Jeep is all set to launch a mid-life facelift for the Compass SUV later this year with a new BS6-compliant 1.3-litre petrol engine
The current-gen model of the Jeep Compass was introduced in 2016 globally, and launched in India in 2017. Since then, the mid-size SUV space has seen a few new launches, which have made the Jeep Compass less relevant in the market. However, the American carmaker is planning to launch a mid-life facelift of the SUV in the market this year; a test mule of which was spied for the first time recently.
Even though the spied SUV was fully covered in camouflage, the interior shots revealed that the car which was spied came with a left-hand drive setup. Jeep produces the right-hand drive Compass at its Pune plant, and exports it to countries like United Kingdom, Australia, Brunei, Japan, Indonesia and Thailand.
Expect the facelifted Jeep Compass to get a few cosmetic upgrades, along with minor changes to the interiors to make it look fresh. The car will continue to be offered with the same 2.0-litre diesel powertrain that puts out 173 PS of maximum power and 350 Nm peak torque, but the 1.4-litre Multiair II four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine rated at 162 PS/250 Nm will likely be replaced with a new 1.3-litre petrol unit.
The 1.3-litre Firefly turbocharged petrol engine is already on offer with the Jeep Renegade, and even the Fiat 500X internationally, and in its higher state of tune produces 180 PS power and 270 Nm torque. The new engine will likely be coupled with a 6-speed manual gearbox, a 6-speed dual dry clutch, and a 9-speed ZF 9HP automatic transmission.
We also recently reported Jeep’s plans to finally introduce a diesel-automatic variant. Currently, the American automaker only offers a diesel-automatic configuration on the more premium Compass Trailhawk.
Jeep will likely be launching the 2020 Compass facelift in Brazil later this year, followed by a launch in the Indian market in the second half of this year. The Compass facelift will continue to rival the likes of Tata Harrier, MG Hector, Hyundai Tucson, and the upcoming 2020 second-gen Mahindra XUV500 as well.
