A couple of weeks ago, Jeep India officially commenced accepting bookings for the Compass Trailhawk with a minimum token amount reserved at Rs 50,000. Now, the Indian arm of the American automaker has revealed the ex-showroom India price tag. At Rs 26.8 lakh, it is Rs 3.69 lakh more expensive than Limited Plus 4×4 2.0 diesel variant, which has an ex-showroom Delhi price of Rs 23.11 lakh.

There are a number of reasons why the Trailhawk derivative demands such a premium over the previous, most expensive Compass variant. The new entrant brings a BSVI-compliant (Bharat Stage VI) powertrain to the party. That powertrain comprises of a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel engine, good for 173PS/350Nm, and a 9-speed automatic transmission. In other words, the Trailhawk is the first Compass variant which brings the highly-anticipated diesel-automatic combination.

The Trialhawk boasts almost 30mm more ground clearance than the rest of the range. Also, it gets increased water wading capacity, better approach, departure and breakover angles and an ‘Active Drive Low 4×4 System’. The combination of all those features makes the Compass Trailhawk a potent off-roading machine. Jeep has also thrown in features like low-range, a ‘Rock’ drive mode and hill-descent control to tackle the tougher terrains.

In terms of design, the new range-topper gets ‘Trail-Rated’ badges on front fenders, new dual-tone 17-inch alloy wheels, a dual-tone bonnet, a red tow hook at the rear and gunmetal finish on the seven-slat grille, window line and fog lamp surrounds. As far as the list of features is concerned, it includes an 8.4-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, automatic climate control, auto start-stop function, cruise control and a 7.0-inch MID. The safety kit comprises of six airbags, traction control, hill-start assist, ABS with EBD, disc brakes for all wheels and a rear-view camera.

To keep the price tag exciting enough, Jeep has left out some creature comforts in the Compass Trailhawk, including a powered driver’s seat and auto headlamps and wipers. The panoramic sunroof is available as an optional extra. Suddenly, the premium of nearly Rs 3.7 lakh seems a bit steep. But then the Trailhawk is all about going out there and getting lost in the wilderness. The Jeep Compass Trailhawk has been priced to entice those who would have otherwise purchased entry-level versions of the Ford Endeavour, Toyota Fortuner or the Isuzu MU-X.