Jeep Compass 2700km Review: A Driver’s SUV in a Feature-Heavy Segment

Jeep Compass Review: When you are planning for a new SUV in 2026, which has good road presence, decent features, and a powerful diesel engine, there are various options available in the market. Around ₹25 lakh, there are various SUVs in the mid-size segment, having a comfortable cabin space, a powerful engine, and features like a panoramic sunroof, driving modes, ambient lighting, and others.

In this segment, the Jeep Compass is an underrated choice among car buyers. The Compass has been on sale for a long time and has not received any major updates yet. It has a bold exterior, decent space on the inside, and features like a panoramic sunroof, dual-zone climate control, a wireless charger, a 360-degree parking camera, and others. Moreover, it is offered with a full-time 4x4 drivetrain as well.

Recently, we drove the Jeep Compass Model S variant equipped with a 2.0L diesel engine with an eight-speed torque converter gearbox. On our long-term drive of 2,700 km, we were able to highlight some key aspects of the Compass. Here are our thoughts on whether or not the Jeep Compass is worth every dime it demands.

Let’s get started!

What is the price of the Jeep Compass?

The price of the Jeep Compass starts at ₹21.26 lakh (on-road, Noida) for the base variant and goes to ₹36.10 lakh (on-road, Noida) for the top-spec variant. However, we drove the Model S variant with a 4x2 drivetrain and an automatic gearbox, which is priced at ₹33.43 lakh (on-road, Noida).

What’s Good:

– Performance

The Jeep Compass comes equipped with a 2.0L inline four-cylinder diesel engine, which makes 170 bhp and 350 Nm of peak torque, paired with an eight-speed torque converter automatic gearbox. This is the same engine unit, which is also present in the Tata Safari/Harrier and the MG Hector/Hector Plus.

Talking about its performance, the engine is responsive and gives you a subtle kick in the pants feeling. Initially, there is a bit of lag, but as soon as it crosses the 2,000 RPM mark, it pulls effortlessly, and it red-lines around 4,000RPM, and feels flat in that spot. However, the mid-range is the sweet spot, and the eight-speed gearbox offers smooth gearshifts.

As we drove it for around 2,700km, we loved the performance and enjoyed driving it on highways. It is a true highway machine, and if you travel a lot and want a good performance from the engine and great drivability, the Compass’s diesel engine does not disappoint.

Talking about the 8-speed gearbox, it is smooth in shifts, but the TCU (Transmission Control Unit) could have been tuned slightly better. As we took it on the mountains, and during hill driving, the gearbox struggled a bit to keep it in the right gear, and to maintain better fuel efficiency, we often kept it in manual mode so that the RPMs do not rise.

– Ride and Handling

The ride and handling of the Jeep Compass are on point, and it is quite fun and engaging to drive. Since Jeep positions the Compass in the mid-size SUV segment, the suspensions are tuned on the stiffer side, giving it a sporty and planted ride quality.

The suspensions are well-calibrated to adapt to the road conditions, and it offers a comfortable ride quality at low-speeds. Though there is some movement while going through bad roads and potholes at lower speeds, it becomes pliant and stays grounded as you maintain good speeds. The 18-inch tyres offer good grip, and on some off-road, they maintained the traction.

The steering wheel of the Jeep Compass offers a good feel and feedback. There is decent weight on offer, and it feels connected to the road. While zipping through the traffic, it quickly changed lanes, and while going around corners, it gives good stability and gives you more confidence to push it more. The body roll is well contained, and the Compass maintains its line and stays in the same lane without losing confidence while you are going hard on the ghat sections.

– Features

Talking about features, Jeep offers a decent convenience feature list on offer. For starters, it comes with a 10.1-inch infotainment screen, wireless connectivity for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a dual-zone climate control, a panoramic sunroof, a 360-degree parking camera, and others.

During our 2,700km experience, we enjoyed using the wireless connectivity, and the iPhone connected instantly. Sometimes, there was a bit of lag while connecting, but most of the time, it was a smooth process. In the modern tech world, where automakers are moving towards giving every function in the touch screen panel or inside the infotainment screen, Jeep continues to offer physical controls for the 360-degree parking camera, climate control, traction control, volume knob, and we really liked it. It became very convenient to use, and did not distract while driving.

Moreover, the cruise control worked effortlessly, and while parking, the 360-degree parking camera helped a lot. At night, the display is decent, and we expect Jeep to update the camera setup in the upcoming Compass. Moreover, it comes with a powered tail gate, which is a useful feature when you have luggage in your hand, and the kick gesture is quite sensitive to operate. If you are a music lover, then you'll enjoy the experience in the Compass. It comes equipped with a 9-speaker Alpine music system, which gives you a good music experience and the audio output is quite good compared to other SUVs in its segment. 

Since it was not the top-spec variant, and we drove the S variant, it misses out on some features. Some of the features that could have been added are the front ventilated seats, driving modes, ambient lighting, and others.

What’s Bad

– Design

Jeep launched the Compass way back in 2017, and in nine years, the exterior design remains more or less the same. As the SUs in the competition come with a modern design element, having sharp cuts and creases, and a bold aesthetic, the Compass’s design feels a bit plain and dated in 2026.

However, the front profile looks muscular, having a seven-slat grill, with the front parking camera neatly integrated into it. The LED headlamps have a strong throw at night, and we did not have any difficulty during our long night drives. Moreover, it was complemented by the LED fog lamps. However, Jeep offers a plastic cladding beneath the bumper, and while taking it on ramps and some off-road parts, it scraped, thus reducing the approach angle of the Compass.

Coming on the sides, it has request sensors on the front doors, and the ingress and egress are simple and easy. The Compass does not feel big in size, from the outside, and the overall silhouette gives it a sporty appearance.

At the rear, though there are LED tail lamps, Jeep has cut corners and has offered halogen indicators in 2026. However, the boot space is decent, and the loading lip is slightly on the higher side.

– Fuel Efficiency

Regarding the fuel efficiency, earlier, the diesel engine used to give a good efficiency, but with the BS6-II norms, the efficiency figures have gone down a bit. 

However, as per ARAI, the Compass has a fuel efficiency of 17.1km/L. Moreover, in the real world, after driving it extensively on highways and in the city, we got a fuel efficiency of 12.5km/L.

– Seating Comfort

Despite the Jeep Compass offering good ride quality and a plush driving experience, the seating comfort could have been better. The front seats are pretty comfortable, and you have multiple adjustments that can increase your overall comfort on long drives. But the rear seats of the Compass are a place where it loses in the competition.

The rear seats offer a decent amount of knee and leg room, but the cabin is not that wide, so three passengers are not that comfortable. The rear seats sometimes become cramped with three adult passengers, and the middle seat is best suited for small kids. Moreover, since the Model S offers an all-black cabin, passengers may even feel claustrophobic inside. To enhance the rear seat experience, Jeep could have offered a one-step recline to improve the backrest support for the rear-seat passengers, which could have improved the overall seating comfort and experience.

Republic Auto Says:

Now the main question is -- should you go for the Jeep Compass in the mid-size SUV segment or not? Our answer is Yes. Though the exteriors of the Compass feel a bit dated in 2026, they still have a bold appearance; the interior space and the seating comfort could have been improved. It has decent features on offer, and it is not as tech-loaded as its competitive SUVs, like the Mahindra XUV 7XO, Tata Harrier, or the MG Hector.

However, the performance and the ride and handling are on the spottier side, and give you confidence while you are on a long road trip, and will return you decent mileage as well. It can be a good option if you prioritise good performance, a comfortable ride, and it is an underrated choice in the segment.

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