The brand power of Jeep owes much of its cachet to its history of being a military vehicle capable of managing a wide variety of terrain with ease. Over the decades that Jeep has been available as a mainline automotive brand, it has continued to be positioned as the vehicle of choice for those who envision themselves driving over harsh terrain and living a lifestyle unencumbered by the limits of your family hauler.
2019 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk
That branding has been successful of course as Jeep continues to be the volume leading brand for Fiat Chrysler Automotive. It’s also ironic since the majority of Jeep owners never take their vehicle on terrain more severe than pothole filled highways or gravel roads headed toward the family cottage.
Despite that, one of the more popular trim levels of any Jeep product is its “Trailhawk” trim, with its trail-rated designation. Trouble is you are more likely to see a Jeep Trailhawk tackling the challenges of your local power centre than you are on a rugged path carved out of the Canadian Shield.
Such is the case with the 2019 Jeep Compass Trailhawk. The 2nd generation Compass which first debuted as a 2017 model is a compact SUV that squeezes itself between the sub compact Renegade and the mid-sized Cherokee. The Compass comes in several trim levels including the more urban-friendly and comfortable Limited trim level which I had a chance to review last winter. When the PR team at FCA Canada put out a Trailhawk version of the Compass for journalists to test out, I wanted to drive it to compare how it felt to the Limited. I did so not from the perspective of an off-road enthusiast, but rather that of someone living in suburbia and driving the Trailhawk as their family vehicle of choice.
The differences between the two while notable from a Jeep performance perspective tend to be more cosmetic for the daily driver. The biggest driving difference is in the off-road suspension and the greater rigidity that comes with it compared to a more urban-aligned set up for the Limited. More noticeable are the very distinctive red tow hooks on the Trailhawk, with two found on the front and one on the rear as well as the anti glare black hood decal. When speaking to a friend who drives a Cherokee Trailhawk, she freely admits that the look of the Trailhawk was the bigger draw than the fact that it could head up the side of a ski hill with ease if she needed it to.
And this to me is where I think the true appeal lies. A large part of what makes one vehicle more appealing to a future customer over another comes from how that vehicle, or that trim level of a vehicle is marketed. After driving both the Compass Limited and Trailhawk trims, I found that while the Trailhawk indeed offers a stiffer ride, and that there are more luxury appointments available in the Limited trim, the two from a functionality standpoint both offer the same experience and capability.
Given that all 2019 Compass trim levels come equipped with Jeep’s Active Drive 4×4 system with their Selec-Terrain Traction Management system, there is a basic level of off-road, or poor road conditions capabilities available no matter what trim level you prefer. After all a Jeep’s DNA is built in it’s ability to handle tough road conditions, so to limit basic 4×4 capabilities to only one trim would be counter-intuitive to the brand.
The real draw with the Trailhawk it seems is more in the impression that you’re able to leave the urban confines of your daily life with ease than in the fact you’re driving a vehicle capable of doing so. And if that’s your jam, then the Trailhawk comes as advertised. And heck, if some day that paved highway you’re driving on suddenly and without notice turns into a canopy covered trail of wood-chips or cobblestones with a few 35 degree inclines thrown in for good measure – well, you can thank yourself for including an ounce of prevention into your choice of trim.
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