► Meet Jeep’s new rival for the Volkswagen Tiguan
► Off-road inspired looks, some off-road capability
► Far more technology than the previous car
Jeep has its work cut out. The brand is navigating an ever-more environmentally conscious market that’s perched on the edge of an electric revolution – but it’s spent the last 80 years forging a reputation in the combustion-powered off-roader market.
As new starts go, this is a tough one. But Jeep has tried to set off on the right foot. It’s already launched the electric-ready Avenger to tackle the growing small SUV class – and now, it’s introduced an all-new Jeep Compass for the mid-sized SUV market. That’s a good move, because the class already accounts for 25% of all European car sales.
This new Compass also has quite the reputation to uphold, at least for Jeep’s accountants. Previous versions of the car have sold more than 2.5 million examples worldwide since the nameplate was introduced in 2006.
Luckily, Jeep has been able to bring the third-generation Compass to market quite efficiently, thanks some help from its parent brand Stellantis. It’s based on a modified version of the group’s STLA Medium platform and it shares its engines and electric powertrains with the Peugeot 5008. Scroll down to find out more.
What’s new for the Mk3 Jeep Compass?
Everything. It has a fresh platform, a new range of engines, a completely different chassis setup and a bold new design language that follows in the footsteps of the smaller Avenger and Recon SUVs.
As before, Jeep says it designed the Compass to be capable off-road. The standard car has approach, breakover and departure angles of 20, 15 and 26 degrees respectively. That’s not enough to worry a Land Rover Discovery, but it isn’t bad for a car that’ll spend most of its time crawling around town.
It’s also designed to take a bit of a beating. That massive black plastic front bumper, for example, is made from scuff-resistant material – and if you batter it beyond recognition, it comes off in one piece for easy maintenance. The front fog lamps are also set back into deep sockets to help prevent them from being punctured by rocks or branches.
The new Compass is cleverer than the previous model, too. Jeep has packed it with intelligent features, including a raft of aerodynamic trinkets that help slash its drag coefficient down below 0.3Cd. These include an active shutter for the front grille, a flat undertray and ducts behind the wheel arches that help expel turbulent air.
It’s better packaged, too. It now measures 4.55 metres long, making it around 15cm longer than the old car. In addition, Jeep has pushed the car’s wheels out to the extremities to liberate an extra 55mm of rear legroom. You also get 550 litres of boot space, which is an enormous 112 litres more than the old car, and there’s a new 34-litre storage bin in the front of the cabin.
To round off the improvements, Jeep’s upgraded the Compass’s technology. You now get a huge 16-inch infotainment system that houses basically all the car’s functions. I’m not a huge fan of that, but at least you get some shortcut buttons along the bottom of the screen to let you quickly jump to important settings, such as the climate controls.
There are just three remaining physical controls on the centre console – a rotary gear selector, a parking brake button and a massive drive mode selector to cycle through the car’s terrain settings. Jeep thought it was important to have that last function on a physical switch, but I’d have much rather had a proper fan speed knob.
What’s powering this futuristic Lego brick?
Like almost every other car under the Stellantis banner, the Compass is available with both petrol and electric power. You have a choice of two hybrid systems and three electric powertrains, all of which Jeep is still being rather secretive about. I’ll break down everything we know about them so far.
The cheapest option is a 143bhp 48-volt mild-hybrid unit, which I suspect will use a modified version of the Avenger 4xe’s 1.2-litre three-cylinder powertrain. Above that is the same 192bhp plug-in hybrid system you’ll find in the Peugeot 5008. Jeep hasn’t yet told us how efficient either system is or how far the PHEV can travel on electric power alone.
Moving on to the EVs, there are two front-wheel drive options (with either 210bhp or 227bhp) and a sole four-wheel drive model with a whopping 370bhp. Crucially, Jeep states the latter system can develop a monumental 2286lb ft of torque at its rear wheels thanks to a clever 14:1 gear reducer.
Jeep says this innovation makes the new Compass great at going up hills. Apparently, it can claw its way up a 20% slope. However, if my experience of the same reduction tech in the Avenger 4xe is anything to go by, I’ll need to try it before I can trust those claims.
More importantly, the Compass’s 74kWh battery offers a maximum claimed range of 400 miles, while a 20–80% charge takes just 30 minutes when you hook the car up to a 160kW DC rapid charger. You also get an on-board 22kW charger for at-home top ups.
When does it go on sale?
You can order one now in Jeep’s First Edition trim. It’s available with either the 143bhp mild hybrid system or as a 210bhp EV. Standard equipment includes 20-inch alloys, Matrix LED headlights, front and rear parking sensors, a rear parking camera and a panoramic sunroof.
Jeep hasn’t yet released a full price list, but the cheapest Compass is expected to start from around £36,000.
There are more versions of the car on the way, too. Jeep will soon launch an off-road ready Compass 4xe that features 10mm taller suspension, knobbly tyres and a tougher body kit that improves the car’s approach, breakover and departure angles to 31, 16 and 27 degrees respectively. That trim will only be available with the four-wheel drive EV powertrain.