JEEP COMPASS TRAILHAWKBelow: Trail Rated badge goes on to serious
off-roaders only. Bottom: Interiors are familiar
fare, and nothing wrong with thatwheeling trick and handle axle twisters very
well. We stick it in 4-Low and use the 20:1 crawl
ratio to pull up some steep slopes, slopes
that have a slippery surface for an added
challenge. Here the additional torque in first
gear (thanks to the transfer case multiplier)
as well as the stronger bite from the tyres
help the Compass to crawl up. A word on the
tyres, unlike the Firestone tyres on the regular
4x4, the Trailhawk gets imported Falken
Wildpeak H/T tyres, 225/60 17-inchers (no 18s
on the Trailhawk), but with improved side wall
protection and trapezoidal link tread for better
off-road grip — all of which are genuinely
evident on the trail.
Next is manoeuvrability where we climb
up some steep hairpins and again the
Compass pulls through. Unlike other 4x4s,
in the Trailhawk, the turning circle does not
go for a toss in 4-low compromising the
manoeuvrability. The trails we’re driving
through are all natural tracks at 19 Degrees
North in Lonavala but have been custom
mapped out for Jeep, to push the Trailhawk’s
capabilities, and to drive home the point these
trails have also been mapped on the Compass’
navigation so you can tackle it on your own
Tr a i l h aw k.
Ground clearance is great, the new bumpers
giving it an improved 26.5-degree approach,
21.2-degree break over and 31.6-degree
departure angle, and the additional 30mm lift
in the suspension raises the ground clearance
to 205mm, meaning we don’t scrape its
underbelly while water fording. Of course, with
the monsoons yet to set in, there isn’t much
water to ford through but the unseen rockspose no dangers even though the Trailhawk
now gets skid plates to survive a bashing. The
water fording is also enhanced by moving
the air inlet higher (820mm to the regular
Compass’ 720mm), additional electrical and
body seals and it can traverse water up to
480mm deep. There is even a Trail Rated test,
to wade through 200mm of water at 50kmph
and tackle the bow wave without damage —
the Compass Trailhawk passes that test.Mighty capable
The Trail Rated badge is no marketing mumbo-
jumbo! The Compass was already very
capable, a clear step above its competition in
terms of its off-road ability. The Trailhawk now
raises that benchmark, not one but two levels
higher. The 4-Low makes all the difference in
tackling loose surfaces, steep gradients and
challenging obstacles while the increased