080 JULY 2019 →TOPGEAR.COM
rocks, loose gravel, gradients, and water streams. The important
thing to remember before you venture out into the wild is
that apart from the 4 WD Lock, the Trailhawk comes with the
goodness of a low-range transfer case and a hill-descent control
that gives you a lot of confidence out in the wild, something that
drivers with limited driving skills would heavily depend upon.
Yes, I’m one of them. And it made me look like a pro. I like it.
There’s also a fifth mode that Jeep has added to its Selec-
Terrain system; Rock mode, which along with the low-range
transfer case, the added ground clearance of 27 mm ( 205 mm),
the reprofiled bumpers with improved approach and departure
angles, and the Falken AT tyres create a great synergy to offer a
far better off-road experience than before. So, rutted surfaces,
loose gravel, axle articulation and steep inclines were dispatched
with greater ease. Even sideways tilt of close to 30 degrees felt
like a piece of cake for the Trailhawk. The tiny dimensions and
increased GC further making things easier. There came a time
when I had to drive down a crest – a near-vertical drop – and
all that the Trailhawk asked of me was to select the Auto mode,
use the HDC at my discretion, a gentle tap of the brakes, steer
down the gradient and keep my eyes open at all times. GuessJEEP COMPASS TRAILHAWK
what, apart from a minor skid over the loose gravel as I applied
excessive brake force, the Trailhawk managed to crawl down to a
flatter piece of land without much drama. I had almost soiled my
pants, but that’s a different matter.
Sitting through an extensive presentation on what makes
the Trailhawk special, there was a mention of its water-wading
capacity being enhanced to 483 mm from 330 mm with the help
of a repositioned air intake. While I was eager to take a plunge
into the stream flowing close to where I was, it turned out to be
an anti-climax of sorts, with the water level being too shallow
for my liking – the Trailhawk ended up making a mockery of the
brook. Never mind, there’s still hope of putting that to test since
Mumbai during the monsoons presents enough opportunities
of putting your water jets and rescue boats to good use. A
comparison test alongside them would make for some fun times.
Looking forward to that.
Wondering if the added skillsets off-the-road would hamper
its on-road abilities? Well, if anything, it has improved the overall
experience. You see, this is the first Compass that can be had
with a BSVI compliant 2. 0 -litre MultiJet diesel engine, and that
too teamed with an automatic gearbox. Yeah, finally there’s a
diesel-auto combination that will be up for sale soon! So, the
recalibrated 173 bhp, 350 Nm motor now feels a bit hushed at all
speeds, and power delivery too is now more linear than before.
Teaming up with the new 9 -speed auto ’box has improved the
overall driveability. Shifts are smooth and the ’box is quick to
upshift when driven with a light foot. However, it’s when you
want to spice things up a bit, that the 9 -speeder feels a bit slow
to react to your needs. And you can’t really do much about it as
there’s no Sport mode to quicken things up. You can manually
shift the cogs, but that too, isn’t as quick as you’d expect it to be.
Best is to keep the aggression in check, be it with the throttle
inputs or carrying excessive speed around corners – remember,
it’s a slightly taller SUV than before and quick directional changes
at speeds may result in understeer. It would be apt to say the
Trailhawk doesn’t like to be hurried along twisty mountain roads.