Well, to be honest, Jeep didn’t have what you would exactly a ‘dream start’ in the Indian market. Their first launches were the Jeep Wrangler, the Jeep Grand Cherokee and the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT. Yes, there were a lot of people who were excited about these products but the pricing that they came at, well, let’s just say it didn’t go down well. Next, it was the turn of the Compass.
Seen as the make-it or break-it car offering by Jeep, the Compass turned out to be a massive success for the company. But what was different this time around, and what makes it such a success? We tell you five reasons.
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1. Brand Legacy
Yes, you may argue that the first products by Jeep didn’t exactly ring the cash counters as much as Jeep would have hoped but here’s the thing, Jeep had an interest around it. People were aware of the brand and many also knew that just how capable Jeeps are in general. And this has been going on for ages as the brand ‘Jeep’ was always familiar. Then, when the news of them entering the Indian market in full force came about, it did get a lot of people excited. And the car that cashed in on all of that was, well, the Jeep Compass.
2. Accessibility
When the prices of their first products were announced, people wanted a more accessible product from Jeep and the Compass was exactly that. On top of it, the Compass had a fantastic interest base to build upon. That’s not it, the fact that it made great sense as a product that can be used every day in every day driving conditions and the fact that it acts as an entry point to a brand that many people relate to and want to be a part of it, worked in its favour.
3. Safety
The Jeep Compass came at a time when safety was fast becoming one of the top priorities for many car buyers and on that front, the Jeep Compass delivered in aces. The Compass offered over 50 safety features like hill start assist, traction control, electronic stability control, panic brake assist, Hydraulic Boost Failure Compensation and Electronic Roll Mitigation along with six airbags. And the cherry on top of all of this was the fact that same-spec Jeep Compass that we get in India scored a mighty impressive five out five stars in crash tests which makes it utterly impressive.
4. Features
Safety wasn’t the only area where the Jeep Compass excelled at as the car also offered several features along with it at the time of the launch, making it a properly feature-loaded option in its segment. The SUV offered DRLs, headlamps and tail lights in LED, a large touchscreen infotainment system with support for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and the newer variants also offer electronically adjustable seats with memory function and a sunroof.
5. Performance
But all of this would have counted for nothing if the Compass didn’t actually drive like a Jeep. Now, the company played it really smart by launching it in several variants with several combinations as well, allowing the user to have a car that fits their usage. It came powered with two engine options – a 1.4-litre petrol engine that came with a choice of a 7-speed DCT or a 6-speed manual gearbox and a 2,0-litre diesel engine that came with a 6-speed manual gearbox and a 7-speed DCT gearbox that is available only for the Compass Trailhawk which is a beast of a car when it comes to going off-road. Further strengthening its position, the car is available as both two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive options as well and depending on the variant that you choose, you also get several driving modes and off-road modes as well.
So at the end of the day, the Compass had a lot going for it and that has resulted in a car that if people want to buy, they just want to buy it and don’t really even consider the competition. And for those who are not convinced, the Compass had a lot of reasons to make them so. And this is why the Compass has turned the fortunes around for Jeep in India.
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