New Jeep Compass SUV priced from £22,995

The new Jeep Compass, the brand’s all-important rival to the Renault Kadjar, Skoda Karoq and Vauxhall Grandland X, costs from £22,995, with the first right-hand-drive cars due in the UK in February 2018.

At 4.4 metres in length, the Compass slots into Jeep’s range between the 4.2m Jeep Renegade and 4.6m Jeep Cherokee. Company chiefs state it is a key addition to the range, giving Jeep a presence in the growing compact SUV market that is expected to account for two million vehicle sales in Europe by 2020. This new model replaces the previous-generation Compass, a mediocre offering that was withdrawn from sale here in 2015.

Read our first drive review of the Jeep Compass in Portugal

The £22,995 starting price buys a Sport 1.6 MultiJet II 120hp 4x2, which is a front-wheel-drive variant powered by a 1598cc turbodiesel engine producing 118bhp and mated to a six-speed manual gearbox.

A 2.0 diesel engine is also available in two states of tune - 138bhp and 168bhp - and only with four-wheel-drive. A choice of a six-speed manual or a nine-speed automatic transmission is offered, depending on trim level. The petrol offerings comprise a 1.4-litre MultiAir II Turbo engine with either 138bhp or 168bhp.

Four trim levels are available: Sport, Longitude, Limited and Trailhawk, although the latter won’t be available until the summer of next year. The most basic Sport trim’s standard equipment includes 16in alloy wheels, LED tail lights, a leather steering wheel with audio controls, aircon, cruise control, forward collision warning and a 60/40 rear seat split.

Jeep bosses expect Longitude to be the most popular trim level with customers. It gets 17in alloys and builds on the Sport variant’s kit with front fog lamps, Parkview reverse camera, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality, an 8.4in infotainment screen, electric lumbar support, dual zone climate control and keyless entry and go.

The Limited spec adds 18in alloys (with 19in wheels as an option), halogen projector headlamps, silver roof rails, privacy glass, leather power and heated seats, windscreen wiper de-icer, heated steering wheel, rain sensitive wipers, Parkview reverse camera, Parksense front and rear park assist system, blind spot and cross path detection, and parallel and perpendicular park assist.  

Trailhawk is intended to sit alongside Limited as the top spec, albeit with a greater emphasis on off-road appointments. Its equipment includes halogen projector headlamps, front and rear off-road bumpers, raised off-road suspension, front and rear skid plates, 60/40 folding rear seat with boot pass-through, heated steering wheel, all-season floor mats, hill descent and an additional pre-set mode, Rock, on the SelecTerrain transmission select system.

The Compass Trailhawk will be powered with the 168bhp 2.0-litre diesel engine equipped with a low-range mode and will top the range at a price of £35,595.