The 2017 Jeep Compass has been newly built ground up. The American manufacturer’s first locally produced product looks like a baby Grand Cherokee, and is based on the ‘compact wide’ architecture that underpins the smaller Jeep Renegade. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, Jeep’s parent company, knows well that its success in the Indian market weighs heavily on how the Compass fares in the market. We drove the Compass during the early monsoon showers in Goa – just the right time and place to experience an off-roader. Did we come back impressed? Read on.
Considering the growing interest in compact SUVs among the Indian consumers, Jeep decided to produce the Compass at FCA’s Indian plant in Ranjangaon, near Pune. In addition to the domestic market, FCA will also export the Jeep Compass to all right hand drive markets globally. Clearly, there’s a lot riding on the Compass, and the company is aware of that.
In India, there was a definite urgency to get the Compass rolling. From the time it was decided to start production in India, to the actual roll-out, it has just taken the team 23 months – a feat that is not lost on anyone at Jeep India. This, of course, required a coordinated approach among all functions, and they have delivered a product that is ready to be introduced to the market shortly.
Please refer to our technology feature on the Jeep Compass published in May 2017. This article, meanwhile, assesses the performance on the vehicle, both on and off-road.
PERFORMANCE
This story is from the July 2017 edition of Auto Tech Review.
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This story is from the July 2017 edition of Auto Tech Review.
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