Jeep has been unveiled the Compass in India and the smallest Jeep yet is all set to waltz in by July, later this year. We have had a good look at the car and the technology that has gone in to building this machine. Powertrains are an important part of every vehicle, but when it comes to the Jeep, it is probably the most important thing along with the suspension. It’s the powertrain which defines the ability of a Jeep and sets it apart from others. So here is a peek into what the Jeep has in store for us.
Jeep will offer two engine options – the 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol engine and the 2.0-litre turbodiesel. The 1.4-litre Multi-air four cylinder engine develops over 160bhp of power and thanks to the forced induction, it also develops 250Nm of torque. The 2.0-litre diesel is also an inline-four cylinder engine and develops over 170bhp of power and 350Nm of torque.
The transmission comes in both manual and automatic gearboxes. The manual gearbox is a six-speed synchromesh unit. The automatic gearbox is a seven-speed dual dry-clutch unit. In your Compass, you can either opt a front-wheel drive as well or an all-wheel drive setup. The all-wheel drive system switches between front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive, depending on the driving conditions to maximise driveability and fuel economy. You can also setup the AWD for different trains using the terrain select function as well.
Off-roading is deeply ingrained in Jeep genes and the Compass has been built to tackle tougher terrains. Along with the active all-wheel drive system, it gets frequency sensitive damping to offer better ride quality along with off-road ability. The Chapman independent rear suspension gives the Jeep the required articulation along with improved cornering performance.
