Jeep Compass: Why everyone’s buying this SUV…
The Jeep brand entered the Indian car market in 2016. However, the brand received recognition only after the introduction of the Compass, the most affordable Jeep branded car in India. The Jeep Compass has gained massive popularity in India and is already giving stiff competition to the Mahindra XUV500, which is a well-established SUV in the segment. The Compass has sold 20,000 units in less than 10 months of its launch. What are the reasons that make the Jeep Compass so popular in India? Let’s find out why everyone is buying it.
A variant for everyone
The Compass is available in quite a few variants. The engine and transmission combination ensures that it fulfills the needs of each type of buyer. The Compass is available with the 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol engine and a 2.0-litre diesel engine. Both the engine options are available with 6-speed manual transmission. Buyers can also choose to get the automatic 7-speed Dual Clutch Transmission that is available with the petrol engine as of now. The diesel engine will soon get a 9-speed automatic transmission too. The Compass also gets a 4X4 option with the diesel engine option. However, there is no low-ratio transfer case yet. The low ratio transfer case version of the Compass will also get launched soon.
Brand image
The Jeep has a massive brand presence all over the world. Enthusiasts would know about the Jeep brand, especially if they are familiar with off-roading. The massive brand value of the Jeep ensures that it gets instant recognition. The affordable price tag ensures that the Compass is accessible to most of the mass segment buyers in India. Even though Jeep is yet to set-up a nation-wide service network, the brand value is something that attracts a lot of customers.
Well loaded
The Compass is quite well-loaded in terms of features. The top-end variants get a long list of features including 6 airbags, ABS, ESP, traction control, hill-hold, four-wheel drive system with snow, sand, mud and automatic modes that are sure to attract feature-crazy customers. The Compass also gets leather seats, a touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay and a powerful speaker system.
Powerful engine options
The Compass is the most powerful car in the segment. The diesel version is powered by the 2.0-litre Multijet engine that generates a maximum power of 171 Bhp – 350 Nm, while the 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol engine produces a maximum power of 160 Bhp – 250 Nm. Even though Mahindra updated the new XUV with a more powerful engine, the Jeep Compass stays on top due to its lighter weight. The powerful engines make sure that the Compass remains the fastest SUV in the segment.
Wise pricing
The Jeep Compass gets a starting price of Rs. 15.16 lakh for the entry level petrol model, which attracts a lot of Hyundai Creta buyers. In terms of diesel, the range starts at Rs 16.28 lakh which takes away a portion of customers from the well-established Mahindra XUV500 too. The higher end versions of the Compass targets a lot of buyers who have SUVs like the Tucson in mind. The pricing of the Jeep Compass makes sure that it gets noticed easily by the mass segment market.
