Jeep Compass

The Compass is Jeep’s first ever locally manufactured offering in India. It was one of the few 4x4 SUVs when it was launched in 2017, and that stays true today in 2025 as well. With rivals like the Mahindra XUV700, Citroen C5 Aircross, Tata Harrier, and Hyundai Tucson, the Jeep Compass always stood out with its solid build quality, sorted dynamic ability and its off-road credibility.

But with newer rivals either offering more performance, features or comfort and convenience, are the aging Compass’ occasional special edition models and its 4x4 drivetrain option enough for it to be part of the mid-size SUV race? Why should you or shouldn’t you consider the Jeep Compass for your family? Let’s find out:

Let’s address the elephant in the room. Yes, Jeep has already given the Compass a generational makeover in markets abroad, and of course, the new styling feels more modern and chic. That being said, the design of this second generation Jeep Compass has aged beautifully.

It has a lot of character in its styling, especially in the variants with the body coloured cladding. There’s plenty of muscle in the styling too, and the Compass’ design just has this old school money demeanor, which commands attention wherever it goes.

The front styling looks rugged with the signature 7-piece grille sitting in between the sleek LED headlights. The LED fog lights sit below in the black panel spanning the nose, while the rather busy bumper also gets an air inlet.

In profile, the styling looks like a traditional SUV with cladded wheel arches, roof rails and big windows. 17-inch alloy wheels are offered in the lower variants, while higher variants get 18-inch dual tone alloy wheels. Only the Blackshark variants get black painted 18-inch alloys. Both front doors get Compass badging.

I reckon the rear is probably the only place where the Compass has started to show signs of its age. The tail lights do get LED elements, but the overall styling feels rather sober. Interestingly, different variants get different detailing in the tail lights. You also get variant-specific badging on the right side of the tailgate.

Jeep offers the 2025 Compass in seven monotone shades: Techno Metallic Green, Pearl White, Exotica Red, Grigio Magnesio Grey, Galaxy Blue, Brilliant Black and Silvery Moon. All these shades are also available with a dual tone black roof, depending on the variant.  

In case you’re into decals and stickers, Jeep is offering the Compass with a Trail Edition. It gets decals on the hood and sides, matte black grille accents, and a Neutral Grey finish on the grille rings, roof rails, badges, and outside rear view mirrors (ORVMs).

Overall, the styling of the Jeep Compass offers a good road presence with its commanding looks. However, with no significant update in the design since its mid-life facelift in 2021, it doesn’t look nearly as modern as its rivals.

Design & Quality

The Jeep Compass not only looks solid but also feels solid on the inside. The design might look a little busy with the layered dashboard and multiple physical buttons, but still isn’t too much for the eye. There are different themes depending on the variant: all black, black with steel grey seats, all black with red inserts and black with brown inserts. I personally really like the treatment of the all-black cabin with its red inserts which looks really sporty. But considering that the Jeep Compass’ cabin isn’t the best when it comes to the sense of space, the lighter shades of Limited (O) and Longitude (O) variants feel more airy.

In terms of material quality, soft-touch materials have been generously used. All buttons have a nice weight to them, while small things like the vanity mirror, AC vents and door thuds – all feel super solid. 

Front Seats

The Jeep Compass gets 8-way powered driver and co-driver seats, ensuring ample adjustment levels for finding the ideal driving position. Do note that if you opt for the entry-level model, you’d have to rely on manual adjustment with the driver’s side only getting heigh adjustment. That said, tilt and telescopic steering adjustment is standard further helps this narrative. 

But despite that ideal position, the visibility isn't the best. The A-pillar is quite broad, creating a blind spot that requires additional caution and even the rear seats offer a restricted view out of the cabin as rear windows are on the smaller side. 

A front sliding armrest is offered as standard and helps improve comfort on long journeys.

Second Row

Ingress and egress is easy in the Jeep Compass. Its rear seats offer ample space and comfort for two average-sized adults, but the space falls short when compared to some of its rivals. To begin with, three adults won't be comfortable shoulder to shoulder, especially on longer journeys. The middle passenger does get a headrest, but the central tunnel restricts their foot and knee room. 

The seat's base design provides good under-thigh support, and knee room is adequate. However, if the front seats are set to their lowest position, footroom becomes somewhat restricted. Headroom is also limited, and taller passengers may not feel very comfortable here.

There are only basic amenities on offer here, with the list including a central armrest with two cupholders and rear AC vents. There are no sun blinds for the windows in the Jeep Compass.

If you want a chauffeur driven vehicle, you’ll be better off with other cars in the segment or even with cars from a segment below.

Storage and Practicality

The Compass scores big on practicality. It comes with 1-litre pockets on all four doors for storing water bottles, along with space next to them for storing small items. The wireless charging pad in the central console can double up as a compartment for your wallet and keys when not in use. 

You also get two large cup holders in the central console with a dedicated slot for the key. The glovebox size is also adequate and there's an additional deep storage pocket under the central armrest.

Rear passengers get two cup holders in the rear central armrest and small door pockets behind the front seats.

Charging Options

Front passengers in the Jeep Compass get a type-C and a type-A port, along with a wireless phone charger. Rear passengers get a USB port and a 12 V socket under the AC vents for their charging needs.

Features 

Despite the heavy influx of facelifts and new generational updates from rivaling models, the Jeep Compass’ features list feels pretty up-to-date.

The 10.1-inch infotainment might not be the biggest in the segment, but is hard to fault in terms of actual functionality. It’s quick, has nice graphics, and feels intuitive to use. Wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay is easy to connect and works flawlessly.

The Compass’s 10.2-inch digital driver’s display is even more impressive. Just like the main screen, the graphics are crisp and it toggles between different information readouts with ease. It gets many customisation options, allowing you to set its layout according to your preference, including digital or analogue. Apart from the usual information like trip and speed details, this screen also relays information like coolant temperature, oil temperature and battery charge.

In its top-spec trim, the Compass gets a 9-speaker Alpine tuned sound system, which has good audio quality and maintains clarity even at higher volumes. I found using the buttons behind the steering wheel to be rather intuitive, and their placement frees up space for other functions on the face of the steering wheel.

While Jeep does offer seat ventilation in the Compass, you need to use the screen to activate them, which isn’t the most convenient experience while driving. Even the execution of the 360-degree camera isn't the best with a sub-par camera quality.

The Jeep Compass packs most of its safety features as standard, but surprisingly, 6 airbags isn’t one of them. That gets added from the Limited (O) variant onwards, while a 360-degree camera is available only in the top-spec trim.

Compared to its rivals, the Compass only misses out on ADAS features. As far as the safety rating is concerned, the Euro NCAP gave the pre-facelift version a full five-star safety rating back in 2017. Bharat NCAP is yet to crash test the Jeep Compass.

Jeep claims a boot space of 408-litres with the Compass. Opening the heavy boot is easy with the powered tailgate, but because of the high lip, loading/unloading stuff might take some effort. 

With some adjustments of the parcel tray, the space is just enough for a full suitcase set including one small, medium and large suitcase along with one duffle and laptop bag. For additional space, you can fold down the rear seats (60:40 split). However, they don't sit flush with the base, so it may require a bit of effort to push luggage in.

The Jeep Compass is available with a single 2-litre diesel engine. It gets two transmission options: a 6-speed manual and 9-speed torque convertor automatic. There are also two drivetrains available with the Jeep Compass: front-wheel and all-wheel drive. There is no petrol engine on offer with the Compass anymore.

The Compass uses the same engine found in cars like the Tata Harrier and MG Hector. It isn’t the most refined diesel engine, but the Compass’ powertrain offers adequate performance and comfort.

City Performance

You won’t ever feel any lack of power from the Compass’ diesel engine. It crawls smoothly, offers good performance under the 3,000 RPM mark and you never really feel the need to push it. The bottom end and mid-range grunt is something that makes the Compass effortless in the city. 

The manual transmission is actually fun to use with a round gear knob that feels nice to hold, and gear throws which are short and precise. The weight of the clutch pedal is also acceptable and won’t cause any fatigue in bumper to bumper traffic. However, the 9-speed automatic transmission is the one to pick for its convenience and smooth gear shifts. 

However, it can feel a bit confused at slow city speeds as it constantly changes gears even if your throttle input doesn’t change all that much. But despite that trait, you won’t ever feel any jerks.

You can expect a fuel efficiency of around 10kmpl in the city.

Highway Performance

This engine is great for crunching miles. It sits at triple digit speeds happily, and picks up speed at a steady pace beyond 100kmph as well, enough to leave behind a slow-moving truck in the fast lane quickly. 

Do note that it does get rather loud when you push the engine close to its red line, but the performance is strong. While the speed of the shifts is acceptable once you get going, it can feel a bit lazy to drop down a gear when you ask for a quick overtake at low RPMs. 

You can expect a fuel efficiency of 11-13kmpl on the highway with the Compass automatic.

Overall, while rivals in the segment offer more refined and enjoyable turbo-petrol engines, the Compass’ diesel engine still feels like a solid option for all types of commutes. As long as you don't expect any sporty thrills, it won’t disappoint you.

Ride Comfort

The Jeep Compass keeps the occupants inside comfortable for the most part with only occasional side-to-side movement. There are absolutely no complaints over the regular speedbreakers and potholes in the city. It feels quite smooth on uneven roads and undulations, and isolates the passengers from any jerk, but it does make some noise on sharp bumps and speed breakers.

With its high ground clearance combined with the usual offroading traits that you associate with the Jeep brand, the car gives you this sense of unwavering confidence to tackle tougher off-road or rough roads without fearing for damaging the car. So while traffic might have to slow down for a particular imperfection in the road, you can easily carry on without even touching the brake pedal.

Highway comfort is good too. It cruises smoothly and absorbs all undulations well.

Handling

Driving the Jeep Compass feels fairly easy in the city. The steering doesn’t feel cumbersome to make a tight u-turn. But what impresses the most for a big SUV that has good off-road capabilities is the way in which the Jeep Compass goes around a corner. Not only does it handle well, but it feels super stable while being hustled around. Body roll is controlled as well, so you'll enjoy driving in hilly regions as well.

The 4x4 drivetrain also gets different driving modes (sand, snow and auto), which are good enough for some light off-roading.

Jeep offers the 2025 Compass in six variants: Sport, Longitude, Longitude (O), Limited (O), Blackshark (O), and Model S (O).

The Sandstorm Edition is available on the lower trims, Sport, Longitude, and Longitude (O). The latest Trail Edition is based on the Longitude (O).

Compass Sport

• Entry-level variant looks rather basic with reflector LED headlights, black ORVMs with turn signals, and LED DRLs. Sits on 17-inch alloy wheels finished in Silver.

• Offers driver seat height adjustment, 60:40 rear seat split, front sliding armrest and rear central armrest.

• Top features include electrically adjustable outside mirrors, steering mounted controls, keyless entry, and rear AC vents.

• Packs an 8.4-inch infotainment system with wireless Android Auto and Apple Carplay and 4-speakers. Driver gets a small 3.5-inch display with analogue dials on either side.

• Dual airbags, tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS), ISOFIX mounts, traction control, electronic stability control (ESC), hill-start assist and electronic parking brake are offered as standard.

Compass Longitude

• Small additions to the exterior with LED front fog lights and rear fog lamps.

• More premium interior with Vinyl Grey inserts and Steel Grey leatherette seats. Also adds a rear parcel shelf.

• New feature highlights include auto folding outside mirrors, auto headlights, cruise control (AT only), push button start.stop and dual zone automatic climate control.

• Better entertainment package with 6-speakers and 7-inch driver’s instrument cluster.

• Auto hold for the automatic variants is the only change in the safety kit.

Compass Longitude (O)

• No exterior visual changes, but interior feels more airy thanks to a panoramic sunroof.

• Only gets two feature additions: wireless phone charging and connected car technology.

Compass Limited (O)

• Improved looks with chrome grille, 18-inch dual tone alloy wheels, LED tail lights, and dual tone roof colour.

• Different dual tone theme for interior with brown inserts on the dashboard. Also gets a leatherette wrapped steering wheel.

• 8-way powered driver seat with memory function and rain sensing wipers are the only feature additions.

• Safety kit finally gets 6 airbags from this variant onwards.

Compass Blackshark

• Exterior looks more serious with blacked out logos, black alloy wheels and body coloured door sills and wheel arch cladding.

• Cabin looks sporty with an all-black theme and its red inserts.

• No changes to the features or safety net.

Compass Model S (O)

• Only variant to offer the 4x4 drivetrain option.

• Gets projector LED headlights, grey roof rails, and grey ORVMs.

• All black interior gets 8-way powered and ventilated front seats.

• Improved entertainment package with 10.1-inch touchscreen, 9-speaker Alpine-tuned sound system, and 10.2-inch digital driver’s display.

• 360-degree camera and hill-descent control (4x4 AT only) round up the safety kit.

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• While all the variants of the Jeep Compass seem to be priced on the higher side, you can opt for the Longitude (O) variant. It packs all the functional features along with a few creature comforts as well.

If you want the most bang for your buck, you’ll get better value with the Jeep Compass’ rivals. Around the Rs 30 lakh mark, the Jeep Compass is neither the most feature-loaded car, nor the most spacious. What you do get is a solid build quality inside-out, a premium cabin and an excellent driving experience with off-road capabilities that don’t ask you to compromise on comfort. 

So if your priority leans on the driving experience and build quality of the car, and you don’t really mind paying the premium for those feels, then the Compass won't disappoint you.

Other Cars To Consider Instead Of Jeep Compass

Tata Harrier

Reasons to consider

• Design looks more modern

• Packs more features and safety equipment

• Rear seat space is better

• Higher variants are more affordable

Reasons to ignore

• 6-speed automatic transmission isn’t as sophisticated

• No 4x4 option

• Tech package can glitch at times

• Doesn’t handle nearly as well

Mahindra XUV700

Reasons to consider

• Bigger car commands more road presence

• Option of petrol engine

• More comfortable ride quality

• Offers more features

• Option of different seating configurations, including captain seats (6-seater)

Reasons to ignore

• Handling isn’t as composed

Hyundai Tucson

Reasons to consider

• Looks more modern and sharp

• More powerful and refined diesel engine

• Better rear seat experience

• Petrol option

Reasons to ignore

• Doesn’t feel as butch and rugged

• Handling isn’t as composed

• Lower variants undercut by a huge margin