New Jeep Compass due in February 2018

Prices and specifications have been announced for the Jeep Compass, a family SUV that will sit between the Jeep Renegade and Jeep Cherokee in size and price.

Starting from £22,995, the Compass has a slightly higher entry-level cost than the Nissan Qashqai or SEAT Ateca, but is priced within a few hundred pounds of the Peugeot 3008, Skoda Kodiaq and Volkswagen Tiguan.

We’ve driven the new Jeep Compass – read our full review here.

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Jeep Compass design

The new Jeep Compass is on display was one of the stars of the LA Motor Show after its initial unveiling in Brazil back in September. Set to take on the likes of the Nissan Qashqai, Ford Kuga, Renault Kadjar, SEAT Ateca, Volkswagen Tiguan and Skoda Yeti, it’ll go on sale in Europe in the second half of 2017. The car Compass looks contemporary while still wearing plenty of traditional Jeep styling traits, including the mandatory seven-bar grille, while the headlights are very similar to those on the Jeep Grand Cherokee. There’s black plastic cladding all around the underside of the car and the Compass features Jeep’s trademark flared, squared-off wheelarches, too.

Pictures show the car with an optional gloss-black contrasting roof, as well as blacked-out roof pillars, except for the one furthest back, which is the same colour as the rest of the body. Foglights are set deep within the front bumper, with additional daytime running lights set just above them. There’s also a skid plate at the front, further enhancing the Compass’ off-road capability attitude. Options will include a ‘dual-pane’ sunroof designed to let light and air into the interior.

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Jeep Compass trim levels

Sport, Latitude and Limited trim levels will be offered, along with a rugged Trailhawk version featuring a plush interior and mechanical hardware aimed at customers planning to use their Compass off-road more regularly. Buyers will be able to choose between two and four-wheel drive.

Inside, the Compass will be available with a five, seven or 8.4-inch touchscreen for its Uconnect infotainment system. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto should ensure good smartphone connectivity and the new 8.4-inch touchscreen allows you to pinch, tap and swipe between functions like you would on a smartphone. The driver’s instrument cluster features either a 3.5 or seven-inch LED display, the latter of which becomes the largest in class.

Sport will come fitted with 16-inch alloy wheels, LED rear lights, a leather steering wheel, cruise control and a system than can detect objects ahead and warn the driver. Longitude ups the wheel size to 17 inches and adds foglights, a reversing camera, dual-zone climate control, keyless entry and the 8.4-inch touchscreen.

Choosing the Trailhawk adds new headlights, red tow hooks, bonnet decals, tinted rear windows, leather seats and a heated steering wheel. Its capability is improved with taller off-road suspension, front and rear skid plates, hill descent and a new gearbox setting for tackling rock crawling. Even safety gets a boost, thanks to blind-spot monitoring and an alarm if you reverse while vehicles are approaching.

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Safety

The Jeep Compass has been awarded a five-star Euro NCAP crash-test score, which is good news for families. According to Jeep, more than 70 safety features are fitted or optional, including forward collision warning and lane-departure warning. The Compass can also park itself in parallel or perpendicular spaces, while adaptive cruise control takes some stress out of motorway driving.

Engines, economy and performance

Jeep insists the car’s rugged looks aren’t just for show, claiming “best-in-class 4x4 off-road capability”. The Compass will be available with two different 4x4 systems: a full-time 4x4 system called Jeep Active Drive that can send up to 100% of the engine’s power to the wheel with most grip, and Jeep Active Drive Low, which adds a 20:1 crawl ratio and Jeep Selec-Terrain. The latter allows you to pick from Auto, Snow, Sand and Mud modes, while the rugged Trailhawk model also gets a fifth mode called Rock.

Four-wheel-drive Compasses will get a nine-speed automatic gearbox as standard, while front-wheel-drive examples will be available with a six-speed automatic or six-speed manual gearbox.

The 2017 Jeep Compass will be sold in more than 100 countries around the world, with a total of five engines, but exactly which ones will make it to the UK hasn’t been confirmed yet. However, we expect the Compass to use 1.6 and 2.0-litre Multijet diesel engines (capable of 118 and 138bhp respectively) here, with Jeep also offering at least one petrol option.

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Petrol versions will be fitted with Jeep’s 1.4-litre MultiAir II Turbo engine, producing 138 or 168bhp – engines already familiar to Jeep, Fiat and Alfa Romeo owners. The less powerful version comes with a six-speed manual gearbox and front-wheel drive, while a nine-speed automatic and four-wheel drive are fitted to the pricier version.

Entry-level diesels get a 1.6-litre MultiJet II offering 118bhp, front-wheel drive and a manual gearbox, while the 138bhp 2.0-litre diesel also gets a manual, but with four-wheel drive. Choose the range-topping 2.0-litre diesel with the same 168bhp as the top petrol and an automatic is thrown in, too, with a low-range mode in the Trailhawk version to improve off-road ability.

There’s no word on pricing as yet, but expect to pay around £20,000 for an entry-level Compass when the model arrives in the UK in the second half of 2017.

Price and on-sale date

Arriving in UK dealerships in February 2018, the entry-level Sport trim is actually available just with the 1.6-litre diesel and two-wheel drive, giving it a starting price of £22,995, going up by £3,000 if you upgrade to Longitude. The petrol range starts from £24,995 and a well-specified Limited 2.0-litre diesel with four-wheel drive costs £31,495. The range-topping Jeep Compass Trailhawk won’t arrive until summer, and it’s expensive at £35,595, but there’s at least very few optional extras to add.