Good direction from Jeep Compass

IN
THE past I have been corrected for describing sports utility vehicles as Jeeps.

Only
Jeeps made by the original company in Toledo, Ohio, are allowed to use the word
Jeep. Jeeps have been in use since World War II and nowadays in Ireland they
are associated mainly with the horsey set and farmers.

A
few years back the Jeep brand was imported into Ireland by the OHM group, but
the Irish franchise is now held by Fiat, who took over a bankrupt Chrysler in
June.

Last
week I drove a revamped version of the 2.2 litre diesel Jeep Compass which is
so new to Irish market that the prices quoted at the end of this review are
only provisional.

I
drove a wine-coloured model and it attracted much attention from colleagues at
a motoring function. Apparently the new version now looks a bit like the Jeep
Cherokee.

One
colleague remarked that the Jeep had an agricultural look to it, but I suppose
it depends on what you want to use the Jeep for.

First
impressions are that it has a

‘boxy look’ to it. It certainly had a high
driving position, but the windscreen could do with being a bit bigger.

The
front end has that typical American brash look with seven panels on the grille,
but the headlamps are as attractive as those in any saloon motor you will see.

At
a glance you might think that this is a two-door model as the back door handles
are hidden, a practice first used by Alfa Romeo.

There
is a built-in Sat Nav feature in the Jeep called Compass so it was only natural
that there was an indication on the dial in front of me as to the direction in
which I was travelling.

Inside
everything is very black, apart from the white roof. The controls on the dash
are well laid out and easy to use and there’s plenty of slave controls on the
sporty-looking steering wheel.

There’s
plenty of space for five adults, but I reckon that most people driving one of
these massive Jeeps will probably be leaving down the back seat to carry a few
extra bales of hay.

I
suppose it would be best suited for rural work, but this model didn’t look out
of place in city streets and it was really comfortable to travel in.

Driving
different cars every week it’s inevitable that sometimes I get punctures.
Thankfully there was a full size spare wheel in the Compass, but when I checked
with Fiat as to the nearest garage to repair a puncture, their very helpful PR
man Conor Twomey drove to where I was parked with another spare wheel.

He
wouldn’t even let me get my hands dirty as he changed the wheel. Now that’s
what I call service and with that kind of public relations Jeeps’ future in
Ireland could be secure.

Provisional
prices start at around

?¬30,000, while the 4X2 limited edition model with lots
of extras which I drove will cost you approx

?¬33,000. The 4X4 version is
expected to sell for

?¬35,000, or maybe less.

The
Jeep was different to anything I have driven this year. All I need to do now is
to locate my wellies in the shed and buy one of those Barbour Liddesdale
waistcoats so loved by the horse racing community. Then I will really look the
part.