consider how to make such engines more popular in the Russian market.
| A type | Crossover |
| Dimensions: length / width / height, mm | 4394/1819/1638 |
| Wheelbase, mm | 2636 |
| Ground clearance, mm | 216 |
| Cargo space, l | 368, no data |
| Curb weight, kg | 1615 |
| Gross vehicle weight, kg | No data |
| engine's type | Turbodiesel |
| Working volume, cubic meters cm | 1956 |
| Max. power, h.p. (at rpm) | 170/3750 |
| Max. cool. moment, Nm (at rpm) | 380/1750 |
| Drive type, transmission | Full, AKP9 |
| Max. speed km / h | 196 |
| Acceleration from 0 to 100 km / h, s | 9,5 |
| Fuel consumption, l / 100 km | 5,7 |
| Price from, $. | Not announced |
