Jeep was rumoured in the past to have been developing a 7-seater version of the Compass SUV which will go on sale in the international market as well as the Indian market. The rather large SUV based on the Compass is likely to be christened the Grand Compass and is expected to make its debut in the second half of 2021 and rival the Ford Endeavour, the Toyota Fortuner and the MG Gloster in the Indian market.
The new SUV which was codenamed ‘Low D 3-row’ was also spied in the international market testing under heavy camouflage covers and is speculated to carry forward a silhouette similar to the Jeep Compass but the proportions are larger than the standard. The 7-seater SUV gets an elongated wheelbase, and larger overhangs to accommodate the third row of seats. The SUV also gains a few millimetres in height and the trapezoidal wheel arches get a heavy dose of plastic claddings. The wheels, however, are the standard 17-inchers similar to the standard SUV.
In terms of features, the 7-seater SUV is expected to get a new chrome studded radiator grille, LED headlamps and taillamps, LED fog lamp units, new design bumpers to differentiate the new model from the standard 5-seater etc. On the interiors, the 7-seater SUV is expected to come with a large centrally mounted infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, internet-connected features, multi-zone climate control air conditioning, leather seats and a revised dashboard.
In the engine department, the 7-seater iteration could use the same BS6 compliant 2.0-litre four-cylinder Multijet diesel motor in the Indian market, while in the international market the Compass 7-seater could be powered by the plug-in hybrid electrified powertrain similar to the one that does duty on the Compass 4Xe (Pronounced: 4 by e). The Compass 4Xe features a 1.3-litre turbo petrol engine with an electric motor located between the rear wheels coupled to an 11.4 kWh battery that provides a 100% full-electric range of 50 km.
The Jeep Compass 7-seater is expected to arrive by the end of 2021 in the Indian market. Currently, the brand is concentrating on introducing the 2021 facelift model of the standard 5-seater Compass which is expected to arrive at Jeep dealerships in early 2021.
