What's the news?
Down in the jungles of Brazil (or probably more realistically near the Jeep factory in Pernambuco) the new Jeep Compass has been revealed. It's a crucial model for Jeep, especially as the brand seeks to build up its sales in Europe. While the smaller Renegade has been a solid success on this side of the Atlantic (although, oddly, not here in SUV-crazed Ireland) the Compass will compete in the most important SUV sector of them all, the mid-size crossover market where it will have to take on the likes of the Nissan Qashqai, Hyundai Tuscon and Kia Sportage.
To try and ensure some success, Jeep has wisely steered clear of the polarising styling of the smaller Renegade and the bigger Cherokee. Instead, the new Compass looks very much as if someone cropped a photo of the big, handsome Grand Cherokee and stuck a Compass badge on it. Instantly, it's Jeep's best styling job in probably a decade.
There are no technical details yet, but we know that the Compass uses a stretched version of the chassis that rides under the Renegade, so it should be decent to drive, and it's pretty much certain that it will come with the existing 1.6 and 2.2 M-Jet diesels as its primary engine options. The cabin looks very generic Jeep, which isn't a bad thing but Jeep will have to bump up its interior quality levels if it's to compete with the likes of Hyundai and Nissan. An extreme off-roading Trailhawk version, with extra electronics, taller springs and chunky tyres is a dead cert.
The Compass won't be at the Paris Motor Show later this week but will take a bow at the Los Angeles show in November. Jeep says that it "expands the brand's global reach with an unmatched combination of attributes that includes legendary and best-in-class 4x4 off-road capability, advanced fuel-efficient powertrains, premium and authentic Jeep design, superior on-road driving dynamics, open-air freedom, and a host of safety and advanced technology offerings."