BY TERRY MARTIN | 18th May 2018
AFTER a forgettable run with its first attempt at building a compact crossover, Jeep has taken a clean-sheet approach with the second-generation Compass.
The first one was blighted by quality glitches, equipment shortfalls, polarising styling, a particularly poor overseas crash-test result and, we suspect, confusion in the marketplace as it sat alongside the closely related Patriot and had buyers who know and love the Jeep brand – or at least have a deep respect for its heritage – wondering what on earth the American off-road specialist was doing.
This second one is an altogether different vehicle, based on an all-new platform, fitted with more advanced technology, rated to a maximum five stars for its safety and deliberately styled to look like a cut-down version of the Grand Cherokee – nothing like the Renegade that slots in underneath.
So confident is Jeep that it describes the new Indian-built small-to-medium-sized Compass as a clear segment leader in off-road terms and “world-class” with its driving dynamics, including superior ride quality and handling.
These are claims we simply had to put to the test, and the flagship Trailhawk was the obvious one to show us the way – fully equipped and, on the face of it, holding nothing back.