The Compass has now become the ‘Trail Ready’ Trailhawk. Jared finds out just what it’s capable of.
Just like Mercedes-Benz has its AMG vehicles and BMW has its M-Division, American SUV manufacturer Jeep has something pretty similar – only it doesn’t have anything to do with on-road performance. Yup, I’m talking about that badge of honour that reads ‘Trail Ready.’ A Jeep vehicle with this badge simply means that the vehicle is a proper offroader and is capable of taking on anything that dares to come in its path.
The Compass itself is a highly versatile and beautiful machine. It even has the distinction of being our ‘Best of 2017’ machine – the year it was launched in India. It drives wonderfully in the city, and it can be quite capable off-the-road. But what if you want it to be a hardcore all-terrain conqueror? Well, then the new variant of the Compass, the Trailhawk, is the answer.
Earning the badge
The Compass Trailhawk looks exactly the same as the regular Compass, both inside and out. But, it’s not the same! There are minor details that set it apart. The most important differentiating factor is the tiny red badge that reads ‘Trail Ready.’ Being worthy of this badge is a serious affair, and the Jeep engineers have listed five criteria for a car to be Trail Ready.
The first and most important is traction. The Trailhawk gets ‘Jeep Active Drive,’ which is a full-time AWD system. It now also gets a special 4-Low mode that gives it a crawl ratio of 20:1, which no other SUV in this segment has. There’s also an added Selec-Terrain mode called ‘Rock.’ The driving modes control the amount of torque sent to the wheels through a very clever system, and the Trailhawk seems to be able to offer better torque management for traction than the Compass. Another added feature in the Trailhawk is the Hill Descent Control.
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