Previous Jeep Compass models were boxy, ugly and unattractive, but the new version that sits between the smaller Renegade and bigger Cherokee is altogether more stylish. The SUV’s engines are reasonably efficient but the diesels are a little harsh, and the automatic gearbox option seems more set up for off-road use than sporty road driving. That’s probably just as well as the Compass chassis is geared more for comfort than driving thrills. With decent practicality and high equipment levels, the Compass is an effective and fun family crossover, but it lacks some of the finesse of its top European rivals.
The new Jeep Compass is certainly a prettier object than its predecessor, and the design has plenty of modern showroom appeal. It retains Jeep’s trademark seven-slot grille, but wraparound LED headlamps, a sculpted bonnet and deep lower grille give the front a funky feel. The jaunty styling is carried along the side of the car with a kicked up rear quarter-light and distinctive squared-off wheel arches. The contrasting black roof visually lowers the car for a slightly racier feel, yet there’s an element of luxury provided by a big chrome trim strip that separates the roof from the door tops, running on to create a striking trailing edge for the angular rear pillars.
But while the exterior is as pleasing as the Jeep’s main rivals, the interior doesn’t score quite so many points. It feels rather characterless and bland, and while the dash has the right sort of soft-touch materials, it’s all black and gloomy looking, with the few shiny gloss black highlights failing to give the ambience a lift. The seats have a quality feel and the chunky steering wheel is nice to hold, but otherwise the cabin quality isn’t quite up to the standard of rivals.
Sat-nav, stereo and infotainment
The range-topping Compass Limited gets the best infotainment system, with an 8.4-inch touchscreen that works with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. We think it’s easier to use than the Nissan Qashqai’s system, but no better than the Peugeot 3008’s set-up – both can be fiddly to use as there are few buttons to help you skip menus. Lower-spec versions get a smaller screen, and the Compass also comes with a seven-inch screen display between the instrument dials, which displays sat-nav info and vehicle data.
On the road, the Jeep Compass is not quite as planted as the best crossover rivals, but feels competent enough. There’s too much body roll if you attempt to take corners with gusto, and the chassis begins to feel unsettled at higher speeds that cars like the SEAT Ateca take in their stride. The steering is decently weighted and the ride composed – at least on smooth tarmac – but the overall experience is less fun than the best rivals. That disappointment was exacerbated in the top 2.0-litre diesel model that we’ve tried by a noisy engine and a slow-to-respond nine-speed auto gearbox.
Off-road of course, the Trailhawk version with its extra low range gear ratios, should make mincemeat of pretty much any of its more road-focused rivals.
Engines
There are two petrol options in the Compass, starting with the 138bhp 1.4-litre MultiAir II unit. It makes 230Nm of torque, and hit 62mph in 9.8-seconds. If you want a punchier petrol model, there’s a 168bhp version of the same engine with 250Nm, but that only comes with all-wheel drive and the automatic nine-speed gearbox. The 0-62mph dash takes 9.8 seconds and top speed is 126mph.
Diesel options begin with the 118bhp 1.6-litre MultiJet II. It has 320Nm of torque and in two-wheel drive form and 0-62mph in 10.7 seconds. There’s a 2.0 MultiJet II with 138bhp, which comes with all-wheel drive only but a choice of manual or auto gearboxes. Torque jumps to 350Nm with this engine, while 0-62mph comes up in 10.1 or 10.5 seconds for the auto.
The punchiest diesel is the 168bhp 2.0 MultiJet II, which comes with 4WD and an auto box only, and will do 0-62mph in 10.1 seconds. All the diesel engines share the same top speed of 122mph.
While the previous Compass was no great shakes on the safety front, the new one has been independently crash-tested by the Euro NCAP organisation and came up trumps with a full five stars. Adult occupancy was awarded a laudable 90 per cent protection rating, while child occupancy scored 83 per cent. Among the safety features that will be included on various trim levels are Jeep’s Forward Collision Warning, Blind Spot Information System, front and rear parking sensors and a rear-view reversing camera. Four-wheel-drive versions obviously benefit from the added traction that provides in wintry conditions, which will be of special interest to owners in out-of-town locations.
It’s a bit early to comment on reliability, except to point out that much of the Compass’s engine, platform and electronics technology has already been tried and tested on the Renegade – and FCA Group sister models like the Fiat 500X. Build quality is good too, so we don’t envisage too many problems.
Warranty
All Jeep models come with a three-year warranty, and while there’s no mileage limit in years one or two, the third year cover only takes you up to 60,000 miles. Additional manufacturer backed warranty is available. You can buy cover up to seven years or 100,000 miles.
Servicing
Servicing costs for the Compass aren’t confirmed, but as a guide Jeep offers plans for the smaller but mechanically very similar Renegade. They cost £399 for petrol and £499 for diesel models over a three-year period, and we’d expect something similar for the Compass.
There’s only one body style in the Jeep Compass range, but the five-door hatch enjoys estate car-like practicality in spite of its sporty crossover styling. The Compass is built on an extended floorpan from the Renegade, so offers more interior and luggage space. There’s no shortage of room up front, either, with plenty of adjustment in the seat and steering wheel to ensure drivers of any size should get comfortable. Visibility is good from the driving seat, too, although like any car of this size and type, the assistance of parking sensors and rear view camera in suitably equipped models will be invaluable.
On the road, the Compass is far quieter, more refined, and more comfortable than the smaller Renegade. The Compass also comes with reactive dampers said to improve ride comfort – although we’ve yet to try it on British roads.
Size
The Compass is 150mm longer overall than the Renegade it shares a platform with, and the extra length has shared out between a longer wheelbase and extended rear overhang. As a result the car is 4,420mm long, 1,820mm wide and 1,650mm high. This compares with the Nissan Qashqai which measures 4,394mm x 1,806mm x 1,590mm.
Leg room, head room & passenger space
Thanks to the extended rear section, the Jeep Compass performs well on both rear legroom and boot space. There’s plenty of headroom and shoulder room on the back seat too, although some may feel it’s a little dark due to the reduced glass area of the kicked up side windows.
Boot
The Jeep Compass has a versatile boot that will swallow 438 litres worth of luggage, which compares favourably with the smaller Renegade’s 351 litres. It’s not quite so good up against the Peugeot 3008 though, as the French rival will swallow 530 litres.
While the Jeep Compass is only a medium-sized SUV, its sturdy build, high ground clearance and four-wheel-drive powertrain all point to efficiency levels that will fall below those of some of its more road-focused crossover rivals. While Jeep has yet to publish official figures for either pricing or emissions, we do know the engines are shared with the smaller Renegade model and would expect the most frugal 1.6-litre diesel MultiJet II to achieve somewhere in the region of an ‘officially claimed’ 64mpg on the combined cycle along with CO2 emissions a little over 115g/km.
The most powerful 2.0-litre diesel MultiJet II with 168bhp will do less to the gallon, and predicted emissions of 148g/km of CO2 suggests a Benefit-in-Kind tax band of 31 per cent.
The 1.4-litre petrol MultiJet Air with 168bhp, all-wheel-drive and an automatic transmission is likely to have claimed consumption figures in the low 40mpg range, while emitting a little more than the 140g/km of CO2 it pumps out in the Renegade.
Insurance groups
Insurance groups for the Jeep Compass haven’t been confirmed, but with the Jeep Renegade ranging from group 8 to group 13, and the Jeep Cherokee from group 26 to 35, a banding for the Compass somewhere in the middle seems likely.
Depreciation
Some Jeep models of old depreciated horrendously thanks to their inefficient V8 engines and clunky build quality. The situation isn’t so bad today, and with the new Compass featuring modern and relatively efficient engines, plus a decent dose of fashionable ‘crossover’ appeal, we’d expect the residual values to be relatively competitive with cars like the Nissan Qashqai.
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