First Drive: 2017 Jeep Compass
JK-Forum Gets Behind the Wheel of the New Jeep Compass…and Over Rocks
The basic compass is a simple tool. It points its needle and the travelers who use it toward magnetic north. There are variations on the device, but the classic version of it is still around. Clearly, it doesn’t need reinventing.
We can’t say the same for the Jeep Compass. The model ended the 2016 model year with a substantial year-over-year sales increase and we enjoyed our time in the Trailed Rated 2014 model that we tested a few years ago, but it’s time for a new model, with updated styling, a better interior, and more modern technology. That time is now. Jeep has reinvented the Compass.
We recently attended the media launch of the 2017 Compass in San Antonio, Texas. The all-new, completely redesigned 2017 model (yes, it’ll be a 2017 Jeep, just like the outgoing Compass) will be built in plants in four different countries and sold worldwide. Jeep will build the North American market Compass in Mexico and equip it exclusively with a 2.4-liter Tigershark I4. Two-wheel-drive Compasses will come with either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission. Their four-wheel-drive counterparts can be ordered with a six-speed stick or nine-speed auto. Four trim lines will be available:
-Sport, starting at $20,995*
-Latitude, starting at $24,295*
-Trailhawk, starting at $28,595*
-Limited, starting at $28,995*
After a presentation breaking down the new SUV’s design, features, and engineering, we searched for a free Compass with the six-speed manual. Jeep didn’t have any of those on site, so we picked a silver Limited 4X4.
On the Outside
No matter the trim line, every new Compass will resemble a scaled-down Grand Cherokee. Both vehicles have similarly shaped headlight casings. The Compass’s grille slats may be shorter than those of its larger sibling, but the DNA that makes up both faces is obvious.
Unlike the last Compass, which had a huge blank sheet metal triangle to the rear of its greenhouse, the new version has a tastefully sized “shark fin.” A strip of brightwork runs from the A-pillar, over the passenger compartment and the trapezoidal wheel arches, and to the rear lift gate. Overall, the all-new Compass has a much more modern, polished, graceful, and intentional design than its predecessor.
Our Limited test vehicle featured projector beam headlamps with LED accents, which were described by Jeep as being the white of the Compass’s eyes. It rolled on a set of available two-tone polished aluminum and gloss black 19-inch wheels. Up top, there was the optional gloss black roof, giving the Compass a sleek, Range Rover Evoque-like flair.
On the Inside
Perhaps the biggest improvement Jeep made on the Compass is its interior. Compared to other modern Jeep cabins, it may not break new aesthetic ground, but it certainly does break away from the drab, lifeless looks of the old Compass.
Whereas the outside of the all-new Compass brings the Grand Cherokee to mind, we think the interior is most similar to the Cherokee’s cockpit. That can be loaded with technologies such as fourth-generation Uconnect 5.0, 7.0, 8.4 and 8.4NAV systems with better processing power, faster startup times, and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality (depending on screen size).
Seven airbags come standard. Available safety technologies include Forward Collision Warning-Plus with active braking for emergency stops, LaneSense Departure Warning-Plus for keeping the Compass in the correct lane, Blindspot Monitoring, Rear Cross Path detection, and Adaptive Cruise Control-Plus, which can automatically bring the Compass to a full stop, if necessary.
Under the Hood
As of right now, the only engine the Compass will be available with in the U.S. is the 2.4-liter Tigershark I4 with 180 horsepower and 175 lb-ft of torque. Depending on configuration, fuel economy ratings range from a low of 22 city, 30 highway, and 25 combined (4X4s with the nine-speed auto) to a high of 23 city, 32 highway, and 26 combined (4X2s with the six-speed manual).
We hope Jeep eventually decides to offer a more powerful engine as an option (or that powertrain engineers tweak the Tigershark before the production version of the Compass comes out). The nine-speed automatic shifted smoothly, but the engine it was connected to was only adequate. It had no sense of urgency, only mechanical apathy. We gave it a shot at backroad speeds. We tried it out on the highway. We even floored it from a dead stop. In every situation, those four cylinders up front were unphased by our right-foot demands. They did their job of helping the Compass accelerate, but had no interest in ever excelling.
On the Road
The Compass may be positioned between the Renegade and Cherokee, but it drove more like the larger of the two. The steering was nicely weighted. Outward visibility was not a problem. The brakes were responsive without being overly eager. The tires were louder than the wind passing over the A-pillar, but they never really shouted as we made our way to the Flat Rock Ranch in Comfort, Texas.
Off the Road
Once we got there, it was time to make an orange Compass Trailhawk into a dirty bird. In front of us, there were controls for the Jeep Active Drive Low and five-mode Selec-Terrain systems. Around us, there were helpful Jeep Jamboree trail guides. Thanks to them and the Trailhawk’s 19 inches of water fording capability, nearly one-inch lift, and 30-degree approach, 24-degree breakover, and 34-degree departure angles, we got down, up, and across a variety of obstacles. The Compass looked like a Jeep wherever it went, especially when it had one wheel in the air above chunks of stone and proceeded to move forward.
The new Compass will have an abbreviated 2017 model year before it becomes a 2018 MY Jeep. Representatives told us the ’17 Compass will start rolling out to dealerships next week. Expect to see “significant volumes” of the new model in showrooms by the end of March and full inventories by April.
*Prices exclude $1,095 destination charge
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