The class of compact crossovers is extremely popular both in the world and in Ukraine – convenient cars for a tight city, already spacious enough for a family, not afraid to drive off the flat asphalt and move on. All of this fits the description of many cars, including the second-generation Jeep Compass. Which I will discuss in detail in this article.
Design: compact crossover in the style of the brand’s flagship
Compact cars with the design of larger and more expensive models of the brand – this is often the case in the automotive world, and the Jeep Compass MP/552 series crossover is one example of this. After all, it clearly imitates the design of the Jeep Grand Cherokee: almost rectangular headlights with small protrusions and similar lights, straight lines on the doors, trapezoidal wheel arches.
All of this is taking into account a significant reduction in size. After all, before the advent of the Jeep Avenger, it was the Jeep Compass crossover that was the smallest in the brand’s current model lineup. Moreover, the 4.08-meter Jeep Avenger crossover will face the issue of interior space, but the 4.4-meter Jeep Compass crossover looks like a more versatile option: still compact for the city, but already larger and more spacious for passengers inside.
The Jeep Compass crossover has a recognizable design and corporate identity: it resembles the brand’s “older brothers”. It also offers optimal dimensions for the compact crossover segment: length – 4.4 meters; width – 1.87 meters; height – 1.63 meters; wheelbase – 2.64 meters. The declared ground clearance is almost 20 centimeters, but the front bumper lip is much lower (about 15 centimeters); thankfully, it is flexible and easily crumpled on bumps.
The similarities with older models are also evident in the car’s interior. Moreover, the Jeep Compass crossover received an almost completely new interior during the 2021 update: horizontal lines of the front panel, a separately mounted central display, a rather large steering wheel with the Jeep logo, and narrow ventilation deflectors. It looks quite nice and solid for a car of this class. However, not without comments: the front passenger may be hindered by the expansion of the center console, which does not allow to move the knee of the left leg; and the driver may be hindered by the central armrest when turning the steering wheel. And it’s not even the armrest itself, but the considerable size of the steering wheel – it requires a certain wide position of the arms, which is why the elbows are also wide and can sometimes hit the armrest when turning the steering wheel. These are the nuances of Jeep Compass ergonomics; but in many ways, these comments depend on the size of the driver or passenger, seat settings, and seating preferences. Nevertheless, if you are considering Jeep Compass, pay attention to this.
Another ergonomic nuance is even more pleasant: these are “old-school” buttons for controlling everything and more! The climate control is controlled by buttons, the audio system is controlled by rotary washers (or hidden buttons on the back of the steering wheel), and various auxiliary functions are also turned on/off by buttons. The Jeep Compass crossover is a real find for those people who do not like touchscreens! Although in fact, the central touchscreen display is beautiful: excellent image quality and contrast, rich colors, the ability to create different start pages and arrange them as you wish, many fine car settings. But the dashboard display is not so good. Yes, it offers many options for displaying information, but they can hardly be customized at will. In addition, in most cases, the fonts and inscriptions are too small: it seems that the screen is large, but there is a lot of empty space and the driver has to look closely at the small numbers.
There are no such contrasts behind. The Jeep Compass crossover delivers exactly what you’d expect from a vehicle of this size and format. The rear doors are small, but they open almost perpendicular to the body and provide good access to the second row of seats. The space reserve is not impressive, but it is quite enough; the feeling of spaciousness is mainly achieved due to the rather high and upright seating position. Plus a comfortable wide armrest at the optimum height, plus ventilation deflectors, plus a variety of connection ports – a quite satisfactory list for this class. The same goes for the 424-liter trunk: good access thanks to a wide lid, a flat floor and a hidden niche with a spare tire, a pair of side pockets. Plus a few more playful “find me” images.
Like the exterior, the interior of the Jeep Compass is made in a calmly classic style. Digital displays are responsible for the feeling of modernity, physical buttons and switches are responsible for convenience – in general, not bad; but the black glossy coating is responsible for the decor, which requires constant care and cleaning – it’s a waste. The space reserve is sufficient for a car of this class; the same can be said about the trunk.
Technique: an interesting pedigree explaining the design
The history of the appearance and development of the second-generation Jeep Compass is very interesting. After all, at the time of the development of this crossover, the Jeep brand was part of the FCA (FIAT Chrysler Automobiles) concern. It seems that is why the Jeep Compass MP/552 series crossover is built on the Small Wide 4×4 platform, which we can also see at the heart of the Jeep Renegade or FIAT 500X.
The features of this platform are a fully independent MacPherson suspension for all wheels, front or all-wheel drive (implemented through a friction clutch), and the ability to install a variety of engines and transmissions. For example, the first versions of Jeep Compass for the US market were equipped with an atmospheric engine and a traditional automatic transmission. However, the European market demanded something different – and so the European versions of the Jeep Compass appeared, with small turbo engines and mostly front-wheel drive versions; all-wheel drive was only offered on the Jeep Compass 4xe PHEV hybrid. Finally, the 2021 update brought an all-new interior to the Jeep Compass, with a digital 10.25-inch instrument cluster and a large 10.1-inch center display.
What do we have now? The network of official Ukrainian Jeep dealers offers a European version of Jeep Compass: only with front-wheel drive, but with a hybrid powertrain. The latter consists of a 1.5-liter gasoline turbo engine and a 7-speed DCT robotic transmission with an integrated electric motor. The gasoline engine develops 130 hp of power and 240 Nm of torque, the electric motor produces 15 kW or 20 hp of power and 55 Nm of torque; however, these figures cannot be added together. Because the electric motor is only activated during the start of driving and the first seconds of acceleration, it can maintain a low speed (15-20-30 km/h) for maneuvering in parking lots or driving in traffic jams. At this time, the gasoline engine is not running at all or is still running at low speed, so it does not develop its full power. That is why the total power cannot simply be added up as an arithmetic sum; but still, the electric motor helps during starting and it is well felt.
Here is the pedigree of the second-generation Jeep Compass crossover: first (2016), they took a compact base, but integrated large engines and all-wheel drive; then (2020), the European market requested hybrids based on small engines; and then (2021), it was necessary to modernize the model – and so the latest displays were added, where, among other things, you can track the operation of the hybrid. But you can’t influence its operation: there is only one button E–AUTO OFF, which turns off the electric component of the hybrid. What do we have in the end? Under the hood of the Jeep Compass, which is offered in Ukraine through authorized dealers, there is only one power unit – a hybrid 1.5L e–Hybrid, which promises us a gasoline engine with a capacity of 130 hp.hp (5500 rpm) with a torque of 240 Nm (1500 rpm), an electric motor with a power of 15 kW or 20 hp with a torque of 55 Nm, acceleration from 0-100 km/h in 10 seconds, a top speed of 193 km/h, fuel consumption of 5.6-6 liters per 100 km (in a mixed cycle). So…
Behind the wheel: a lot of nuances – pleasant and not so pleasant
The design of a car is crucial to its driving performance. For example, a hybrid system means that the electric motor often starts the car, and then the gasoline engine is connected after a few seconds. By the way, sometimes such connections or switching between the two motors are not very smooth and pauses or small jolts are noticeable. However, if you press the accelerator pedal hard, the gasoline engine will start immediately and acceleration will occur on both engines from the start. Moreover, in this case, the acceleration is quite lively: the Jeep Compass crossover exceeds the promised 0-100 km/h time!
But note that when driving dynamically, the robotic DCT is sometimes late: you want to shift up a gear, the gasoline engine is screaming for it at 4-5 thousand rpm, and the gearbox is still dragging and dragging to shift up. Although with a smooth driving style, there is no such effect during normal travel. Gear shifts are timely, quick, and unobtrusive.
One thing you can definitely notice, and in any driving style, is the body roll in corners. And due to the rather high body and vertical seating position, the rolls are very noticeable for the driver and passengers, especially the rear ones – they need to hold the handles and rest their bodies against the armrest. Or the driver shouldn’t be so active in cornering. After all, there is no particular pleasure in this: the steering wheel makes a rather mediocre 2.5 revolutions from stop to stop, very light and almost devoid of feedback. And in general, the Jeep Compass crossover is not exactly a model of perfect chassis tuning. For example, the suspension, in addition to rolls, sometimes allows noticeable jolts or swaying when driving over bumps. But it also allows for a lot – the energy capacity is enough to race through large pits without hard breaks in the body; only if the driver and passengers in the cabin hold on tight. So, to summarize: the Jeep Compass suspension is ready for bad roads, but it does not promise maximum comfort and softness.
The main positive: the hybrid works! For example, acceleration from 0-100 km/h takes less than 10 seconds, and fuel consumption in the city is stable at 7-7.5 liters (plus or minus 0.5-1 liter depending on driving conditions and driving style); on the highway at 100 km/h, the car consumes about 5.5 liters of fuel. Of course, more complex and technically advanced (but also more expensive) competing hybrids show better results, but the Jeep Compass 1.5L e–Hybrid wins 15-20% more efficiency than one would expect from a conventional Jeep Compass 1.5L with a turbo engine, but without a hybrid system. Now for the negative: comments on the operation of the hybrid/box and the smoothness of the suspension. It seems that this car should be bought not for the impressions of the test drive, but for the impressions of the design and interior, for hybrid technology in general; or – for the ratio of equipment and price…
Cost: how much does the Jeep Compass cost and who is the competition
Currently, in Ukraine, Jeep Compass cars are offered only with the aforementioned hybrid, only with front-wheel drive and a robot automatic; in fact, the buyer can choose only the configuration – Altitude or Summit – and add several option packages.
The model lineup is opened by the Jeep Compass Altitude, which already offers a good set of equipment: electronic stability control, road sign recognition, front collision warning system, emergency braking function, active lane keeping system, adaptive cruise control, front and side airbags, side curtain airbags, driver fatigue warning, dual-zone climate control, keyless entry and engine start, heated steering wheel and front seats, rearview camera, 10.25-inch multifunctional instrument cluster display, 10.1-inch touchscreen multimedia system, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay support, combined seat trim (fabric and synthetic leather), Eco LED headlights and Smart Beam light switching function, 18-inch alloy wheels, etc. Cost of Jeep Compass 1.5L e–Hybrid 130 DCT-7 Altitude – from UAH 1.36 million or $33.5 thousand.
A step up is the Jeep Compass Summit, which adds the following: front and rear parking sensors, parallel and perpendicular parking assist, alarm system, full leather seating, front seat ventilation, electric front seat adjustments, driver seat adjustment memory, LED spotlights, 19-inch alloy wheels, and more. Cost of Jeep Compass 1.5L e–Hybrid 130 DCT-7 Summit – from UAH 1.48 million or $36.5 thousand.
An additional example is the Jeep Compass car in the Summit configuration. Externally, it is distinguished by black gloss around the perimeter of the body, gray inserts-edging the radiator grille, openwork wheel rims. Inside, the car offers leather-trimmed seats and electric tune-ups. What do competitors offer?
Let’s start with the positioning of the Jeep Compass: we need a compact crossover for $34-37 thousand, possibly with front-wheel drive, but preferably with a hybrid or other economical engine option. So, Nissan Qashqai e-Power immediately comes to mind: more powerful and very economical, good ride comfort, thoughtful and comfortable interior – but more expensive. A similar description fits for the Honda ZR-V: it may not be impressive in design, but it is pleasantly impressive in driving performance. I’d also like to mention the Hyundai Kona Hybrid (I’ll tell you more later) and the Toyota C-HR: this crossover even knows how to combine hybrid and all-wheel drive! But again, it’s a hefty price…
If you don’t necessarily need a hybrid, but you do need an economical engine, then Peugeot 2008 and Opel Grandland may be interesting options: turbodiesel and classic automatic, a wide range of configurations, lower prices, and a wide network of dealers. In addition, fans of German brands can consider the updated crossover Volkswagen T-Roc as an alternative: a conventional gasoline engine (but quite economical), good driving character, and a lower starting price.
Another option: if you absolutely need all-wheel drive, but no longer require a hybrid/diesel fuel-efficient engine, then alternatives may be Suzuki S-Cross, Mazda CX-30, Nissan Qashqai. Як бачите, популярність класу важлива не лише для Jeep Compass, але й для конкурентів – їх назбиралось чимало й потенційному покупцю точно буде з чого вибрати за вищезгадані гроші. Отже…
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