New Jeep Compass to open up a new era for the off-road brand

Jeep - a brand still best known for tough, off-roading 4x4s such as the Wrangler - is in the midst of a transformation. With a plethora of new technology available to the US brand from its Stellantis parent company, Jeep is creating a new crop of models designed to take it into the European market’s mainstream. We’ve seen, and been impressed by, the Jeep Avenger and the new Jeep Compass is next.  

The new Jeep Compass is a hugely important model for the firm due to its positioning in the big-selling mid-size SUV segment. The model will land later this year and will share the STLA-M platform with many models under the Stellantis group umbrella like the Peugeot E-3008 and Vauxhall Grandland. The platform itself is designed mainly for electric cars but, as we have seen with the other models mentioned, customers will also be given plug-in hybrid and mild hybrid options if they aren't ready to make the EV jump.

The new Jeep Compass is expected to sit between the E-3008 and Grandland in terms of size. Our exclusive image shows how it could look with familiar squared-off Jeep styling cues and modern elements familiar from the Jeep Avenger. As with the other recent Jeep models, we should see two specification options - a basic version that’s less off-road focused and a ‘Trail Rated’ model, which will be more robust. The ‘Trail Rated’ version will bring a raised ride height and mode body protection to make it easier to venture off the beaten path.

Inside the new Jeep will borrow more technology from its fellow Stellantis group brands. We expect to see the 16-inch widescreen infotainment unit that first was showcased in the Vauxhall Grandland, together with the tough but comfortable materials we have come to expect from modern Jeeps and plenty of little design features to pique the interest.

The new Jeep Compass won’t be the last model in Jeep’s evolution, already announced for the US are cars such as the larger Wagoneer S, which is the same size as a Range Rover Velar and designed to challenge the Porsche Macan and the Audi Q6 e-tron in the premium mid-size SUV sector.

Further down the line, the Jeep Recon will land in 2025 which will be a much larger vehicle using the same STLA-L platform as the Wagoneer S. The Recon will be more focused on off-roading than the Wagoneer and will go up against the Land Rover Defender. Both of these vehicles have already been introduced and we will see the final production version of the Wagoneer S in a matter of weeks.

Jeep is also working on revamping the Renegade. This model has been a big success for the brand but the current version still uses the architecture from the old Alfa Romeo Giulietta hatchback. The new one will have a new platform and tech with a design purely focused on the European market. The new Jeep Renegade will sit next to the Avenger, which will soon have a four-wheel-drive model available, at the base of the Jeep range.

Finally, the Jeep Wrangler will remain central to everything Jeep does. The hardcore off-roader will maintain its current format in next-generation guise but discussions are currently ongoing around what the future Wrangler will look like.