Ten Second Review

Now part of the Fiat Group, following its 'troubled period', Jeep has promised a 'product led resurgence' and the revised Compass is its first fruit. With the smaller Patriot now dropped from the British line-up, this compact 4x4 hints at a more polished brand image with a facelift that apes the design of the forthcoming new Grand Cherokee and a cabin featuring some classier chrome trims and soft-touch plastics.

Background

Jeep held out a surprising amount of time before gingerly bringing its first soft-roader to market. Here was a brand built on uncompromising reliability and dauntless prowess in the rough stuff but it knew only too well where the money was. Staying out of the burgeoning market for compact road-going 4x4 vehicles would have been a difficult one to justify at the shareholders meeting, so Jeep bit the bullet and the Compass arrived in April 2007, predating its slightly tougher-looking Patriot sister vehicle by a couple of months. But although both vehicles shared their basic mechanicals with the Mitsubishi Outlander - and, because of the tie-in between the Japanese marque and PSA Peugeot Citroen, the Peugeot 4007 and Citroen C-Crosser as well - neither thrived in the UK and, after a period of pretty dismal sales, were quietly shuffled out Jeep's UK showrooms. But now the Compass is back looking a lot smarter and, with a range-topping Mercedes-sourced diesel engine, aiming to pack an even bigger value punch.

Driving Experience

The petrol side of the range kicks off with a front-wheel drive 154bhp 2.0-litre car with a manual gearbox and graduates to a 168bhp 2.4 driving to all four wheels via a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT). But most Compass customers will go for the new Mercedes-sourced 2.1-litre common rail turbodiesel, offered with 134bhp and front-wheel drive or 161bhp and four-wheel drive - both teamed with manual transmissions. The car we're looking at here is the 2.1-litre CRD 4x4 Limited model with the higher output version of the Merc motor, and a part-time four-wheel drive system with a lockable 50/50 power split. Performance is certainly gutsy with plenty of pulling power from modest revs. This is just as well because refinement tails off significantly if you push the engine harder. It's best to use the slick six-speed gearbox to tap into the ample supply of torque. And once in top, the Compass is a relaxed enough motorway cruiser with a surprisingly supple ride. B roads present more of a challenge, though, exposing the Jeep's less than exemplary body control and tendency to be unsettled by bumps. Overlight and inconsistent steering doesn't help, making it difficult to place the Compass with much confidence or accuracy and there's plenty of road roar from the tyres on coarse surfaces. In other words, it's no Freelander on tarmac. However, its 4x4 credentials look much more solid, with 20 degree approach and departure angles and a whopping 2000kg braked trailer towing capacity.

Design and Build

Think downsized Grand Cherokee (the forthcoming model doesn't look so very different to its predecessor) and you've got the style of the new Compass in a nutshell. Although the previous car's boxy profile, with its squared-off wheelarches, thick, angled C pillar and hidden rear door handles, has been retained, the new front end's seven slot grille and big badge look substantially more up-market than the rather cartoon-ish treatment of the outgoing model. The 'butch 4x4' message hasn't been diluted, though. By comparison, rivals like the Nissan Qashqai and VW Tiguan look just a little polite. Inside, the elevated driving position hasn't changed but the dash has been re-styled to good effect. The instrument display is particularly neat and clear, and the switches for the climate control and optional sat-nav are conveniently laid out. A shame, then, that the introduction of soft-touch plastics is confined to the doors and centre cubby. Much of the rest of the dash plastic feels hard and looks as if it would be easily scratched. The cabin provides plenty of room for four adults with more than adequate head- and rear legroom, but the bulky transmission tunnel means that a central rear passenger has to sit splay legged. And although the boot is wide, it's not as deep as those of some rivals. Usefully, however, the rear seat backrests fold flat (or very nearly) and the cabin is loaded with handy stowage cubbies, trays and cup holders.

Market and Model

The Compass range starts with the 2.0-litre petrol-powered Sport model, priced at just under £17,000. Entry-level cars come with air-conditioning, alloy wheels, front and rear electric windows, cruise control and an MP3 socket. The Sport+ spec adds a USB socket, climate control and Bluetooth connectivity. Topping out the range is the 2.1 Limited which, at just under £24,000, is about £1500 cheaper than an equivalent VW Tiguan or Ford Kuga and comes with leather upholstery, heated electric front seats, part-electric driver's seat adjustment, a six-disc CD autochanger.and Bluetooth. Every Compass has six airbags, stability control, and a system that can brake individual wheels to stop the car rolling over. What's more, active front head restraints are fitted to minimise whiplash injuries in a rear-end shunt. An engine immobiliser and a Thatcham Category 1 Alarm make life harder for thieves.

Cost of Ownership

No new vehicle can dodge the efficiency issue and although the Compass isn't a standard setter in its sector, its running costs won't break the bank. All the powerplants are Euro 5 compliant and even the 2.4-litre petrol unit with CVT manages to keep CO2 under 200 g/km. Much more impressive, however, is the lower-powered version of the 2.1-litre Mercedes diesel which returns a combined fuel economy figure of 46.3mpg and a carbon dioxide output of just 161g/km, a figure that wouldn't look bad on a family hatch. Go for the punchier 161bhp car and you get 42.8mpg and 172 g/km.. Insurance is sensible and residual values, while never a Compass strong point, are expected to improve with this latest model.

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