Up to this moment, Jeep only offered diesel automatic variant with 4X4 hardware adding to costs and complexity
The iconic American brand, Jeep, is set to launch a new trim level with its popular Compass SUV. This new trim level is called Black Shark. Not only does Black Shark add a sporty flair to Compass, but it also brings a more affordable diesel automatic variant. Jeep has achieved it by ditching the 4X4 hardware which was standard with automatic transmission till now.
Jeep Compass Black Shark – Red hot!
Compass is the most affordable SUV that Jeep currently sells. There are four trim levels that Jeep offers with Compass – Sport, Night Eagle, Limited and Model-S. The new Black Shark trim may slot somewhere below Model-S or even below Limited trim levels, owing to the slightly limited features set.
On the outside, Jeep has done a very good job in bringing the special factor with Black Shark. The exterior colour is bright red with black contrasting elements. At first glance, the red colour on Black Shark trim could be a slightly different shade of Exotica Red that Jeep offers. It pops and looks sensational.
Body panels and sheet metal are identical to standard Compass. However, Jeep has cleverly used Black elements to bring extra oomph to the design. We particularly like the Black treatment on Jeep branding along with lower lip trim, and upper and lower grille. There’s a Black Shark badging on front fenders too.
Alloy wheels are all-black as well. However, these are the same ones that Jeep offers on Meridian. Body cladding all-around is matched with car’s colour. Black cladding would have added more athleticism to the equation. Interiors are same, but get an all-black treatment with sporty red trims on dashboard and red contrast stitching.
Most affordable diesel AT – Petrol still a no-show
Up until now, Jeep only offered diesel automatic powertrain variants with 4X4 hardware as standard with Compass. In this sense, there was no 4X2 diesel automatic combo on offer. So, prospective buyers would pay more to get 4X4 hardware even if they never intended to go off-road. That is now sorted with Black Shark trim.
Black Shark trim is fairly feature-loaded too. Kit includes dual-zone climate control, premium upholstery, 10-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a panoramic sunroof, cruise control, push-button start, keyless entry and a lot more. The fully digital instrument cluster is only on offer with Model-S, though.
So, Jeep Compass Black Shark gets a semi-digital instrument cluster with a large MID in between. Pricing has not been announced yet. Jeep India will soon announce pricing for Black Shark and where it will slot in the trim level hierarchy. The sole 2.0L turbo diesel engine does duty on Compass with 170 PS of power and 350 Nm, mated to either a 6-speed MT or a 9-speed TC.
