Jeep Compass Sport petrol MT variant discontinued, now only available with AT

Jeep India has silently discontinued the entry-level Sport manual variant on the Compass SUV, dealers tell HT Auto. The midsize premium SUV is now available with only the automatic transmission on the base Sport petrol trim, while the diesel-manual combination will be available as well. While Jeep has not clearly mentioned the reason to discontinue the manual option, it’s likely that low demand prompted the move.

With the Jeep Compass Sport petrol-manual now discontinued, the petrol range now starts from ₹22.07 lakh. The Compass Sport petrol MT was priced at ₹21.09 lakh (ex-showroom). Price for the Compass Sport diesel MT stays the same at ₹21.09 lakh (all prices, ex-showroom India). Furthermore, there are no changes to the SUV in terms of specifications of features. The Compass was updated in early 2021 with the facelift bringing notable upgrades to the offering.

The ₹20+ lakh segment for cars is dominated by automatics and it’s no surprise that buyers would rather spend a lakh extra and get the more convenient automatic variant than settle for the manual version. Most petrol buyers also tend to use the vehicle in the city more often, which makes the automatic a more sensible choice given traffic conditions.

The base Compass Sport misses out on the 10.1-inch digital console and larger infotainment system

The Jeep Compass petrol comes powered by the 1.4-litre MultiAir turbocharged petrol engine tuned for 160 bhp and 250 Nm of peak torque. The motor is paired with a 7-speed DDCT automatic gearbox that sends power to the front wheels. The diesel version uses a 2.0-litre MultiJet oil burner with 167 bhp and 350 Nm of peak torque, paired with a 6-speed manual and a 9-speed torque converter.

On the feature front, the Compass Sport is fairly loaded and gets an 8.4-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. There’s also keyless entry, climate control, LED headlamps and more. The top variants get the 10.1-inch digital instrument console, panoramic sunroof, 360-degree camera, ventilated seats and more.

The Jeep Compass takes on the Hyundai Tucson and Volkswagen Tiguan in the segment, both of which come with petrol engine options. There’s also the Citroen C5 Aircross that only gets a diesel powertrain. The diesel engine continues to be in much demand in the premium midsize SUV segment. The Compass is available with end-of-the-year benefits up to ₹1.50 lakh. The automaker has already announced it will be hiking prices across all SUVs from January 2023.