The best part is that the Compass hefty suspension hasn’t hampered its performance on smooth roads. In fact, as you accelerate up the smooth, twisty but wide Ladakh route to Manali, the Compass body control, well-weighted and accurate steering instils confidence in the vehicle. However, it is on this uphill climb that a weakness of the Compass is revealed: the rather languid, 9-speed automatic transmission that swaps cogs like it has all day.