The Jeep Compass is a compact crossover utility vehicle from Fiat Chrysler’s rugged-image Jeep brand. Now in its second generation, the Compass is built on a stretched version of the same platform underpinning the subcompact Jeep Renegade, as well as the Fiat 500X.
The Jeep Compass in its current guise first burst onto the scene for the 2017 model year, replacing both the first-generation Compass, and the also-compact Jeep Patriot – a model that was basically a restyled, rebadged version of the same utility vehicle. While the Compass has matured significantly since its initial introduction, growing more sophisticated and more capable over the past decade, it’s still more-or-less aimed at first-time Jeep buyers – or at least those who don’t necessarily spend their weekends hitting the trails.
An exception to that is the Jeep Compass Trailhawk, which – as its name suggests – is aimed at compact crossover buyers who are looking for a dose of off-road acumen. While the rest of the lineup is available in either front- or four-wheel-drive, the Trailhawk is 4WD only.
The Jeep Compass is somewhat overshadowed by its slightly larger compact crossover cousin, the Cherokee, but it’s still an important model line within the Jeep product range. As more and more new vehicle buyers come to forsake cars, opting instead for the extra space and elevated ride offered by most SUV offerings, automakers are left trying to plug every conceivable gap within their utility vehicle lineups. This means that the Compass can effectively split the (relatively small) difference between the smaller Renegade and the larger Cherokee and still sell.
The Jeep Compass is one of a shrinking number of current production vehicles that can be had with a manual transmission. In fact, it’s standard equipment on the base Sport trim level, although two automatic gearboxes are available as options; which one you get depends on whether FWD or 4WD is selected. The base vehicle is a bit spartan in other ways, as well, shipping with standard black-painted steel wheels, and very little standard active safety equipment.
But of course, most buyers won’t opt for the Sport, and at the top of the trim hierarchy is available all the high-tech equipment we’ve grown accustomed to seeing from similar new vehicle models: remote start, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, blind spot monitoring, and the like.
The current-generation Jeep Compass is built for the U.S. market in Toluca, Mexico. Production previously took place in Belvidere, Illinois.