2017 Jeep Compass spied in India

The India-bound Jeep Compass SUV was unveiled a few days ago. The carmaker had announced earlier that the Compass would be the first Jeep model in India to be assembled locally. We’ve got our hands on the first-ever spy picture of this new Jeep model being tested on Indian soil. The Jeep Compass will be assembled at parent company Fiat’s Ranjangaon facility in Pune.

The Compass is Jeep’s smaller and affordable take on the larger and more expensive Grand Cherokee that's on sale in India. Like its larger sibling, the SUV gets traditional styling, but does feature a few angular bits like the Renegade, making it look more rugged. Key design elements include a wide-shouldered look, a shallow Jeep grille and tapering headlights. As on other Jeep SUVs, the squared-off wheel arches and large alloy wheels are seen on this model too. At the rear are horizontally aligned tail-lamps with LED units.

The Jeep Compass’s feature list is likely to be similar to that of the more expensive Grand Cherokee. The Compass will be equipped with the U-Connect infotainment system and an 8.0-inch screen, and one can expect features like climate control and push-button start as well. The SUV could get the option of a seven-seat layout for India.

Production for the left-hand-drive Compass has commenced at FCA’s Jeep Assembly Plant in Goiana, Brazil. For India, the SUV will be fitted with a 172hp 2.0-litre Fiat Multijet II diesel engine that will be localised. The engine will also be seen in Tata's Q501 SUV in the future. Internationally, the SUV will also be offered with a petrol engine alongside the Fiat-sourced 1.6 Multijet II unit. The SUV will also offer a choice of two- or four-wheel drive with the latter also featuring low range and a locking differential.

The Jeep Compass will be offered in four trims in international markets – Sport, Longitude, Limited and Trailhawk. The Trailhawk will be the serious off-roader, with a 20mm raised ride height, different tyres and additional underbody protection. Our earlier report has stated that the Jeep Compass Trailhawk will be on offer right from the model’s global unveiling.

The Jeep brand officially entered India recently with two models, the Wrangler and the Grand Cherokee and its high-performance SRT variant. Sources in the company have informed us that prices for this SUV will start at around Rs 20 lakh for the fairly well-equipped version, which of course would mean plenty of SUV for your money. After all, the Compass is a full-sized SUV that is larger than even the Creta.