Fiat Chrysler Automobiles' subsidiary Jeep will bring a new range-topping variant of Compass SUV in India. Christened as Compass Trailhawk, the new variant is the most off-road focused version of the compact SUV due for launch in mid-2018.
Ahead of the launch, some Jeep India dealerships have started accepting bookings for the Compass Trailhawk. The prospective buyers can place the order for a token amount of Rs 50,000, reports Autocar. FCA has not officially announced the start of bookings yet while dealer-level bookings are open.
The Compass Trailhawk is essentially a jazzed-up version of the regular Compass with serious off-roading credentials. The right-hand-drive Compass Trailhawk is already in production at the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles Ranjangaon plant near Pune for export markets like Australia.
As the Compass Trailhawk targets off-road enthusiasts, it will come with an Active Drive Low-range 4WD technology and a new 'Rock mode' for its Selec-Terrain 4WD system. It boasts a raised suspension setup, dual purpose on/off road tires and skid plates to cover the underbelly. The raised suspension also increases approach and departure angles that stand at 30 degrees (approach), 24.4 degree (break-over) and 33.6 degrees (departure) respectively. All these are spot on for off-roading.
The Compass Trailhawk will be powered by the same 2.0-litre MultiJet diesel mill that develops 170.6bhp and 350Nm of torque. The transmission, however, will be an all-new nine-speed automatic unit in place of the 6-speed manual transmission. Currently, Compass diesel is offered only in manual transmission option.
The Trailhawk version is also slightly different from the regular variants in terms of looks. It comes with blacked out body panels, anti-glare bonnet decal, dark-colored alloy wheels, underbody skid plates, all weather floor mats and revised bumpers that housing exposed tow hooks.
The Compass Trailhawk will be the new top-of-the-line variant of Compass in line with the global markets. The current range-topper is the Limited 4X4 (O) diesel model retailing at Rs 21.91 lakh, ex-showroom Delhi. The new variant is expected to be priced premium by around Rs 1.5 lakh over the Limited 4X4 (O) diesel model.
