Jeep Compass Sport Plus variant coming soon: Tata Harrier effect?

Edit: Jeep has just launched the Compass Sport Plus variant in India. The petrol variant is priced at Rs. 15.99 lakhs, which represents a Rs. 59,000 increase over the Sport variant, and the diesel is priced at Rs. 16,99 lakhs, which is a more modest Rs. 38,000 price increase over the Sport variant. Bookings are now open, and deliveries will begin soon.

Ever since the Jeep Compass SUV’s launch a couple of years ago, it has been receiving a slew of new variants, and the latest in the long list of Compass variants is the Sport Plus trim. The Compass Sport Plus will sit above the entry  level Sport trim, offering buyers many more features at a modest price increase. The arrival of the Tata Harrier, an  SUV that is much karger than the Compass, but that is also much cheaper, could have prompted Jeep India to come up with the new variant. The Tata Harrier is selling quite well, and commands a long waiting period. The Tata Harrier is over Rs. 3 lakhs cheaper than the Jeep Compass.

The additional features on the Jeep Compass are as follows. 16 inch alloy wheels, windshield insert, blacked out roof  rails, reverse parking sensors, 5 inch touchscreen infotainment system and dual zone automatic climate control. The  Compass Sport Plus gets 2 airbags, ABS+EBD, electronic stability program and traction control as key safety features.  Arm rests on both the front and rear seats, LED daytime running lamps, electrically adjustable wing mirrors and keyless entry are the other prominent features on the new variant.

Meanwhile, the Jeep Compass Sport Plus will be available only with the 6 speed manual gearboxes driving the front  wheels. Both petrol and diesel engines will be available with the Sport Plus trim. The petrol is a 1.4 liter-4  cylinder turbocharged unit with 160 Bhp of peak power and 250 Nm of peak torque. The diesel is a 2 liter-4 cylinder  turbocharged unit with 170 Bhp of peak power and 350 Nm of peak torque on offer. If you want an all wheel drive  system or an automatic gearbox, you’ll have to opt for higher variants.

Jeep India is yet to announce prices for the Sport Plus variants of the Compass Diesel and Petrol models. We expect  it to cost about Rs. 50,000 more than the Sport trim. The new trim is likely to be introduced within the next few  days. Jeep is also working on a new top-of-the-line TrailHawk variant for the Indian market. The TrailHawk version will be off-road focused, and will be available with the 2 liter diesel engine. The TrailHawk version will also add a  9 speed torque converter automatic gearbox to the mix.

It’ll get a range of new off-road bits such as revised front and rear bumpers, upgraded suspension for better  articulation, a four wheel drive system with additional modes such as Rock and Sand, and finally, tow hooks  integrated into the front and rear bumper. The interiors of the top-end trim are also expected to get minor changes.  The Jeep Compass TrailHawk is expected to be launched by the middle of this year. Prices are likely to start from  over Rs. 25 lakhs.