Jeep Compass 2020 Review - Prices, Specs, Variants, Features and Mileage

2020 Jeep Compass Variants and Features Explained

The Compass 2020 is available in four trim levels – Sport (base), Longitude and the range-topping Limited. There are three more optional trims as well, based on the top two variants – Longitude (O) and Limited (O). In all, there are 13 variants to choose from, including the 4x4 variant which is available only in the top-end diesel spec. 

Off-road enthusiasts will certainly love the 4X4 variants. However, peeps looking for complete off-road experience have to go for the Trailhawk variant that has been reviewed separately. The Trialhawk version not only possess “off-road” capability, but it also offers some extra upgrades over the standard trims. 

Which variant to choose?

We would like to recommend the base Jeep Compass Sport as it is priced very aggressively at Rs. 14.99 Lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). If you’re on a tight budget and want to buy a Jeep, this is the variant you must go for. The Sport trim doesn't compromise on safety either and offers almost all of the Compass standard safety features, including ESC and TCS. But Jeep compass sport misses out on essentials such as rear parking sensors and automatic AC, which is quite disappointing. 

Also Read:

Is the updated Hyundai Creta eligible to beat 2020 Compass BS6?

Will the MG Hector stand powerful against the upgraded Compass?

How will Kia Seltos manage to retain its 'most loved car' title?

Jeep Compass Offers and Pricing (April 2020)

The current offers on Jeep Compass BS4 are available with Rs. 2 Lakh cash discount on the dealership end (subject to the availability of stock in your city). The benefits have been depicted in the table below. This limited period offer is subject to the dealership location and may vary from one state to another. Meanwhile, there are no offers on the new BS6 Jeep Compass as of now. The prices for the BS6 models have been raised slightly. 

*All Offers are available at Jeep Dealership End and subject to vary basis Dealer Stock and Location

Jeep Compass Engine and Performance Details

The new BS6 compliant engine on Compass is more refined than ever before. The engine has been made less noisy like the last one we used to hear from the engine sourced from the Trailhawk. The 2.0-litre  turbo diesel engine propels 170 bhp which is again 2 bhp more than what Trailhawk churns out. For now, any extra power on the Compass is certainly good news. However, the torque figures remain unchanged at 350 Nm and that's sufficient to run the car smoothly. Also, the company has calibrated the engine's fuel mapping in order to make the Compass return better mileage.

Jeep Compass comes with the choice of two engines, one petrol, and one diesel. The petrol engine is a 1.4-litre turbo-petrol that makes 160 bhp and 250Nm whereas the diesel engine is a 2.0-litre unit that produced 170 bhp and 350Nm. The manual transmission option for both engines is a 6-speed transmission. Jeep does offer a 4x4 option with the Compass, onto the top-spec Limited and Limited Plus variants, and only with the diesel engine.

Though Compass' power mill is the smallest in the segment but has the highest power output. The power delivery is very linear and the car roars on the road. The turbo-lag is well-managed and you won't feel much of it while cruising.

How well does the Jeep compass accelerate?

Jeep Compass 1.4L Inline 4 doesn't perform well when it comes to acceleration. It will take you to 60 MPH in 10.5 seconds from a halt. The power boost is quite linear and the Compass takes some time to make itself work smooth.

Comparatively, Kia Seltos outperforms in the acceleration part and does 0 to 60 MPH in less than 10 seconds. Though the acceleration figures returned by Jeep compass are decent taking its size into consideration. The MG Hector takes 12.64 seconds to achieve a similar acceleration, making it slowest among the rivals.

During city traffic conditions, you’ll experience some turbo lag that can be frustrating at times. The Compass chassis remains well composed while cornering and offers better balance while driving at high speeds. This brings more confidence to the driver as well. 

How is the Jeep Compas at ride and handling?

Jeep Compass is a nimble car on its wheels than how bulky it looks. The steering feel is responsive and nicely placed. Although, the feedback is still lagging behind. The inputs were faster than expectations and there are enough chances of body roll due to hard cornering. The ride quality is smooth and works well across different terrain.  

Jeep cars are often discussed regarding their off-road DNA. Though we found the Compass to be a soft-roader, jeep surprises you every time you drive it. Holding a ground clearance of 8.2 inches, Jeep compass stands tall in front of smaller rocks and pebbles. 

How does Jeep Compass brake perform?

To be honest, the brake pedals are not that soft and engaging. At high speeds, the brakes can't be trusted blindly. There aren’t so effective irrespective of its off-roading attitude. You must always opt for better gripping tyres. 

True to Jeep nomenclature, the Compass 4WD is adaptive to off-road conditions with  Limited Plus version’s 225/55 R18 tyres. The top-spec tyres do not absorb as many road bumps as the Trailhawk's 225/60 R17 tyres. The trailhawk's tyres are a bit chunkier compared to that on the regular Compass model. 

You can rely on Jeep Compass's brakes as they offer good bite while traveling over rough terrain.  With the recent facelift, the brakes have given the SUV more confidence. 

How much fuel-efficient Jeep Compass?

The Compass petrol returns a mileage of 14.2kmpl while the diesel is good for 17.1kmpl. The 4WD Compass diesel variants, however, have a slightly lower claimed mileage of 16.3kmpl. With lesser weight, you get the comfort of higher efficiency returns. The mileage is very close to what competitors have to offer. Therefore, there are no surprising figures from Jeep Compass.

Kia Seltos and Jeep Compass with their refined engines manage to have an edge over the rest. The efficiency figures of Hybrid trims from MG cater to those who crave for more efficiency. Hyundai Creta suffers a  bit to give fewer numbers than the Seltos and Compass due to its larger 1.6L engine. Kia Seltos is the segment leader in terms of efficiency but Compass goes ahead in terms of the range because of its 60-litre fuel tank capacity.

Jeep Compass Exterior Design and Styling

The Compass exterior looks handsome with impressive road presence. The build quality gives fresh life to the SUV as if it would take a long time for the car to age. The door gets a large Compass badging and the traditional seven-slatted grille brings muscular attire. You can easily differentiate the regular Compass diesel automatic and the Trailhawk as the former is offered with 18-inch dual-tone wheels and the latter gets 17-inch wheels.

The  Compass SUV is the segment winner with its good dimension constraints. It remains quite small, 4395 mm in length. The chassis is also quite light, well under 3 and a half thousand pounds. The little 2626 mm wheelbase helps with smooth city maneuvering but it comes at a compromising interior space. You’ll find a lot of empty space under the body, with 178 mm of ground clearance. However, the rivals offer better ground clearance than the Compass but the SUV manages to offer ultimate experience during off-roading. 

On looks part, the 2020 model is very much similar to the model seen in 2017. Most of the visual cues have been borrowed from the bigger sibling Grand Cherokee. It perfectly copies the latter with its familiar 7-slit grille which ensures the jeep anatomy for the Compass. 

Unlike most of its rivals, the 2020 Compass retains its SUV attire under a squared-off boxy silhouette. The rugged look of the C-SUV is benefited with big wheel arches. All in all, the Compass is certainly amongst one of the good looking SUVs with bold road presence accompanied by high rise hood and decent ground clearance.

Exterior Features

• Seven Slot Grille accentuated with Chrome Rings

• All Round Chrome Day Light Opening

• Body Colour Door Mirrors with Turn Signal

• Body Colour Door Handles

• Rear Spoiler 

• Quad Halogen Headlamps

• Daytime Running Lamps

• R16/R17 Stylised Steel Wheels

Jeep Compass Interior and Seating Comfort

Just like the Compass exterior, the update made on the interior is limited. The interior has no major changes to see except for some additional features. Well, that is not a thing to feel sad about as the Compass has already impressed us with its beautifully put-together cabin. The dashboard looks premium with white and dual-tone upholstery. This adds mode premium appeal to the cabin for sure. Even the soft-touch material can be seen over some of the interior essentials. 

We loved to see the contrast red stitching over the gear knob and on the steering wheel. The ride side panel of the steering wheel that was left blank in the previous model now gets buttons for cruise control- a new addition as standard across all trims. Talking about the top-spec Limited Plus trim, there are certain goodies like a panoramic sunroof and powered driver's seat.

The Jeep Compass's cabin is spacious enough to accommodate five occupants, but space in the rear leaves much to be desired. To be honest, the car feels best suited for 3 kids/ teenagers and 2 adults. As you move towards the top trim levels, you will be welcomed by seats with leather upholstery. The front seats also feature heated functions that ensure the best comfort level with all-side adjustability. 

The steering wheel on the top-trim also features leather-wrapping. It is commendable that the seats do a fine job with unaspirated driving. The comfortable cushioning doesn’t mind how long you go for a drive.

Model	Jeep Compass 1.4 Sport	Hyundai Creta 1.6 SX	MG Hector 1.5 Style	Kia Seltos HTX G
Passenger capacity	5	5	5	5

There isn’t much difference in terms of front cabin space among the competition. The rear space keeps varying though. However, the Kia Seltos has the best balance of the two, which is comparable to, or even better than the Compass.

Creature features on offer?

• Customisable 8.89cm Graphic Driver Information Display

• Driver Seat Height Adjust

• 60/40 Split Rear Seat

• Console Net

• Full Length Front Floor Console with Sliding Arm Rest

• Rear Arm Rest with Cup Holders

How is the infotainment on Jeep Compass?

The dashboard get assembled with a large  8.4-inch touch screen infotainment system that supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The infotainment is not as intuitive as you find on cars like Kia Seltos and MG Hector, also Jeep is not offering connected tech on the Compass. This is a downside for a car in this segment as these features are common these days.

The Compass comes with Jeep's trusted and familiar, Uconnect system, which is quite intuitive and informative. However, It is not as cool as its rivals, however, it works pretty well with the Jeep, as its utility-focused interface is user-friendly and easier to get used to. Having said that, other standard features associated with the infotainment system include:

• Uconnect with 12.7cm (5.0) Touchscreen Display

• In-built Compass

• Integrated Voice Command

• Bluetooth Audio Streaming

• Media Hub: USB Port, Rear USB Port, Auxuliary Input Jack, 12V Power Outlet

• Speakers (4)

How much spacious is the Compass boot space?

The Compass SUV comes with plenty of trunk space, 408 litres to be precise, that is good for all your family luggage. If there is more need for a luggage room, you can simply increase the cargo space by folding the rear seats down by just twisting a knob. On the other hand, the higher trims get a powered button, replacing this knob.

The tailgate allows easier loading/unloading with its amazing adjusting capability. Also, the power-adjusted height lowering feature of the cargo floor on the Compass further adds an extra convenience factor.

Model	Jeep Compass 1.4 Sport	Hyundai Creta 1.6 SX	MG Hector 1.5 Style	Kia Seltos HTX G
Cargo Volume with rear seats up (Litres)	408	400	587	433

There are also various nets and small hooks in the back that can be helpful in holding some precious elements in your luggage.

How safe and reliable is the Jeep Compass?

The India-Spec Jeep Compass is slightly different from the one that has been tested by EURO NCAP. The Left-hand drive Compass tested by NCAP has 8 airbags whereas the Indian model holds 6 airbags. However, the structure remains similar for both cars and so is the build quality. Both cars get ISOFIX points at the rear for child safety. 

The test results have shown good protection for rear passengers with minimal impact on the knees and chest. Thus, scoring a 5-star safety rating from Euro-NCAP. Unlike the Indian model, the LHD Jeep Compass comes equipped with autonomous braking systems that help in reducing some injuries while driving at low speed. 

Safety Features on offer

• Active Turn Signals

• Electronic Parking Brake (EPB)

• Dual Stage Passenger Airbags

• Driver Airbag

• All-Speed Traction Control System (TCS)

• Electronic Stability Control (ESC)

• Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) with Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD)

• Child Seat Anchors- ISOFIX

• Dual-Note Electric Horns

• Electronic Roll Mitigation

• Hill Start Assist

• Seat Belt Latch with Dual Locking Tongue

• Rear Wiper and Defogger

• Double Crank Prevention System

Jeep Compass against the Competition

Jeep compass vs Kia Seltos

Kia has dominated the market and has been offering feature-rich models in a very short span of time. The Compass is no different. However, with the arrival of Kia Seltos, there is going to be a tough faceoff between the two as they are similarly priced with Kia offering a better set of equipment and features. The Jeep Compass looks aged out in terms of design, which is clearly overshadowed by the striking hot presence of Kia Seltos.

If you are confused between the Jeep Compass and Kia Seltos, we’d recommend you go for the latter as its a better value for money proposition while also bringing along a fresh face that sets it apart from the crowd. Also, with the Compass BS6, the prices have been increased. 

Jeep compass vs MG Hector

The newcomer MG Hector successfully managed to make its place in the Indian market. The success of this car can be counted on the fact that it managed to cross 10,000 bookings in less than a month since its launch. There are a lot more things that the brand speaks for itself as the latest entrant in the SUV segment.

Is the Jeep Compass worth buying?

Jeep Compass has already marked its place among the premium compact SUVs available in India right now. It is spacious, feature-loaded, effectively-priced, and joy-to-ride. People gonna love the way it pours all-American feel. The problem arrives with its drive dynamics and noisy powertrains. But, if you can ignore this thing a little, and concentrate over other good stuff such as infotainment, off-road capability, rugged exterior then you can make the right choice by picking up a Compass.