[Sheel]

Originally Posted by Rahul Rao

Every country measures it differently. In India it is when suspension is bottomed. US measures it loaded with passengers upto capacity 50% weighing 197.9 Lbs and 50% weighing 170.6 Lbs, and 75% of permissible load in the boot.

Would that mean a change in approach angle and that too by around 4 degrees?

[//M]

Jeep Compass Trailhawk with a 9-speed AT.

Got these pics over WhatsApp, due credits to the original photographer.

[TusharK]

Jeep Compass Trailhawk bookings open

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) is now accepting bookings for the Jeep Compass Trailhawk. The booking amount has been set at Rs. 50,000.



The Compass Trailhawk is expected to be positioned at the top of the Compass line up. It features a few exterior modifications which include new bumpers with a rear tow hook, anti-glare decal on the bonnet, 7-slat grille in a matte grey finish and 17-inch alloy wheels. The SUV comes with 3 mm thick steel underbody skid plates. The approach and departure angles have been improved and water fording capability is now 840 mm.

The Compass Trailhawk gets black leather interiors with red accents. It comes equipped with a panoramic sunroof, 8.4-inch touchscreen infotainment system, 7-inch MID, cruise control and other features.

The Trailhawk is powered by a BS-VI compliant 2.0-litre, 4-cylinder diesel engine that produces 170 BHP and 350 Nm of torque and is paired with a 9-speed automatic transmission, which drives all four wheels. It has six driving modes - Auto, Snow, Mud, Sand, Rock Mode and 4x4 Low. Safety features include Hill Descent Control, Roll Over Mitigation, 6 airbags among others.

Link to Team-BHP News

[Arjun Reddy]

Was Team BHP part of the media drive? When will we get the drive report ?

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by suku_patel_22

Still don't see auto dimming IRVM in a 30L+ car or am I missing something?

Yeah, it still isn't there. Hope it is not a deal breaker.

Originally Posted by Arjun Reddy

Was Team BHP part of the media drive? When will we get the drive report ?

Yes, we were there. Sorry, can't promise any dates. The media drive only involved offroad driving. The extensive onroad driving is yet to happen.

[Blooming Flower]

While discussing with some fellow bhpians and 4x4 enthusiasts based in and around Kolkata, I found an interesting fact regarding Jeep Compass Trailhawk edition.

Its specification says that it comes with 20:1 crawl ratio in 4L mode.

I was calculating and comparing crawl ratios of Duster AWD and Thar CRDe. The calculations are following.

Crawl Ratio= 1st Gear Ratio X Transfer Case Ratio X Differential Ratio

1. For Duster AWD (1st Gear Ratio = 4.45, Differential Ratio = 4.86)

i.e 4.45 X 4.86 = 21.63

2. For Duster 2WD (1st Gear Ratio = 3.73, Differential Ratio = 4.13)

i.e 3.73 X 4.13 = 15.40

2. For Thar CRDe (1st Gear Ratio = 3.78, TC Reduction Ratio = 2.48, Differential Ratio = 4.3)

i.e 3.78 X 2.48 X 4.3 = 40.31

We go a bit further with higher gears of Thar for a fair comparison

Crawl Ratio for Thar CRDe in 2nd gear, 4L is

2.09 X 2.48 X 4.3 = 22.29

and for 3rd gear, 4L is

1.38 X 2.48 X 4.3 = 14.72

So, Duster AWD lies just below the 2nd gear, 4L of Thar and much higher than 3rd Gear, 4L of the latter.

OTOH, Trailhawk claims to have a 4L mode that has crawl ratio of only 20 on paper!

AFAIK, Trailhawk's gearbox doesn't consist of a proper 4L with a TC. It just starts from 2nd gear in normal mode and 4L engages the 1st gear (the lowest one) among the entire 9 cogs.

So by this calculation, Duster AWD has better crawl ratio than Trailhawk!

Despite this, the Trailhawk will have an edge over Duster in final torque delivery at wheel just because of the more powerful engine than Duster.

Hence, the Duster AWD wins in terms of more off road capable gearbox than Trailhawk.

Now, I wonder what is the crawl ratio of Jeep Compass other AWD editions? Is it even lower than that of Duster 2WD?!

Unfortunately, sourcing the engine specification for any car is much easier than the spec. of its drivetrain. Would anyone provide info. about the gear and differential ratios of Jeep Compass 4x4 for all its versions?

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by Blooming Flower

So by this calculation, Duster AWD has better crawl ratio than Trailhawk!

Despite this, the Trailhawk will have an edge over Duster in final torque delivery at wheel just because of the more powerful engine than Duster.

Hence, the Duster AWD wins in terms of more off road capable gearbox than Trailhawk.

Well, I had a CJ340 whose crawl ratio was 3.986 * 2.460 * 5.380 = 52.754, does it make a better offroader than all other options? Not really. And not merely because of available torque.

It is the electronics. Trailhawk has offroad electronics, which is absent in Thar/Duster/CJ340. May be Duster has some, I haven't personally driven the Duster AWD, but I have driven the Trailhawk/Thar/CJ340 in offroad trails. Sad to say, the electronics really kicks butt.

Remember the time when humans could beat computers in chess? It is not possible anymore. Same phenomena is coming to offroading. So don't worry about Trailhawk crawl ratio. I will go into details in the official report.

[Blooming Flower]

Originally Posted by Samurai

It is the electronics. Trailhawk has offroad electronics, which is absent in Thar/Duster/CJ340. May be Duster has some, I haven't personally driven the Duster AWD, but I have driven the Trailhawk/Thar/CJ340 in offroad trails. Sad to say, the electronics really kicks butt.

Well, I can comprehend the importance and role of electronics in modern 4x4 cars. Take the modern LRs for example, which you drove in some of the most difficult terrains in India. They have both superior electronics as well as mechanicals under the hood. I fail to understand, without a proper reduction gear set how Trailhawk can beat some other proper 4x4 just depending on finer electronic aids. My rough guess is, Trailhawk electronic aids are not much different than those of Tata Hexa AWD's system in terms of application and functionality. Obviously, you can compare better as you have driven it on off road trails.

Moreover, DANA, ARB are some names coming to my mind right now, which manufacture the most trustworthy and widely accepted mechanical components needed for OTRs. Even hardcore off-road enthusiasts till date prefer mechanical ones to complex electronic gadgetry, may be due to better reliability or capability. Time is really changing, and that too in very rapid pace with newer adaptation by us. Let's see how Indian market responds to Trailhawk given the other available choices in this segment and price bracket.

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by Blooming Flower

I was calculating and comparing crawl ratios of Duster AWD and Thar CRDe. The calculations are following.

Crawl Ratio= 1st Gear Ratio X Transfer Case Ratio X Differential Ratio

1. For Duster AWD (1st Gear Ratio = 4.45, Differential Ratio = 4.86)

i.e 4.45 X 4.86 = 21.63

We go a bit further with higher gears of Thar for a fair comparison

It's entirely unfair to compare a transverse-engine on-demand AWD system with a traditional part-time 4wd using a low-range transfer case. The Compass Trailhawk and Duster AWD are more similar in their mechanicals, though the Compass has an auto 'box vs. the Duster's manual transmission.

Originally Posted by Samurai

It is the electronics. Trailhawk has offroad electronics, which is absent in Thar/Duster/CJ340. May be Duster has some, I haven't personally driven the Duster AWD, but I have driven the Trailhawk/Thar/CJ340 in offroad trails.

The Duster and Trailhawk have similar electronics serving the same range of functions, only the nomenclature is different. Also, how they are marketed. Jeep insists that it has a low range, which is simply untrue from an engineering standpoint. Duster AWD was never marketed as a rock-crawling, terrain-taming (read: Sandakphu-climbing! ) off-roader, but it certainly does all that. Question would be, can the Compass Trailhawk do the same? I'd really look forward to a shoot-out between the two in competent hands.

Sad to say, the electronics really kicks butt.

Sad? Or should it be happy?

Remember the time when humans could beat computers in chess? It is not possible anymore. Same phenomena is coming to offroading. So don't worry about Trailhawk crawl ratio. I will go into details in the official report.

Computers have still not got around to beating the laws of physics, though. So gear ratios will continue to matter in certain situations.

Originally Posted by Blooming Flower

I fail to understand, without a proper reduction gear set how Trailhawk can beat some other proper 4x4 just depending on finer electronic aids.

The question is not about beating a "proper 4x4", but adequacy of the drivetrain in a given off-road/rough-road situation. The rest is marketing wizardry coupled with inadequate technical knowledge of most Indian auto journalists.

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by Blooming Flower

I fail to understand, without a proper reduction gear set how Trailhawk can beat some other proper 4x4 just depending on finer electronic aids.

My LR experience in Sandakphu kinda opened my eyes towards how this is possible. If I start explaining, I won't have any material left for the official report.

[cool_dube]

Originally Posted by Samurai

Sad to say, the electronics really kicks butt.

Agree! I did see a few video reviews of the Trailhawk and there is some interesting gadgetry, especially in the rock mode, wherein a "locking rear diff" is emulated by the system by braking the spinning wheel, and thereby "fooling" the ABS into transferring power to the other wheel. See this video at around the 11:00 min mark -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0cTccS6tDI

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

Jeep insists that it has a low range, which is simply untrue from an engineering standpoint

Completely agree! This is absolute blasphemy, as called out by the reviewer as well, in the video shared above.

[torque18]

Originally Posted by Samurai

I will go into details in the official report.

Can we hope for a manual Trailhawk anytime ?

[cool_dube]

Originally Posted by torque18

Can we hope for a manual Trailhawk anytime ?

I don't think so, given that the so-called "low range" being tom-tom'ed is solely dependent on the auto transmission being programmed to stick to the very tall 1st cog in rock mode! The moment you move to manual transmission, you transfer that control from electronics to driver and "boom", out the window goes the "low range"

[torque18]

Originally Posted by cool_dube

I don't think so, given that the so-called "low range" being tom-tom'ed is solely dependent on the auto transmission being programmed to stick to the very tall 1st cog in rock mode! The moment you move to manual transmission, you transfer that control from electronics to driver and "boom", out the window goes the "low range"

Not the automatic person and prefer to keep control to myself.. Also the performance seems to be blunted by the auto box.

Limited plus would suffice e only if had a better GC and off road spec suspension and better refinement that the Trailhawk is touted to have. Don't really need the low ratio. The 4x4 of limited plus is sufficient for my use.

I hope Jeep takes notice and afters a manual variant in Trailhawk disguise.

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by torque18

Can we hope for a manual Trailhawk anytime ?

It already has Tiptronic gears, which means you can shift manually if you want. Also, it holds the gear without up shifting, if you raise the revvs in lower gears. Want more do you want?