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I guess there is no surprises to anyone from this news item:

Jeep Suffers MASSIVE Sales Setback, Compass Faces Heat From Hector, Harrier in July
Read more at: URL

Wake Up Call! Compass sales down to around 500 units...the lowest since launch I think.

Why am I not surprised :) Leave it up to FCA to mess the pricing up on a really capable product, despite the ever-heating competition. And then they further deepen their own grave by launching the Trailhawk (read diesel auto) at an even more ridiculous price point :Frustrati

Could you please share photos of both these lips showing the size difference? Where did you buy the lip from?

You will get this at the Jeep service center. Its a standard fitment in Limited Plus model.

Ha ha
Absolutely.
This is like being reluctant to park ones car in the open or in a public parking lot on account of the possibility of scrapes and dings.

In India we absolutely have to accept these funny circumstances.
Beware falling coconuts, jackfruits, marauding monkeys, crows with tummy upset and whatnot.

Basically buy any car and any variant of your choice and just use it like you normally would.

These incidental occurrences can happen anywhere in the world at any time and there is nothing you or I can do about it except for taking
reasonable precautions.

Pal. If a VW Tiguan can be priced at ~ 35 lacs
On road then why cant a Jeep Trailhawk Compass?
To me it seems a fair value for money price considering its capabilities and
original DNA. This vehicle is not a poseur.
It IS truly a capable beast!

+1
Everyone seems angry in general that FCA is losing sales volumes to MG Hector. Everyone. Except - FCA!! Thats the key.

I'm sure Jeep brand intentionally wants to and has to stay exclusive. Its not their business model to be a volume player at all. Competing in the price bracket with an MG Hector and Creta horrendously devalues the Jeep brand and thats generally irreversible damage. Even in Jeep's primary markets, they are a premium aspirational brand. Not a volume player.

At current prices the Compass sure is overpriced - but from our perspective. From business stand point, its at the right place. At a unique vantage point between cheaper less aspirational volume cars and costlier and larger cars like Fortuner etc. It brings premium practicality and capability in a compact well made package. Which is also quite exclusive and a head turner.

They are doing okay. They should start sweating only in 1 particular scenario. If Tata throws caution to the wind and brings in a 4x4 Harrier. Unleashing its LR Discovery underpinnings and 4x4 drivetrain at a decisively lower price than the Compass might start ringing alarms for FCA.

If you loose volumes on the only product offering (let's not talk of the stupidly priced Grand Cherokee) then it's not business sense. Basically, FCA is sitting on it's hands and not proactive to what the market desires in India. Look how long it took them to give an automatic, now only in the Trailhawk version and they say that it will come to cheaper versions later. It's this same stupidity that killed FIAT. Looks like they haven't learnt their lesson. What ever "niche"; a Compass can't sell 500 units a month and survive, we all know what happened to GM India and Ford India.

FCA wasn't doing much when fiat sales tanked and it's the same story here. Jeep isn't exclusive in any way, it's a strong brand for sure and loyalty exists. The products are as mass market as they come. A grand cherokee starts at 36k usd and that's not premium pricing.

I'm not saying that they should compete with Creta and Hector with the Compass, but low sales volumes are a recipe for disaster. This isn't a Maserati, dealers need volumes to survive when they have just one model to sell.

I am not sure if it is a fair comparison. The Tiguan is a premium soft-roader with state of the art interiors/features, which is not the case with the Trailhawk. I'd place the Tiguan a notch or two above the Trailhawk in all aspects except off-road prowess.

That's suicidal for a brand which is very new to India, unless you are talking about the super-luxury segment.

I would beg to differ. This is absolutely not the case. In fact, Jeep as a brand is notorious for its unreliability in its parent market, the USA.

It is a good package, no doubt, but please remember that the brand is very new to India. We all know that the Fortuner is grossly overpriced here for what it offers, BUT Toyota has sweated it out over many many years to build their brand in India and hence, are able to command a premium successfully. What Jeep needs to do first is to build their brand, which will not happen overnight by releasing swanky videos and putting up godzilla-sized billboards! It will happen by offering VFM products with good quality. Once they have built the trust and confidence in customers, they will earn the right to command a premium.

Exactly what I am talking about.

I think that this point is a matter of perception. I for instance don't at all agree that the Tiguan is above the Compass in terms of anything really. I have gone for extensive test-drives in both of them along with my wife, so it's not just my impression either :)

Cheers

Replying to you point by point-

The Tiguan is only a run of the mill soft road vehicle much liked by the 'urban warrior';. Ive driven it abroad and in India and nothing in it will inspire me to pay 35 Lacs for it in India. Indeed my humble 8 year old Yeti is every bit as good as the Tiguan wherever it really matters!

The TrailHawk at the same price of 34 ish on road is way greater value and a far better more capable vehicle by far!

Jeeps not having a mass product may be in a sense considered suicidal in a value focussed price sensitive market like ours.

Jeep therefore would do very well if they would bring in the Renegade in all the various trims with high localization and consequently a nice price and with this, turn the market upside down!

The Renegade is a first class solid capable and practical vehicle. Again I ve driven it extensively abroad and enjoyed it.

I would switch my Yeti for the Renegade top spec AT 4x4 if it does come here.

To your point on reliability yes absolutely.
In the US Jeep is pretty notorious. As in Australia as well. But of their line up, the Renegade enjoys a good reputation.

The Fortuner is absolutely an overpriced under-equipped vehicle which Toyota is milking for all it is worth. And successfully too. In a market like ours they are able to do this because the consumer has still not fully evolved and prizes automobile real estate and size and 'road presence' more than most other things.

Jeep TrailHawk with a bit of smart marketing and positioning backed up with solid stress free service should in the medium term, be able to topple several other brands - but only if they stay focussed and stay in the game in a sustained manner.

Points taken, guys - to each his own! And do not get me wrong, I was probably one of the earliest admirers of this vehicle (see here). In fact, if the Trailhawk was priced sensibly and realistically, it would already be gracing my garage by now :D

Buddyboy,

If you hadn't gone and plonked on your Pajero you'd have gone and plonked on a Compass Trailhawk. But your Pajero is a good beast and long may you enjoy it (along with your Gypsy).

BTW - the two Gypsys (yours and mine) need to meet and talk all sorts of cousinly things notwithstanding the several generations wide manufacturing date differences).

How much is this dent and scratches going to cost to fix in the official service centre?