[TusharK]

Jeep has silently introduced a few updates on the Model S variant of the Compass. These primarily include new infotainment features.



The Model S (O2) variant comes equipped with a 5th-gen R1 High 10.1-inch infotainment system. It now has integrated navigation along with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity. It also gets integrated voice commands for hands-free operation of the radio, media, phone, climate control and navigation.

On the hardware side, the system now packs 6 GB of RAM and a 40 K MIPS chipset that is claimed to be a lot faster than the old system.



The Compass Model S (O2) also gets a ventilated driver seat which can turn on automatically if the ambient temperature goes above 26.5-degrees Celsius upon engine cranking.

The Model S (O2) variant is available with both petrol and diesel engines. These include the 2.0-litre, 4-cylinder diesel that makes 168 BHP / 350 Nm and the 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol engine producing 156 BHP / 250 Nm. The diesel engine comes with a 6-speed manual transmission with either 2WD or 4WD, while the petrol engine gets a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

2021 Jeep Compass Model S (O2) ex-showroom prices:

• 2.0D MT - Rs. 24.84 lakh
• 2.0D AT 4x4 - Rs. 28.64 lakh
• 1.4Mair DDCT - Rs. 25.64 lakh

Thanks to the Team-BHP fan (he prefers to remain anonymous) who sent these images in. Heartfelt gratitude for sharing them with other enthusiasts via this Team-BHP share page!

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Jeep also needs to trickle more features (or may be even make them available as accessories) down to the entry variants. A lot many of the highlight features are currently restricted to the Model-S trim.

Looks like the change of interior has really helped the positioning of the Compass though!

[sramanat]

I am thinking if it makes sense to have a neat universal connector in place of the ICE and have the car owners bring their own device with their own data plans. It would make a lot of sense for people to pay 50-100K (+ whatever the applicable GST is) less on the price of the car and keep upgrading the ICE with the times (just like how they upgrade phones). Or even lease the ICE from the automaker for a subscription.

[Mahven]

I would have very much loved to see the inclusion of Paddle shifters and drive modes such as Eco, City and Sports, thereby tweaking the throttle response and handling for a much spirited driving or sedate strolls for that matter. Jeep could have used this opportunity to include these both.

Integrated Android Auto and Apple Car play are welcome. I think Auto comfort feature - Ventilated driver seat coming on is Brilliant.

[RBleo21]

Super helpful information. Big shoutout to our anonymous friend

I booked my Model S, day before yesterday and just confirmed the O2 version from my SA. He also confirmed the same and that it is just taking some time to go live on official websites. I will be getting the upgraded O2 version.

He further confirmed that all new production Models S are O2 versions, automatically. But the existing deliveries are happening for O1 existing stock.

These are considerable upgrades to the Infotainment system, in terms of underlying hardware. Might help in handling all future over-the-air updates, without stalling.

[youknowitbetter]

Just wanted to check if you are buying AT (Petrol or diesel) or MT(diesel)? and how much is it costing on road?

[axe_deo]

Originally Posted by TusharK

• 2.0D MT 4x4 - Rs. 28.64 lakh

Shouldn't it be "2.0D AT 4x4" instead of 2.0D MT 4x4"?

[RBleo21]

Originally Posted by youknowitbetter

Just wanted to check if you are buying AT (Petrol or diesel) or MT(diesel)? and how much is it costing on road?

I am going for the Model S-MT-Diesel. Drove the AT as well and felt the shifts are too slow for my liking. I am totally comfortable with MTs; plus that 2.0 motor with an MT gives out another level of pull (to make it more dramatic - It pulls like a train )

I am not going to use the 4X4 that much; though, will surely miss the Cruise Control

[MADMAX111]

Inexplicable how the ZF gearbox is slow in Jeep. Same gearboxes are used in BMW and Mercedes. and are very good??

Is it not possible to remap ZF gearbox on Jeep as it is possible to do on DSG gearboxes of VAG cars. Just wondering!!!

[GTO]

Originally Posted by MADMAX111

Inexplicable how the ZF gearbox is slow in Jeep.

It was dimwitted in the early TrailHawks. Apparently, Jeep has improved it since and in the 2021 cars. Here's what Manson & Vid6639 had to say:

Originally Posted by manson

The Compass has never been in my radar but the recent interior uplift despite all the talk about the lethargic gearbox had me going to the showroom to check it out. Being a Sunday I only managed to get a short 10 minute odd test drive around slightly unfamiliar suburban roads. The sales team obliged by bringing the car home the following Sunday morning for an extended test drive. Listing down my observations in no order of priority:

• As others I loved the styling on the inside, it felt like a proper premium vehicle. There was absolutely no killjoy when seeing the interiors in person.
• The Jeep branding on the black leather in the model S variant look and feel incredibly special and classy.
• Budget permitting the model S would variant would be my pick if buying a Compass, its got all the spoils of a premium vehicle (great sound system, ventilated seats, etc.) which would make the vehicle seem relevant for a longer period. Add to that the default setting of four wheel drive and traction modes that come with automatic diesel variants and this starts to feel all the car one is ever going to need.
• The front seats seat have plenty of settings but I could not find one to my comfort, maybe I played around too much with the lumbar support settings.
• Start moving and the premium feel of the cabin gets drowned out by the industrial engine note which is extremely audible in the cabin (expected much better NVH from the 10 Lac cheaper Harrier).
• The sunroof had a creaky sound when opening, maybe humidity from the monsoon had gotten the better of the sunroof.
• The interiors look and feel really nice but unfortunately do not feel built to last.
• The dirty sunroof was an eye opener on what to expect from a sunroof in our Indian conditions, they look a lot nicer and cleaner when parked in car showrooms
• The steering and brakes are precise, absolutely no nervousness.
• The ride is extremely firm and not recommended for anyone with a weak back (such as myself). Being used to sedans the past decade or so I was extremely tired in the 45-60 minutes test drive.
• Surprisingly (sea of negative impressions available online) the gearbox felt perfect and had nothing wrong about it. The shifts were smooth and once used to the gearbox I could not fault the gearshifts through the extended test drive I took through my daily route to work. Simply put, the automatic gearbox is not a reason to reject or even ignore the Compass. Its as good as any other mass market other gearbox I've driven and most folks will certainly not have a problem with it. Most impressions about the gearbox seem to be from the original tune that first came with the Trailhawk variant which I had not driven.

Originally Posted by Vid6639

After Manson drove the Compass diesel AT, he was after me to drive it and see how it is vs the Kodiaq as well as see if my mostly negative perception of the Trailhawk was still applicable.

I called for the Model S AT for a drive today and came away pleasantly impressed with the updated 2021 Compass. I can confidently say that it should be a strong contender for anyone looking at the 35L - 40L space.

- Firstly the interiors are a huge step up from the older car. Much better design that feels a step up and somewhat justifies the premium price it commands. But all is not perfect. The plastics are soft but plenty of lower quality stuff like the piano black and plasticky vents. The indicator stalks feel in operation like they are from a Maruti Alto. Pathetic feel and action.

- The seats are nice but the lumbar adjust is so strange. I tried so much to reduce the lumbar but in whatever setting I tried, the lumbar was more than what I was comfortable with for my back. Manson reported the same and this was a bummer for me.

- Alpine audio sounds better than even my Kodiaq. The bass and vocals are brilliant.

Driving:

- Straight off the bat I can tell you that the ZF9 is no longer a deal breaker that it was in the trail hawk and in the earlier version. The gearbox tuning is far far better than before and I would go so far as to say as good as any torque converter box. The DSG is faster but much more jerky than this ZF9. The gearbox also doesn't hesitate as much to downshift and seems to be in right gear almost always. I never felt it was not in the right gear and was out of the power band. I missed the sports mode but for everyday driving it is acceptable. I don't expect anyone to have an issue with this gearbox anymore. Infact in town this is better than the Kodiaq's DSG. It's only out on the highway that the Kodiaq's DSG shows its superiority.

- The steering is well weighted and far from Hyundai light. Infact it is much more heavier than the Kodiaq.

- Ride is proper firm especially the 18 inchers on the Model S. The compass is not a plush riding SUV. In comparison my Kodiaq feels like it has air suspension. At slow speeds especially, the Compass jiggles around the passengers a lot. This could be a deal breaker for those looking at a plush riding SUV.

- The NVH of the 2.0L is not great. It is un-befitting a 36L SUV. You can constantly hear the diesel drone throughout the rev range.

Overall the Compass is a good package and now with the 2021 updates selling well and rightly so. They have addressed almost every deal breaker it had before except the price has only gone up. For me it still feels a notch down from the Kodiaq and nowhere near as luxurious as the Skoda. The Skoda is just too far ahead in premium feel than the Compass.The Jeep on the other hand feels a lot more rugged. Where the Kodiaq is like a perfect khakhi trouser, the Jeep is like a pair of cargo pants.

Currently no discounts in Bangalore and it is priced at 36.5L on road with a 1.5 - 2 months waiting period. Apparently the techno green has the highest 2 months waiting period.

[Lalitha Venkat]

Originally Posted by GTO

It was dimwitted in the early TrailHawks. Apparently, Jeep has improved it since and in the 2021 cars. Here's what Manson & Vid6639 had to say:

The gear boxes on BMW is ZF 8 speed TC unit and not the 9 speed ones as far as I am aware of. I test drove the new automatic Model S Diesel which has the 9 speed TC GB from ZF. It was not fun to drive as compared to VW DSG. Having to pay 33L plus, I did not want to have lazy box with out paddle shifters or Sports mode. That was the deal breaker for me.

[adimicra]

I think this is pretty insignificant improvement as most people will be using Google maps anyways. The Jeep Model S is already fairly loaded in terms of features already. What Jeep lacks is good engine+auto box combination, particularly for petrol.

I have had multiple test drives of the Jeep as I absolutely love the looks and the build quality. However, I could never convince myself to buy it. The petrol motor is lethargc (high turbo lag) and gets going once past the 3000 rpm or so, making it difficult to drive in traffic/city conditions. The DCT gearbox of the petrol Auto is extremely lazy as well and takes an eternity to downshift when you need to do a quick overtaking for example. The combination of high turbo lag and slow gearbox makes it pretty terrible to drive. Sorry to say but cars in the lower segment like Creta/Seltos and I am sure the Kushaq/Taigun are better to drive (considering petrol).

The diesel manual is good to drive but the diesel auto is not so good IMO. It is way better than the petrol auto but still one doesn't feel fully satisfied considering the price and segment of this vehicle. For example, the Tiguan diesel auto drives much better I feel.

I hope in the next iteration, Jeep provides better engine-gearbox combos so that it can compete better with the likes of VW Tiguan and even with the likes of X1/GLA/Q3

[Floyd de Souza]

I don't think this engine-gearbox combo is as bad as it is made out to be. It's just that it needs a particular driving style. In my opinion, yes there is sluggishness till around 2k rpm but if you are able to modulate the throttle, you can get around that.
According to me, its no deal breaker.

[Axe77]

Originally Posted by GTO

It was dimwitted in the early TrailHawks. Apparently, Jeep has improved it since and in the 2021 cars.

@GTO, it would be great if you could find the time to test drive the current Compass 4x4 diesel A/T and give your driving impressions of the current gen diesel automatic. Even if it is from a relatively limited drive. You can also highlight the direct reference and comparison from the Trailhawk.

Vid and Manson’s notes were incredibly useful as well and I already want to have another drive of it to revisit my own impression. Maybe a much longer one this time if I can muster. Having your observations would give one additional perspective.

Thanks

[Bineet_D]

Originally Posted by Floyd de Souza

I don't think this engine-gearbox combo is as bad as it is made out to be. It's just that it needs a particular driving style. In my opinion, yes there is sluggishness till around 2k rpm but if you are able to modulate the throttle, you can get around that.
According to me, its no deal breaker.

Absolutely!! I'm driving the new Compass diesel auto since the last 4 months & I love driving the car. It's just that it takes a little time getting used to. This autobox does not respond well to flooring the pedal. But quick acceleration can be easily attained by modulating the accelerator. Gradual push on the accelerator works well for this gearbox. One can easily get used to this driving style within 1-2 days.