Road tested by Hugh Maguire.
Price: €42,995
Pros :
Rugged 4×4 styling.
Well designed and executed interior.
Decent level of standard equipment.
Cons:
Somewhat underpowered.
Transmission is jerky at low speeds.
Very light steering and spongy brake pedal feel.
The Jeep brand is owned by the Chrysler/Fiat Motor Company, but the products still demonstrate all the abilities of the true original. Show a Jeep a dirt track and it will impress with superb off-road abilities. Jeep has now become the generic name for a 4×4 vehicle, but it was the original true 4×4.
However the company realises that most SUV/Crossover type vehicles rarely go off-road and so now the new Compass focuses on front wheel drive though four wheel drive is available too.
The new line-up includes a 145 bhp 48V self charging e-hybrid, a 195 bhp e-hybrid plug- in and three fully electric versions ranging from 213bhp front wheel drive up to 375 bhp all wheel drive powertrain. This model comes in two specification levels namely Altitude and First Edition with prices kicking off at €42,995 for the Altitude model.
My test car this week is the Jeep Compass 1.2 litre mild hybrid in ‘First Edition’ trim. So is this new Compass just a style Icon living off the reputation of the iconic Jeep brand but with no off-road ability?
First Impressions.
The clean lines and great colour choices give the Compass a very fresh and trendy style. New Compass is available in a choice of six colours. The colour range varies from the Pacific (blue), representing the vast expanses of the Pacific Ocean. Antarctica (white) symbolises the ice and snow of the Earth’s southernmost continent, while Amazonia (green with brown hues) evokes the Amazon rainforest. Yosemite (grey) is emblematic of the towering cliffs and rock formations of the national park from which it derives its name, and Vulcano (black) pays homage to the isle of Vulcano in Sicily.
Key changes in this new model over its predecessor are, a squarer body shape and tougher looking wheel arches. It is longer at 4.55 metres, and rear passengers now benefit from up to 55mm more legroom as a result. I do like the rugged, purpose off-roader the styling. The car has real presence on the road and sitting on dark grey 18 inch alloys I must say it looks very well indeed. Judging by the amount of people who cast an admiring glance at it others seem to think so too.
Whats it like inside?
I am genuinely impressed by the interior. So many cars now look similar inside…… a small drivers display and a huge portrait touchscreen placed in almost as an afterthought. Not so here. Jeep seems have spent some time designing the interior. There are no natural materials such as leather and I was pleased to see that Jeep honestly call the seat upholstery “vinyl” rather than “eco Leather.” They have however made those materials look very well. The front seats are embossed with the Jeep name and are two tone in colour. The dashboard layout is excellent with a slim landscape touchscreen sitting in the centre while a digital drives display gives the driver all the necessary information. Below the touchscreen are a row of haptic touch buttons for the major functions. I did find they need a good firm prod to operate but that said it is great to see that all functions are not through the touchscreen. There is also a very good voice control which I found worked pretty well 90% of the time. Sure sometimes it did not understand the command but that may have been more my fault than that of the system.
Standard equipment in this ‘First Edition’ model is really comprehensive and highlights include, heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, dual zone climate control, Select Terrain drive modes for Sport, Snow, Mud and Auto, auto dimming rear view mirror, Apple Car Play and Android Auto to name but a few.
The driving position is perfect and gives an commanding view of the road ahead. I particularly like the fact that from the drivers seat you can see the front left and right edges of the bonnet. Ideal for negotiating tight spaces while giving the driver a feeling of being in a big off roader.
Accomodation is vast with loads of leg and headroom both front and rear. The boot which is accessed via the electric rear tailgate offers some 550 litres of load space. Thats very good indeed. The rear seats fold almost flat to increase that load area too.
What is under the bonnet?
This self charging mild hybrid is powered by a 3-cylinder 1.2 litre petrol engine in combination with a 48 volt mild hybrid system. This power plant is mated to a 6-speed auto transmission driving the front wheels. Total power output is some 145 bhp.
I found that it really did run on electric power more than I expected given that this is a mild hybrid. Even at speeds of up to 80-90 km/h it will switch to electric mode albeit briefly. At slower speeds it can run on electric power for a bit longer. The result was an overall test average fuel consumption of 6.2 litres per 100km giving this new Compass an easy range of well over 700km between refuels and of course no plugging in. This is why in my opinion the self charging hybrid makes the most sense of all the powertrains on offer across the board these days.
With just 143 bhp on tap unfortunately performance is not a strong point. Overtaking needs some careful planning and any attempt at rapid acceleration is met with a harsh sounding engine and slow progress.
The transition from electric power to petrol engine and vice versa is seamless at cruise speeds but at low speed around town the transition from electric power to the engine is laggy and jerky making for unsettling progress at low speed.
What is it like to drive?
With a ground clearance of up to 200mm, approach angle of 20 degrees, breakover angle of 15 degrees and departure angle of 26 degrees, the new Compass is equipped to handle tough terrains with ease. The vehicle’s water fording depth of up to 470mm highlights its promise to tackle the most challenging environments. Selec-terrain features as standard across all versions. However the reality is that with a somewhat wheezy underpowered 1.2 litre petrol and front wheel drive this Compass is no off roader.
On the open road it rides and handles well while noise levels are commendably low. The steering is way too light to give any feedback while the brake pedal has a long travel and feels rather spongy. All said though it drives and handles with competence and proves a pleasant car in which to travel.
Hugh’s Verdict.
The new Jeep Compass offers a well rounded package suited to transporting the family comfortably and safely from A to B. It offers a decent level of standard equipment and it proves spacious and practical as well. However that can be said of many of its rivals some also from the Stellantis Group therefore why would you buy this Jeep?
I think therefore that this car will appeal to those who like the robust and purposeful off-roader type style which other SUV’s do not offer. It is a purchase you may make more because of its style/design than for any one unique feature.
I liked this new Jeep Compass, yes it has a few few flaws but as an all round package it really is quite appealing. The Compass is priced from €42,995 and comes with a five year warranty.