After four years of construction, Jeep sees the right moment to refresh its compact Compass. The series specialists have mainly strengthened the inner values of the SUV.
When the second generation of the Jeep Compass went on sale in 2017, the compact SUV received mostly benevolent comments. Visually based on its luxurious brother, the Grand Cherokee, the Compass, which now starts at 28.000 euros, also benefited from the popularity of its upper-class brother. Its weakness, however, was the interior from the start: yesterday's infotainment dominated the picture, the touchscreen didn’t look quite as chic, and the shirt-sleeved keys were a hair-stopping point at “Premium”.
Analog or digital speed display?
This is exactly where the interior designers have now started. Now a new monitor in tablet form illuminates the passengers, the old instrument cluster with analog displays gave way to pure screen space (10,25 inches), on which you can configure to your heart's content. Should the speed be displayed digitally or in analogue? No problem, on request, round dials can simply be reproduced. However, you have to study the operating steps carefully before you master the wealth of functions. And on the generous number of buttons on the multifunction steering wheel, you can perhaps switch a little too easily from miles per hour to km / h, but something like that can just pass as a blemish.
Not only the infotainment is now fitter, Jeep has also been able to improve the quality of workmanship sustainably and visibly. Above all, the various decorative elements have a higher-quality haptic and visual effect, while chic decorative seams in the area of the fittings also give the Compass the nobility that a premium brand deserves.
There is also other news. The engineers were also allowed to lend a hand and, in particular, adapted the conventional drives without electrification. It's a shame, however, that the classic all-wheel drive has had its day on the Compass - marketing experts are likely to have wrestled with technicians here. Because the off-road competence now lies with the hybrid models, the rear axle of which is electrically driven. In contrast, the combustion engines now have to get by with front-wheel drive. But to be honest, one can assume that the Compass target group is rarely out and about on impassable terrain.
Good gear
Analogous to the smaller Renegade, the drive debut is now the newly developed four-cylinder petrol engine with 1,3-liter displacement from the so-called Global Small Engine family. With 96 kW / 130 PS, the deliberately quiet turbo is hardly ready to tear up trees, but with the 1,5-ton truck it doesn't really work either. He passes his moment on to a smooth and precisely graduated six-speed gearbox. The latter ensures low speeds in high gear and thus, in the end, low driving noises. Those who swear by automatic transmission get a six-speed double clutch in conjunction with a slightly more powerful, but equally large gasoline engine. Its torque plateau of 270 Newton meters also flattens out later. With 110 KW / 150 PS it offers 20 horses more than the base. However, this is not noticeable in the longitudinal dynamics - what is more noticeable is that the machine should switch a bit faster depending on the situation. There is nothing wrong with the gentleness of the translation changes.
Just another diesel
In the overall package, the Compass is a comfortable cruiser with supple suspension and solid space with a compact length (4,40 meters), so that it also functions properly in urban areas. You can also take a ride in the second row, the SUV even looks a bit larger than the dimensions suggest.
Those who often cover longer distances could be happy with the only remaining diesel - basic price from 33.000 euros - (96 kW / 130 PS, only front-wheel drive and manual transmission), which with 5,1 liters per 100 kilometers in the averaged discipline is around one liter more economical is than the gasoline engine. Or how about the plug-in hybrid models, which are much more powerful with 140 kW / 190 PS or 177 kW / 240 PS system output. For the top model, there is even a Trailhawk version with special glare protection on the bonnet, another off-road mode, underbody protection and specially designed bumpers that make the Compass look boyish for an impressive 47.600 euros.
Options that are standard today such as LED headlights and various assistants from autonomous braking to adaptive cruise control are of course not to be missed in the Compass either.
Technical data
Compact SUV, length: 4,40 meters, width: 1,82 meters, height: 1,63 meters, wheelbase: 2,64 meters, trunk volume: 438 to 1.387 (hybrid: 420 to 1.203) liters
1.3 GSE T4: 1,3-liter four-cylinder petrol engine with turbocharging, 96 kW / 130 PS, maximum torque: 270 Nm at 1.560 rpm, six-speed manual transmission, front-wheel drive, 0-100 km / h: 10,3 s , Vmax: 192 km / h, average consumption: 6,1 l, CO2 emissions: 133 g / km, efficiency class: B, emissions standard: Euro 6d, Prices: from € 28.000
1.3 GSE T4: 1,3-liter four-cylinder petrol engine with turbocharging, 110 kW / 150 PS, maximum torque: 270 Nm at 1.560 rpm, six-speed automatic (double clutch), front-wheel drive, 0-100 km / h: 9,2 , 199 s, Vmax: 5,8 km / h, average consumption: 2 l, CO127 emissions: 6 g / km, efficiency class: B, emissions standard: Euro 33.000d, prices: from XNUMX euros
1.6 Multijet: 1,6-liter four-cylinder diesel with turbocharging and direct injection, 96 kW / 130 PS, maximum torque: 320 Nm at 1.500 rpm, six-speed manual transmission, front-wheel drive, 0-100 km / h: 10,6 s, Vmax: 194 km / h, average consumption: 5,1 l, CO2 emissions: 129 g / km, efficiency class: B, emissions standard: Euro 6d, prices: from 33.000 euros
1.3 T4 PHEV: 1,3-liter four-cylinder petrol engine with turbocharging, 133 kW / 180 PS, maximum torque: 270 Nm at 1.860 rpm, electric motor output: 44 kW / 60 PS, electric motor torque: 250 Nm, system output: 177 kW / 240 PS, six-speed automatic transmission, all-wheel drive, 0-100 km / h: 7,3 s, Vmax: 200 km / h, average consumption: 2,0 l, CO2 emissions: 43 g / km, efficiency class: A + , Emissions standard: Euro 6d, prices: from 44.100 euros
In brief
Why: Because the compass is just a character type
Why not: Because diesel can no longer be combined with all-wheel drive
What else: Audi Q3, BMW X1, Fiat 500 X, Jaguar E-Pace, Peugeot 3008, Seat Ateca and Toyota C-HR
When: Sofort
