MANILA, Philippines — Believe it or not, we've already been through several shades of quarantine for almost six months now and still counting. To say that our daily lives have since ”transformed” is a total understatement.
It never changed the fact that our bodies have needed to keep active in some way, in order to remain strong and in the best possible shape. Having said that, I know that there are many of us who have placed a good amount of effort toward staying active, within the bounds of our community's safety protocols.
And more often than not, you need a vehicle to get you somewhere. With this in mind, I'd like to share a fitting partner for many active, city pursuits—the recently launched Jeep Compass subcompact SUV.
Jeep is no stranger to Filipinos. There is so much local history behind it that goes all the way back to the time of the Filipino-American-Japanese war. The formidable Jeep Wranglers that the Americans used became legends for their tenacity, and the nameplate became iconic since.
These days you don't have to be a hardcore off-roader to own a Wrangler, let alone a Jeep. The brand has diversified its product line and has begun to offer strong, front-wheel urban vehicles that still carry the signature Jeep look, highlighted by the iconic seven-slotted grille.
And Auto Nation Group, the official distributor of Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram vehicles in the Philippines, did just that. They took advantage of incentivized import duties currently in place and used this as an opportunity to bring in surprisingly affordable models of Jeep subcompact SUVs—the Renegade and the Compass.
Driving around during GCQ
I drove around the Jeep Compass during this GCQ period and thought it was a great match for supporting my active lifestyle. And since looks do matter when it comes to pride of ownership, I am happy to say that the Compass' athletic styling did not fail to please.
Its sporty 17-inch fine silver aluminum wheels fitted with all-season tires gave it the vibe of a sophisticated adventurer—all blended in with that unmistakable look that is proudly Jeep. It came in a classy color that is Granite Crystal.
Inside the Compass is a spacious cabin with roomy seating. This is especially important if you tend to lug around bulky athletic equipment or often take along companions or teammates (the latter in better circumstances, excluding this time of social distancing) when you want to go play sport.
Even my lengthy scuba diving equipment will easily fit into the car (including those of my husband's); and the rear seats can also fold flat 60/40 (to expand rear storage), whenever there is a piece of oddly-shaped baggage to carry.
To my delight, I discovered that the front passenger seat can also be folded forward should there ever be a need for more lengthwise clearance. Meanwhile, the rear cargo floor is flat and accessible; and it's got a lamp (for loading in dim light) and useful tie-down loops for keeping luggage in place. Should the interior space still not be enough, or if you'd just rather keep some equipment outside, the Compass also has roof rails for further attachments.
The quarantine period may not have been a time for inter-provincial travel, but it has definitely become a season of noticeably better air quality. I like taking advantage of our cleaner city air now and found myself embracing the pleasures of a partially open dual-pane sunroof aboard the Compass, during early morning drives.
Fitness goals with the Compass
As a car occupant, I like the Compass' comfortable and contemporary interior styling. Driving instruments are pretty straightforward, and the 7-inch Uconnect touchscreen—compatible with Apple Carplay—offers you most controls, including those for navigation and in-car entertainment (featuring six speakers and Bluetooth streaming audio).
What's also nice is its hands-free connectivity features—via Uconnect voice command, which also allows hands-free calling—so that you could always keep your hands on the wheel, and your eyes on the road.
Speaking of keeping one's eyes on the road, the Compass also offers the Goldilocks amount of ride height—just enough to give you a good command of the road, without having to be too gargantuan of a vehicle that it would start compromising your ease of parking.
And even if the thought of rearward parking gets you a little bit uneasy, the Compass carries a rear backup camera that displays video on the 7-inch touchscreen, along with projected guidelines and a dashed overlay to help you estimate the dimensions of your vehicle better than ever. Once parked, an electric park brake switch is accessible via the tip of your finger.
During my brief rendezvous with the Compass, I used it to drive to the City Club in Ayala, Makati. The place is a members-only recreational facility that has courts, a gym, and a swimming pool, for sports activities within the city.
Since the quarantine guidelines do not currently allow us to venture outside of Metro Manila, I find it essential to carry my athletic gear to this place so I could go for a good swim and keep my blood flowing, because fitness is an underemphasized asset during this pandemic that can effectively prime our bodies to perform its best in fighting off the threat of infections. Safety, after all, is invaluable.
Topnotch safety features
Speaking of which, safety is another asset of the Jeep Compass; obvious by its build and by reputation, being a Jeep. Driving the brawny Jeep Compass makes you feel like you are enclosed in a protective cocoon as you hustle your way through EDSA, alongside the unruly usual suspects.
The Compass is built with a high-strength steel body structure to provide good crash protection, in the event of a collision. It is also equipped with seven standard airbags that incorporate a 3-vent system that is designed for optimal deployment, regardless of the size of the occupants.
Furthermore, this subcompact SUV employs active and passive safety technologies such as Electronic Stability Control (ESC), which allows the car's computer to make thousands of micro-adjustments (in favor of optimal stability) every second; Electronic Roll Mitigation; Anti-lock disc brakes on all 4 wheels; and even Battery Run-down Protection.
The Compass also features a special “Panic button” incorporated into the key fob, which when activated, triggers the vehicle's horn and lights to turn on, in order to draw attention, should there be a nearby threat. I think this is a small but superb feature that can come in really handy, especially during these uncertain times when you might find yourself driving alone.
Power and special promo
Powering the Jeep Compass is a frugal 1.4-liter Multiair turbo engine mated with a 7-speed dual dry clutch transmission. The small engine displacement pimped with a turbo system means that you get a good 162HP of power, without having to burn as much fuel.
Depending on the road traffic situation, you can choose to drive either: with the engine automatically turning off when there are long stops (to save fuel and emit less carbon) and then automatically turning on again as soon as you lift your foot off the brakes; or with the start/stop feature deactivated, so you can keep the engine running 100% of the time (say, like when you are crawling in traffic along EDSA).
Perhaps part of the best news now is that the Jeep Compass can be bought with as much as a P160,000 special discount, during this promotional period. That brings the purchase price of the Jeep Compass down to a total of P1,690,000 net of discount.
Furthermore, Auto Nation is also offering an in-house financing package that can bring the initial acquisition cost of the Compass to a low down payment of P99,000. This is on top of other incentives that they throw in with the financing, such as a waived chattel mortgage fee, and free first-year comprehensive insurance for the vehicle.
The Jeep Renegade also has a special financing offer wherein clients could opt for a special downpayment of only P79,000. Minus the ongoing promotional discount, the Renegade is currently on offer for P1,490,000 net.
I'm pretty sure there's a Jeep model that can match your kind of lifestyle. Schedule a visit to your nearest dealer, so you can discover whatever fits you!
Both the Jeep Compass and Renegade are available for viewing and test drives at all Jeep dealerships nationwide: EDSA Greenhills, Alabang, Cebu, Clark and San Fernando, Pampanga branches.
If you'd like to read more about these new products, you can view all the specs on their website: www.jeep.com.ph.