The facelifted Jeep Compass will be the first to arrive next year ahead of the seven-seater Grand Compass and a new compact SUV
Jeep India is relying on the Compass for its domestic volumes for more than three years. While it did deliver, the sales figures in recent times are not as good as it used to be. The five-seater SUV averaged 2,500 units in its heyday and to revive its fortunes, the American manufacturer will be introducing the facelifted version early next year.
In a recent interview, Dr. Partha Datta, President, and Managing Director, FCA India spoke about the upcoming launches from the brand. He revealed, as we know already, the seven-seater Compass and a brand new sub-four-metre SUV would launch in India. The ‘three-row UV’ and the compact SUV are part of the company’s plans to expand its portfolio locally and apparently widen its presence.
He also mentioned that Jeep would be brining in iconic models from the global range and thus the new Wrangler and perhaps the next generation Grand Cherokee could arrive. Whether the brand would take chances with the hot-selling Gladiator pickup truck to create a niche in the premium space or not is yet unknown.
The facelifted Compass’ spy shots had emerged a while ago hinting at the exterior changes. It will have evolutionary design changes to stretch the lifespan of the first generation model as redesigned front grille, headlamps, bumper and tail lamps will be part of the equation. Moreover, latest UConnect technology and a host of new features could be added to spice things up.
The seven-seater Jeep Compass, codenamed, Low D or Jeep 598 in Latin America is expected to be launched following the updated Compass. It will more likely see the light later next year and it could compete against a slew of seven-seater premium SUVs in the country including Toyota Fortuner and Ford Endeavour with good off-roading capabilities.
It could be christened the Grand Compass but whether the same name will be used in India or not remains a mystery. The five-seater compact SUV will become the most affordable Jeep upon launch as it will slot way below the Compass to rival Vitara Brezza, Venue, Nexon, EcoSport and XUV300.
It is said to have Jeep’s off-roading DNA and thus could create a niche of its own compared to its rivals. It could go as far as rivalling next-gen Thar, upcoming Jimny and Gurkha when it gets launched in 2022.