Lead The Way

JEEP HAS SLAPPED A TRAIL-RATED BADGE ON ITS NEW COMPACT SUV. WE HEAD TO SOME TRACKS JUST OUT OF HOBART TO SEE IF THE COMPASS TRAILHAWK IS BUSH-CAPABLE.

- Dean Mellor

EVER since the tiny Renegade Trailhawk was labelled a Trail Rated vehicle, we’ve wondered if Jeep has gone soft and devalued what was once a respected badge of honour.

Trail Rated, according to Jeep, means a vehicle has passed a series of rigorous tests in five off-road categories: Traction, Water Fording, Manoeuvrability, Articulation and Ground Clearance.

The Compass Trailhawk’s traction comes in the form of a driveline and electronics package that consists of Jeep’s Active Drive Low 4x4 System and Selec-Terrain with Auto, Snow, Sand and Mud, and Rock Modes, as well as Hill Descent Control.

No, it doesn’t have a two-speed transfer case, but hit the 4WD Low button and it’ll lock the transmission into first gear, which has a handy 20.4:1 overall reduction. Think of it as a crawler gear, much like in a Volkswagen Amarok.

Water fording is a reasonable 480mm, which is up from the lesser 405mm maximum wading depth of the Compass Limited. The engine’s air intake is located up reasonably high behind the driver’s side headlight.