Seven-seater Jeep Compass (Low D) could be introduced in India in H2 2020 following the arrival of the facelifted Compass early next year
A recent report emerged on the internet suggests that the forthcoming three-row Compass will be powered only by a diesel engine at least initially. The Brazilian publication specifies the report for its home market but we do expect the India-spec model to only use the oil-burner as well. Known as the Jeep ‘Low D’ internally, it is being tested in Brazil ahead of its global premier.
Expect the seven-seater Jeep Compass, which could be christened the Grand Compass, to make its world debut in Brazil sometime early next year before reaching other markets including India. It is part of the American SUV specialists’ mid-term plan as a compact SUV with Jeep’s off-roading DNA is also in the pipeline for our domestic market.
The Jeep Grand Compass will borrow design cues from its five-seater sibling, which received a mild update less than a week ago without much changes to the exterior globally. To accommodate the third row of seats, it will have changes like a larger rear quarter glass measuring 120 mm from the end of the D-pillar. Thus, the shape of the tailgate and tail lamps could also be revised on the seven-seater.
Jeep India will be introducing the facelifted version of the Compass early next year and it will likely be followed by the three-row Grand Compass, as the sub-four-metre SUV is at least a year away. The seven-seater will help in the brand expanding its reach to new customers, as it will be pitted against the upcoming MG Hector Plus and Tata’s Gravitas among others.
We expect the existing 2.0-litre MultiJet II four-cylinder diesel engine with BSVI compliance to be retained on the India-spec model, producing 170 PS and 350 Nm. It will be mated to a six-speed manual transmission while a nine-speed automatic unit could also be offered with an optional all-wheel-drive system to compete against much higher priced Toyota Fortuner and Ford Endeavour.
The three-row Jeep Grand Compass could be priced between Rs. 20 lakh and Rs. 26 lakh (ex-showroom) and it will have additional equipment on board compared to the regular model.
*Pics For Representational Purpose Only