Spy pictures of a Jeep Compass with a 1.6 L Multijet
diesel engine have been shared on Team-BHP. FCA currently offers the Compass
with a 2.0 L Diesel engine in India.
The test mule bears camouflage partially covering the
Exotica Red exterior. It’s the inconspicuous sticker in the corner of the rear
windshield that is the talking point here. It reads “1.6 TD(120) -6MT-AWD LTD
-UK-60K” indicating that this example is powered by a 1.6 L Multijet diesel
mated to a 6-speed manual transmission. There is also a ‘Diesel’ badge on the
tailgate, something that is missing from the Indian-spec model. It is highly
likely that Jeep is testing this engine model for exports. FCA India has
announced that it will export the Compass to all RHD markets including the UK,
South Africa, Japan and Australia.
The 1.6 L Multijet diesel from Fiat powered the
Maruti S-Cross in India but was not locally manufactured. It is possible that
Jeep is testing the smaller diesel engine for future launches Jeep Renegade and
the sub-Renegade model, and may eventually start producing the engine locally.
Currently, Jeep India offers the
Compass with a 1.4 L Multiair petrol and a 2.0 L Multijet II diesel. Manual
variants of both engines feature a 6-speed manual transmission. The petrol
variant also gets a 7-speed DDCT gearbox. While it is unlikely that Jeep will
offer a smaller engined variant of the Compass in India considering the SUVs it
goes up against, the possibility cannot be ruled out entirely.