The wait for the Jeep Compass Trailhawk has been a fairly long one. Those looking for an off-road-focused, diesel-automatic variant of Jeep’s midsize SUV have been following the news, waiting for an official confirmation about the Compass Trailhawk’s India launch. We can now confirm the Jeep Compass Trailhawk will launch before the end of July 2019.
To give you a recap, the Trailhawk is the off-road-focused version of the Jeep Compass. The ‘Trail-Rated’ badges it sports are there for a reason, as it gets Jeep’s Active Drive Low 4x4 system, which is essentially a system with a low-range, a rear locking differential, hill descent control and an additional Rock mode for the Selec-Terrain system.
Additionally, the Compass Trailhawk’s ground clearance is at 225mm, a full 20mm higher than the standard Jeep Compass, and it also gets reprofiled front and rear bumpers, which give it improved approach and departure angles. Also different is the positioning of the air intake; it is set higher now, giving the Trailhawk a water-wading depth of 480mm, up from the standard Compass’ 405mm. And just to make it more off-road-ready, Jeep has equipped the Trailhawk with underside skid plates, all-season tyres and all-weather floor mats too.
To differentiate from the standard Compass on the outside, the Trailhawk gets tow hooks painted in red, a black anti-glare decal on the bonnet and, of course, the ‘Trail-Rated’ badge.
Off-road-focused mechanical and visual upgrades aside, the Jeep Compass Trailhawk will also distinguish itself by being the first Compass in India to get a 9-speed automatic gearbox. What’s more, it will also debut a BS-VI emission norms compliant version of the current 2.0-litre diesel engine. The Euro VI versions of the engine sold abroad have a power and torque rating of 170hp and 350Nm.
Expect the Compass Trailhawk’s features list to include a contrast roof, dual-tone alloy wheels, a panoramic sunroof and an 8.4-inch touchscreen infotainment system, as seen on the Compass Limited Plus variant.
When it is launched by July, the Jeep Compass Trailhawk’s price is likely to be close to the Rs 27 lakh mark, which will put it right at the top of the Compass range. That said, even at that price point, the Compass Trailhawk will easily be the most capable off-roader in its segment, something we learned way back in 2018 when we drove it in Australia.
What do you think would be the right price for the Jeep Compass Trailhawk? Let us know in the comments.
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