February 2022 - Jeep Compass Diesel Variants Explained - Which One To Buy?

What Are The Pros And Cons Of Jeep Compass Diesel?

The pros or advantages of Compass diesel are:

• A real Jeep with the brand and soul backing it
• Being the most affordable car from a brand that sells imported cars like the Wrangler for more than Rs. 60.0 lakh sort of gives the Compass a luxury brand moniker
• Option of a manual transmission with a diesel engine, which is not available with the rivals
• The base Sport diesel-MT variant seems like it’s suitably priced for what it offers
• Notable features like a panoramic sunroof, cruise control, 2-zone auto AC, LED exterior lighting, full-colour LCD instrument cluster, powered and ventilated front seats, 360-degree camera, powered tailgate, telematics and more

The Jeep Compass diesel has the following shortcomings or problems:

• Cruise control not available with any of the manual transmission variants
• Smaller than its closest rivals, the Hyundai Tucson and Citroen C5 in almost all aspects; the C5 has a very high ground clearance of 230mm
• 4WD is not available with the manual transmission and diesel-automatic is not available without 4WD;  you have to buy it as a combination only
• An expensive upgrade to the 4WD automatic transmission
• The Longitude variant offers poor value for money

What Is The Price Of 2022 Jeep Compass Diesel?

The 2022 Compass diesel is available in 4 variants - Sport, Longitude, Limited and Model S. The Compass diesel’s prices start from Rs. 19.49 lakh and go up to Rs. 29.34 lakh for the Model S 4WD automatic. All 4 variants of the Compass diesel are available with a manual transmission while the automatic transmission is only available in the top 2 variants. Unfortunately, 4WD is not available with the manual transmission and automatic isn’t available without the 4WD. Automatic transmission and 4WD are only available as part of a combo deal and the price jump to this combo costs Rs. 3.8 lakh, which is quite high even if you factor in the Jeep’s legacy.

Compared to the Compass petrol manual, the diesel carries a premium of Rs. 1.7 lakh. We can’t compare the price jump from petrol to diesel for other variants as the Compass petrol doesn’t get 4WD.

2022 Jeep Compass Sport - Base Model Features & Review

The base Sport variant of the Compass diesel costs Rs. 19.49 lakh with the manual transmissoin. You’re paying about Rs. 1.7 lakh more for the diesel engine, which is quite high considering that the petrol engine is also turbocharged and has good torque. The base Sport varinat gets the following notable features:

• Rear disc brakes
• Rear defogger
• Rear washer/wiper
• Rear parking camera
• Alloy wheels
• LED headlamps
• Electronic parking brake
• LED DRLs
• Rear AC vents
• Tilt and telescopic steering
• 8.4-inch touchscreen
• UV-cut glass
• Split rear seatback
• Front and rear armrests
• All power windows
• Power mirrors
• Steering-mounted controls

For budget buyers, the Compass Sport diesel manual is a great option. The base variant of the Compass offers most of the must-have features. So, you won’t miss anything during your everyday use. We wish it also offered a sunroof, cruise control and auto AC.

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Jeep Compass Sport vs Longitude Variant - Price, Feature Comparison

The Longitude variant of the Jeep Compass diesel is also only available with a manual transmission and costs Rs. 21.29 lakh, which is Rs. 1.8 lakh more than the base Sport manual. For this sum, it adds the following notable features:

• A larger 10.1-inch touchscreen
• LED fog lamps
• Rear fog lamps
• Auto headlamps
• 7-inch full-colour LCD instrument cluster
• Rear-parcel tray
• Dual-zone auto AC
• Telematics
• Power folding mirrors
• Keyless entry with push-button start/stop

The additional features are mostly must-have, but they don’t quite justify the price premium over the Sport variant. Even this variant doesn’t offer a sunroof and a cruise control. In fact, none of the Compass variants with the manual transmission have the cruise control feature either. Jeep should have offered at least a smaller sunroof with this trim. You can skip the Compass Longitude and look for a more expensive variant for a better ownership experience and better value for money.

Jeep Compass Longitude vs Limited Variant - Price, Feature Comparison

The Limited variant of the Compass diesel is the most affordable variant with 4WD and automatic transmission. Unfortunately, ntiehr of those features are available separately. So, if you only want the automatic transmission for the convenience in the city traffic, then you also have to spend on the 4WD. And, on the other hand, if you only want the 4WD for occasional off-roading, then you also have to pay for the automatic transmission.

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The Limited manual It costs Rs. 23.39 lakh (ex-showroom), which is Rs. 2.1 lakh more than the Longitude diesel manual. The Limited diesel with the 4WD automatic costs another Rs. 3.8 lakh and retails for Rs. 27.19 lakh (ex-showroom). For this additional price over the Longitude trim, the Limited variant adds the following notable features:

• Auto wipers
• Auto-dimming inside mirror
• Panoramic sunroof
• Larger 18-inch alloy wheels
• LED tail lamps
• Powered tailgate
• 8-way power driver seat with memory
• Leather upholstery
• 2 side and 2 curtain airbags

While this variant is also not an amazing value for money, it adds a good mix of must-have and good-to-have features, which you expect from a car of this class. It also more than justifies the price jump from Longitude to Limited. This is our top-recommended variant of the Compass diesel.

Jeep Compass Limited vs Model S Variant - Price, Feature Comparison

The top-spec Model S variant adds Rs. 2.15 lakh to the ex-showroom price of the lower Limited variant and costs Rs. 25.54 lakh with the manual and Rs. 29.34 lakh with the 4WD diesel-automatic powertrain. For this additional sum, it offers the following notable features:

• 8-way powered passenger seat
• LED projector headlamps
• Tyre pressure sensor
• 360-degree parking camera
• 9-speaker sound system with woofer
• Ventilated front seats
• Larger 10.2-inch full-colour LCD instrument cluster
• Wireless phone charger

This variant is also fairly expensive over the lower variants for what it offers. Moreover, it mostly offers good-to-have features. So, from a value and usability point of view, we won’t recommend it. However, if you value some of the unique features of Compass Model S, then you can buy it as per your discretion.

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Which Variant Of The 2022 Jeep Compass Diesel Should You Buy?

While the Jeep Compass Sport diesel manual has a few missing features, this variant comes across as a good option for budget buyers. This is suitable for those who want the Jeep brand for the lowest price possible.

The Longitude variant is quite expensive for what it offers. So, we do not recommend it. You should instead buy the base Sport variant or upgrade to the higher Limited variant. The Compass Limited diesel is the most affordable option with the automatic transmission but you have to pay for the 4WD as well if you want the convenience of an automatic transmission. The premium for this combo is quite steep. So, buy the Limited 4WD automatic is you absolutely want one of these features. For the feature mix, though, the Limited is our top-recommended variant, especially with the manual transmission.

The top Model S variant doesn’t add enough must-have features nor does it offers a tremendous value proposition to earn our recommendation. Buy this variant only if you find the features valuable enough.

What Are The Engine Specifications Of The Jeep Compass Diesel?

The Jeep Compass gets a 2.0L turbo diesel engine with the option of a 6-speed manual and 9-speed torque converter automatic transmission. This engine makes 170PS of power and 350Nm of torque, both of which are lower than the Tucson and C5 Aircross. However, its competitors don’t have the option of a manual transmission with the diesel engine while the Compass has a manual transmission in all 4 variants.

What Are The Dimensions Of The Jeep Compass?

The Compass is smaller than the Tucson and C5 Aircross in almost every aspect. It’s shorter, narrower and lower with a smaller boot space. The C5 Aircross has a notable advantage over its competitors as it has a phenomenal ground clearance of 230mm.

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What Are The Colour Options Of The 2022 Jeep Compass Diesel?

The 2022 Compass is available in the following 7 exterior colour options:

• Blue
• Green
• White
• Red
• Black
• Silver
• Grey

The Compass also has 3 interior colour options:

• Black
• Black and grey
• Black and tan/beige

Note: Here is a quick look at our length-based segmentation of cars to give you an idea of how we are classifying cars based on their size.