Jeep Compass to Spearhead Brand Revival in Ireland
The rebirth of an icon has commenced. The first new Jeep products to launched since Fiat SpA assumed control of Jeep and Chrysler in 2009 have just been presented to the motoring press in Italy and central to the brand's success in Ireland will be the new Jeep Compass, which gains a sophisticated new exterior design and a completely revamped interior, while also offering the performance, handling, fuel efficiency and, crucially, the value-for-money normally associated with C-Segment vehicles.
The new Jeep Compass is easily recognised thanks to its new front end which adopts the look of the 2011 Grand Cherokee, complete with power-bulge bonnet and reflector headlamps. It also gets new front fenders with trapezoid wheel arches and a reworked seven-slot grille, two of Jeep's hallmark design features. The rear is also subtly revised with a new boot lid, spoiler, LED tail lamps and revised brightwork. A new set of roof rails and new wheel designs round out the styling revisions.
Inside, the Jeep Compass benefits from a new multi-function steering wheel as well as new soft-touch materials on the door cards and centre armrest, while full leather trim with heated front seats are standard on all Irish models. Other standard features include climate control, four electric windows, keyless entry and sunscreen glass, while an electric sunroof and a premium sound system with nine Boston Acoustic speakers are amongst the options.
Naturally, the MacPherson front and Multi-link rear suspension systems of the Jeep Compass have been refined to suit European tastes with higher spring and damper rates and a thicker rear anti-roll bar. Standard safety equipment includes stability control (ESC), roll mitigation, brake traction control, hill-holder, six airbags, ABS with rough-road detection and a tyre-pressure monitoring system.
The engine range has also been tweaked for Europe and kicks off with a 2.0-litre, petrol-powered, front-wheel drive model that produces 156hp and 190Nm of torque. Thanks to variable valve timing on the inlet and outlet valves, the petrol-powered Compass offers surprising performance, flexibility and fuel economy (7.6L/100km) and with CO2 emissions of 175g/km it falls into VRT Band E. Pricing hasn't been confirmed yet but Jeep is confident that the entry-level Compass will be competitive enough to tempt more than a few drivers out of their hatchbacks and imitation off-roaders.
The new 2.2-litre turbo-diesel engine will be the top seller in Ireland, of course, and will be offered with two power outputs - 136hp and 163hp although peak torque (320 Nm) remains the same for both engines. The low-output unit will be available with front-wheel drive models only and its performance is more-or-less on a par with the high-power unit, which is offered with all-wheel drive only and boasts an increased 2,000kg towing capacity. At launch, the 136hp version's emission of 161g/km place it in VRT Band D while the 163hp all-wheel drive model produces 172g/km (VRT Band E) but Jeep, in association with Fiat Powertrain Technologies, is currently working to substantially reduce these emissions figures which means that by the time Irish customers start place their orders for January 2012, the Jeep Compass 2.2 CRD 4x2 Limited is expected to fall into VRT Band C, thereby improving its competitiveness.
Naturally, being a Jeep, the Compass offers benchmark off-road capability and this is thanks to its “Freedom Drive I” full-time 4x4 system which sends 95 percent of its torque to the front wheels in normal driving conditions but which can automatically respond to slippery conditions and send up to 50 percent of the torque to the rear axle to boost traction. It also features a lockable, electronically-controlled centre differential for tackling more extreme conditions such as deeper snow and sand. The Compass' 4X4 system works in conjunction with the vehicle’s stability control, ABS and Brake Traction Control systems to ensure the best handling and traction characteristics at all times.