Jeep's Compass Trailhawk is likeable, but flawed

Tuesday, 7 May 2019

**JEEP COMPASS TRAILHAWK

Base price:** $51,990

Powertrain and performance: 2.4-litre petrol four-cylinder, 129kW/229Nm, 9-speed automatic, AWD, Combined economy 9.8 litres per 100km.

The mini Grand Cherokee looks make the Compass look far larger than it is.

Vital statistics: 4398mm long, 1657mm high, 2636mm wheelbase, luggage capacity 438 litres, 17-inch alloy wheels with 225/60 tyres.

We like: Chunky truck looks. Impressively comfortable. Comfortable and well designed interior.

We don't like: Lethargic transmission. Chunky truck ride.

After a dismally awful start to life with its first generation, the Jeep Compass has come into its own with the second gen car, with vastly superior quality and tough mini-Grand Cherokee looks. And now you can get one that wears Jeep's seal of off-road approval, the 'Trail Rated' badge - the Compass Trailhawk.

Trail Rated doesn't mean it can get through the Rubicon Trail, just that it can do some off-road stuff.

Trail rated: it can conquer the Rubicon Trail, right?

Ah, no. Back in the mists of time when only the Wrangler was 'Trail Rated' it was strongly implied that was what it meant, but since then it has been broadened up to mean the vehicle meets 'five strict criteria' when it comes to heading off-road, although Jeep do admit that something like the Compass doesn't necessarily have to meet the same criteria as a Wrangler.

The 2.4-litre Tigershark engine isn't the strongest, but it does the job.

* New Zealand's most popular type of new vehicle

* Jeep Grand Cherokee added to Trail mix**

But that doesn't mean the Compass Trailhawk isn't kitted up for tackling something more serious than the grass verge out the front of a cafe, and it comes standard with underbody skid plates, a slightly higher ride height with 225mm of ground clearance (compared to 212mm for the 4x4 Limited model), improved approach and departure angles thanks to differentprofile bumpers, some seriously chunky tow hooks front and rear and Jeep's Active Drive Low 4WD system that mimics a low range crawl function, without actually having a low ratio.

There's lots of black in here, but the red Trailhawk highlights break things up nicely.

Chuck on a bunch of cosmetic additions to make the Trailhawk look the part and you have a mid-size urban warrior that actually does have some decent off-road ability.

Car platform… so it rides like a car then?

Well, that's where Jeep has a difference of opinion with common sense - while the Compass is based on stretched version of a platform developed by Fiat and General Motors and shared with such vehicles as the Fiat 500L, Opel Corsa and the recently departed Alfa Romeo Mito (as well as the Jeep Renegade), the Compass has a distinctly truck-like ride, which means it was either a drastic mistake or something they have done on purpose to give the Compass a ride to match its tougher off-roady looks.

The Trailhawk sits fractionally higher than the rest of the Compass range.

Which is weird, but it actually does kind of suit the car's character and it certainly isn't unbearable, even becoming somewhat charming after a bit of familiarisation.

What is a bit more unbearable, however, is the nine-speed auto's lazy and sluggish nature when it comes to shifting down through the gears.

It shifts up perfectly well, but when it comes to dropping down a cog when acceleration is requested it is irritatingly slow and indecisive. This is made all the more annoying by the fact that the transmission is programmed to get into as high a gear as possible all the time, making downshifts a regularly requested thing.

Do things get any better out on the open road?

Yes and no. The ride settles down well and the Compass becomes a pleasantly comfortable highway cruiser, but the transmission's relentless desire to be in as high a gear as possible and just damn well stay there all the time still irritates, just not quite as much.

The Trailhawk's handling is nicely predictable, with direct and precise steering, while the engine is, well, passable. It does the job, but doesn't particularly excell in any area. It does have a tendency to get a bit coarse up in the revs and never sounds of feels particularly modern which, combined with the transmission's foibles, does make the Compass more of a chore to drive than it should be.

Which is a shame, because there is some real potential in the platform and, indeed, the whole concept of a tougher, 'trail rated' mid-size SUV that is essentially a scaled-down Grand Cherokee.

So that's a no from you?

Well, not so fast, because despite the irritating transmission and (or maybe even because of) the truck-like urban ride, there is something charmingly likeable about the Compass Trailhawk, imbuing it with no small degree of character, something drastically scarce in the mid-size SUV segment.

The chunky exterior looks carry over to the inside of the Compass, with an interior that is comfortable, has some great touches (particularly the Trailhawk exclusive red highlights and stitching) but has a few areas of lower quality plastics and is straight-out ergonomically silly in a few places, with a number of regularly-used buttons and switches tucked away in odd and obscured places.

While the Compass Trailhawk has its annoyances (and is probably a bit too expensive for what it offers), it is a distinctly interesting, fun and personality-filled entrant into a segment that almost defiantly avoids those qualities.

Any other cars I should consider?

There are certainly no shortage of options in the mid-size SUV segment, with things like the Mazda CX-5, Honda CR-V, Mitsubishi Outlander, Hyundai Tucson and many, many more all lurking in or around the Jeep's price point.

None really match the Trailhawk's off-road abilities, however (which is relatively modest by Jeep standards, but still way out in front of most in the segment), but then you could also look at some of the ladder-chassis alternatives like the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport and Holden Trailblazer that are far more capable off-road and have a similar ride.