The Jeep Compass has been revealed at the LA motor show, with the Fiat-Chrysler SUV brand dubbing it "the most capable compact SUV ever".
The all-new Compass is designed to replace not only its own predecessor but also the Jeep Patriot, its near relative.
Similar in size and price to the Land Rover Discovery Sport, the new Compass will be made in India, China, Mexico and Brazil and eventually sell in more than 100 countries. Styling is instantly recognisable as a Jeep, designers claim, via traditional cues that include a clamshell bonnet with traditional centre bulge, muscular front wings and rear shoulders, and a new take on the traditional seven-slot Jeep grille.
The Compass will make its European debut at the Geneva show next March and is expected to arrive in European showrooms at the beginning of 2018.
In the US, the Jeep Compass will come in four trim configurations in ascending price order: Sport, Latitude, Limited and Trailhawk. Both two and four-wheel-drive versions will be offered, and 4x4 buyers will also be given a choice of an Active Drive system or an Active Drive Low set-up, the latter a class-exclusive full-time 4x4 system that incorporates a 20:1 crawler ratio.
The Compass range uses FCA's 'small, wide architecture', which uses 65% high-strength steel in a single monocoque structure. The suspension is by independent struts front and rear, with dampers by Koni, and the steering is electrically power assisted. As well as class-best off-road ability, Jeep also claims superior on-road ability.
Jeep will offer the Compass with five engines - three petrol and two diesel - but isn't giving details of European engine options until Geneva. However, given that the Compass uses the same architecture as the smaller Renegade (at 4394mm, it's about 250mm longer), it is likely to share the smaller car's European engine options, which include a 1.6 E-Torq petrol engine and 1.6 and 2.0-litre Multijet diesel engines.
The flagship US engine is the proven 2.4-litre normally aspirated 16-valve four, complete with Fiat-developed Multiair2 induction. Outputs of 180bhp and 175lb ft are directed through a choice of three transmissions, a standard wide-ratio six-speed manual gearbox for all versions, a class-exclusive optional nine-speed automatic for 4x4s or a six-speed optional automatic for two-wheel-drive models.
Join the debate
Add your comment
needs to be a vast improvement
Size?
supermanuel wrote:
I was thinking the same thing! The only thing that would make since, is that the Cherokee would go up in size on its redesign in a few years. This would make it more directly compete with the Ford Edge (and Nissan Murano on size, if not on interior appointments and luxury aspirations), but still not too big to over lap the Grand Cherokee on size and price.
Looks good, like a mini grand