What's the difference?
Hybrid campers are no longer a new development in caravanning and camping. We've been seeing trailers like them, in some form or another, for nearly two decades.
The concept is straightforward: hybrid campers offer some of the best comforts of a caravan (solid walls, proper beds, little to no set-up time) with the best aspects of camper trailers (light, small, rugged and able to be towed nearly anywhere).
Although Blue Tongue Campers has been a leader in the traditional camper-trailer market for more than a decade, its first hybrid has been a long time coming. First chance we got, we hooked it up and headed out to Wee Jasper to see what it's about.
The Jeep Compass is something of a unicorn among the long list of small SUVs sold in Australia. It is now the only model in either the light or small-SUV category that is available with a diesel engine.
That diesel is found under the bonnet of just one variant – the rugged Trailhawk which is also the flagship of the range.
Aside from Suzuki’s adorable Jimny light SUV, the Compass Trailhawk is the only small SUV with some off-road ability.
After going on sale in Australia in late 2017, the second-generation Compass was overhauled as part of a mid-life update in 2021. Aside from subtle styling tweaks, the biggest change was a new multimedia system.
Has Jeep done enough to lift the Compass from an also-ran to a model that buyers should consider, or was the update too little, too late?
Given that Blue Tongue is a relative latecomer to the hybrid caravan market, it’s done its homework.
For $50,000, the HX15 is a great value, highly capable off-road camper with a comprehensive list of features to keep it self-contained and self-sufficient when you're camping.
That it includes an island bed, 2000-watt inverter, grey-water tank and enough battery capacity to free camp almost endlessly, is a testament to all that.
The Jeep Compass Trailhawk is a curious beast. On the one hand, it looks pretty cool, and it has a well-executed new interior, featuring one of the best multimedia set-ups in the business. It’s spacious and has a long list of standard comfort and safety gear.
Sadly, that’s where the positives end.
It is way too expensive for what you get, especially when you consider the quality of some of its rivals from mainstream and premium brands.
The driver assist features are badly in need of recalibration and the overall drive experience is a letdown.
If you really want a diesel-powered small SUV, perhaps look at one of the much better diesel models at the smaller end of the medium-SUV segment.
A lot of these hybrid campers are little more than expensive metal boxes with a large bed inside, although the Blue Tongue is a little more than that.
It has a fold-out extension from the driver's side of the camper, which contains the queen-sized bed. By expanding sideways, rather than rearwards, Blue Tongue's managed to create access around the bed from three sides. The upside is, no one ever has to climb over the other, or shuffle along it, to get in. It's a feature almost unique in the genre.
Considering the XH15 also fits a small shower and toilet cubicle, cosy dinette, a small sink, bunk bed and heaps of storage, it's quite a practical little space that doesn't feel as cramped as it sounds.
The dinette lounge is good for the occasional meal away from the bugs, while the bunk above it folds up to improve access. And even if you're not travelling with a child, it makes a great shelf.
The en-suite, if we can call it that, is naturally compact. With its own toilet and shower plumbed into the grey-water tank, this is a fully self-contained camper, which is becoming increasingly more important at many free and remote bush camps.
The Compass sits in the small-SUV category but its larger dimensions mean it’s almost big enough to compete with models in the medium-SUV segment.
It’s longer, taller, wider and has a longer wheelbase than other larger small SUVs like the Kia Seltos and Honda HR-V, but isn’t as big as a mid-size Mazda CX-5.
It feels larger inside than other models it shares a platform with – namely the Jeep Renegade and Fiat 500X, that are no longer sold in Australia.
The biggest change ushered in by the update is the interior. Jeep has completely overhauled the cabin to the point that it’s unrecognisable compared to the pre-facelifted model.
The new dash design is much more appealing and the layout is well executed. There’s a mixture of soft-touch materials and plastic panels with red stitching running across the fascia. It’s so much more up-to-date than the old Compass and there’s a robust yet semi-premium look to the cabin.
A new steering wheel is in keeping with Jeep’s new generation of models that includes the Grand Cherokee due in Australia this year. It’s chunky, feels nice to touch and features clear audio, phone and cruise controls.
Jeep has persisted with its quirk of housing the volume and song/station skip buttons on the rear side of the steering wheel spokes. Once you remember which side volume lives (the right), it’s easy to change the levels. But surely it would be better to house them on the front of the wheel, with labels?
Storage wise, the glove box is narrow, as is the central bin, but it’s deep. The doors will hold 600ml bottles and the console houses two decent-sized cupholders with durable rubber lining which is easy to clean and can take a beating. The cupholders are separated by an upright phone holder.
Speaking of durable, that’s clearly the theme Jeep is going for with the Compass Trailhawk interior. It comes standard with rubber mats throughout, including the boot, which is great for protecting the carpet if you fancy a bit of camping.
What isn’t durable, however, is the cheap and tacky indicator stalk that feels like it will snap off every time you touch it.
After spending some time in European cars prior to the Jeep, it’s nice to experience strong air flow from the air conditioning system, especially at the height of a Melbourne summer. It’s also great to see physical buttons for the air con controls.
You can, however, also control the climate via the latest 'Uconnect 5' multimedia system housed in the 10.1-inch touchscreen.
This system is undoubtedly one of the Compass’ strong points. The modern graphics look very cool and the main icons make sense.
Once you dive into the menu there are extensive options but it’s not overwhelming. It’s intuitive and clever. The sat-nav visuals are clear and appealing too.
It’s an excellent set-up and better than systems from a whole host of Jeep’s mainstream rivals.
Apple CarPlay set-up was easy but there is an odd lag when selecting a command on the touchscreen that isn’t there when you use the Jeep system.
Another highlight is the exceptional Alpine nine-speaker audio system that’s part of the Trailhawk Premium package. It’s a belter!
The new digital instrument cluster has clear dials but changing the screen layout is fiddly. The Compass also lacks a head-up display.
The front seats with red embossed Trailhawk across the front look good, but the cushion feels like it’s elevating you in the seat. It’s not a problem with the power adjustment, it’s just the way the cushioning is designed. Thigh support is limited but upper body bolstering is good.
Visibility is impacted by the narrow rear windscreen and the tiny rear windows behind the C-pillar, that are pointless.
Rear occupants have access to lower air vents, a USB-A and USB-C port, 230-volt AC plug and a 12-volt DC plug. There are two map pockets, rubber floor mats and 600ml bottles will just fit in the door.
Space wise, there’s plenty of leg and toe room in the rear, and just enough headroom for this six-footer to avoid scraping the headliner.
Getting in and out of the front and rear seats is easy thanks to the Compass’ ride height.
The rear seats are flat and firm and the 60/40 split-fold seats have a fold-down central armrest with two cupholders.
When you open the power tailgate, the boot doesn’t look particularly big, but at 438 litres (1251L with rear seats folded), it’s five litres more than the Kia Seltos GT-Line and eight more than the Haval Jolion.
A full-size spare wheel lives under the boot floor and the cargo area features metal tie-down hooks and a small storage tray.
The cargo blind is useful but there’s nowhere to stow it when it’s not in use. And you have to lower the rear seats when you want to put it back in place.
The 15-foot off-roader is well balanced behind our tow car. At tare, there's 150kg on the ball, which gives it room to move up once a load is added. We carried a load of camping gear, nearly 200 litres of water and the fridge, all of which helps add stability to the combination.
Towing the XH15 along the highway, it tracked beautifully and even with soft, off-road suspension it didn't wobble around. Onto the narrower, winding roads into Wee Jasper, it was compliant and followed without incident.
When the drive became a bit challenging, such as when we had to navigate steep, loose tracks into our campsite, the camper's high-clearance, angled cutaways and off-road hitch made sure none of its underbody scraped or bumped on the ground.
It rides on coil-spring, independent suspension with dual-shock absorbers each side and this is a robust, well-proven system, which is really great when roads become a little rougher.
Jeep claims the Trailhawk has some off-road ability, but we didn’t get a chance to test that. Most driving was around town, freeways and city fringe.
The first thing I noticed when I got behind the wheel was the awkward position of the accelerator pedal. It could be the wheel arch intruding into the footwell, but the right side of my right foot constantly brushed the carpeted panel. It’s annoying and a clear design flaw.
Another flaw is the idle-stop system. When you park, the idle stop kicks in and cuts the engine off. But if you want to properly turn the engine off and get out of the car, you have to do something to wake up the engine, then turn off the ignition. Another annoyance.
The diesel engine is responsive enough, but it lags on take-off and it’s not as torquey as expected. Accelerating hard doesn’t reward the driver with instant response, and momentum is blunted by steep ascents.
It does come alive around 3000rpm which seems to be a sweet spot.
The nine-speed auto can sometimes hold gears and the brakes are on the spongey side.
The Trailhawk feels like a heavy vehicle on the road. Much heavier than its 1621kg tare weight would suggest. As a result, it lumbers along and makes for sloppy handling.
It moves around the road too much and there is quite a lot of body roll in corners. It’s slow to respond coming out of corners, too.
The steering feels lazy and it’s weighted on the heavy side. It doesn’t make for an engaging steer.
Ride comfort around town is well sorted. For the most part, it absorbs speed bumps and crumby urban streets, without offering a truly comfortable ride.
Overall ride quality diminishes at higher speeds. It’s busy and jittery and never feels settled.
Needless to say, this is not the small SUV to buy for navigating city traffic or to take for a fun drive on your favourite twisty country road.
A brief section of unsealed road highlighted the excellent traction of the Trailhawk.
The 225/60 R17 Falken Wild Peak tyres produce a bit of tyre noise on coarse chip roads but otherwise the cabin is fairly well insulated from outside noise.