New Delhi: People buy SUVs for their toughness along with a degree of comfort. If you are spending upwards of Rs 20 lakh on a premium SUV, chances are you would be wanting to do road trips while also using it for the daily grind. In that sense, a 4WD or AWD SUV with pretty much all of the boxes ticked represents a good deal. For us, these two fulfill that brief the most. We are of course talking about the Jeep Compass and the Mahindra XUV700. We recently saw the XUV700 getting launched to much fanfare while some time back, Jeep had completely changed the Compass with a more luxurious interior while keeping its benchmark setting ride/handling focus intact. We just had to bring them together. In many ways there are similarities between the two with their FSD suspension, option of 4WD/AWD, range of petrol/diesel engines along with a feature laden interior. Both occupy the same price point between 20-30 lakh with the Compass in the top-end trim here costing about Rs 29 lakh plus, while the diesel XUV700 fully loaded spec reaches Rs 23 lakh. Amongst all this, we also think these two are the toughest and the most feature packed SUVs in its class! 

But first a bit on the looks. Both have a proper SUV stance with loads of presence. Post its facelift, the Compass is now leaner, meaner and more sportier with the chrome being removed along with gray alloys. It also feels as well built as a tank with the way the doors shut. The XUV700 is obviously bigger and has a lot of presence on its own with the massive C-shaped DRLs, the big size and the clean styling. Great looking and tough SUVs, they both are, so you have to take your pick! The same story is on the inside. Both end up having more features than much more expensive luxury SUVs. We will say that the Compass and XUV700 feel expensive inside with a different way of showcasing that. The top-end Compass we have here had a full interior redesign which frankly, is simply brilliant. Soft touch materials, leather inserts all around and again, a solid build to the switches with no cheap plastic anywhere makes this a brilliant cabin. Where the Compass also scores is its feature list with a massive touchscreen along with dual powered seats with ventilation, a panoramic sunroof, wireless smartphone connectivity, a 360 degree camera, connected tech etc. It is fully loaded. The same can be said for the XUV700. The cabin uses a light dual-tone upholstery with a set of two HD screens joined together. It feels premium all right and I also like the seat controls on the doors plus the lack of complexity. Quality is also very good with a healthy amount of soft touch materials all over the dashboard. The feature list is long here too with all the usual goodies like dual zone climate control, a panoramic sunroof, powered drivers seat, Alexa built in, connected tech, blind view monitor, 360 degree view camera etc. The XUV700 also has ADAS features which are useful too! The bigger XUV700 can be optioned as a 3-row SUV and it has loads of space in the second row too!

Let's get to the driving part. The Compass first and here while you can get it with a turbo petrol along with a DCT gearbox, the strong diesel 2.0l with the 9-speed auto is our pick. Post BS6, the refinement has improved and it still more or less retains the punch that a diesel gives. There is plenty of torque/power with 173bhp/350Nm while you must remember that the Compass is not very big hence the acceleration is quite strong with a very good power to weight ratio. The 9-speed automatic also goes along well and responds with a decent sense of urgency. You can drive it hard if you want while you can also effortlessly cruise- it's an SUV fit for both times. When the Compass was first launched, its ride and handling was a benchmark due to the FSD suspension and the way it easily climbs over anything. With the new one, that quality has been retained with a brilliant suspension including a pliant ride quality but it also corners pretty well with body roll being kept in control. The steering is also heavy but you do have a clear idea of what the SUV is doing- giving confidence at high speeds or at very low speeds for off-roading. Speaking of which, the Compass shows its Jeep DNA with the configurable settings for each environment like mud or sand. That helps it get out of sticky situations and its 4WD enables it to be one of the few premium SUVs that also works off-road. What about the XUV700? You also get an option of either a 2.0l turbo petrol with 200PS and a 2.2l diesel with 185bhp and 450 Nm in this fully loaded AX7L spec. The XUV700 feels a world away from the previous XUV500- something which now makes it count as a premium SUV. The new platform plus the FSD suspension transforms the ride/handling plus performance. The XUV700 diesel comes with drive modes too and performance is strong as you would expect. It is also very refined along with a linear power delivery but in the faster modes, it has the typical diesel rush. Mahindra has clearly worked a lot on this car. We also like the 6-speed automatic torque converter with its relaxed nature fitting well. You can easily cruise at high speeds along with covering long distances- things a premium SUV should do. The shock comes in the form of the light steering which weighs up pretty well. That makes the XUV700 feel like a much smaller SUV in the city yet still gives enough confidence at high speeds. The same story is when pushed hard- there is roll but it is contained and you actually enjoy driving this big SUV. That is why the XUV700 has moved itself many places above in terms of being a premium SUV. Maybe that's why the pricing is also now above 20 lakhs for the fully loaded AT variant. That said, it is worth it in terms of the product in what all it offers while the AWD also helps in tricky conditions- something owners will do in taking their SUVs on road trips.

So, in the end, which one should you buy? It's simple actually as the Compass is all about its compact size, tough build, premium image and of course, its excellent interior along with proper 4wd ability. An SUV for those who need to go everywhere in luxury along with a tank like build quality while also being aimed at self driven owners- the size makes it easier to use on a day to day basis. The XUV700 builds its case on being a traditional big premium SUV but one that is packed with equipment and offers a blend of rear seat space/practicality (ideal for being chauffeur driven also) while still being entertaining to drive. Both SUVs are vastly different from their previous avatars without forgetting their roots. So if you want a 'proper' SUV at a premium price point, do take a strong look at these two based on the parameters mentioned above!


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