Jake Groves is CAR’s News Editor, and has been part of the CAR team since April 2017.
Once more, with feeling? That’s what the new Jeep Compass feels like, launching with a new generation that’s designed to be more practical, reliable, user-friendly and generally more competitive than the last one was.
Not exactly a high bar, really, because the last one was woeful. But how has Jeep improved its mid-level, family-friendly SUV? Let’s find out…The whole car is, effectively. This is now Jeep’s heartland offering, with the Compass being one of a bazillion choices in the most hotly contested part of the car market in Europe. Execs within the brand want this to be a conquest car for Jeep much like the smaller Avenger is, hoping to draw in new buyers via its mix of utilitarian ideals and providing the maximum amount of ‘capability’ – even if that doesn’t necessarily mean traditionally Jeep attributes like excelling at the most hardcore off-road scenarios. Instead, the marketing spin is that the Compass is capable for modern life. ‘The target is to improve and then be best-in-class in terms of the capability of the vehicle,’ Fabio Catone, Jeep Europe boss, tells CAR. ‘I asked a lot of people in the brand what capability meant, and received a lot of answers. It’s the ability to go off road, yes, but it’s the ability to handle your screaming kids in the supermarket car park when you have loads of bags to put in the boot. We translate capability into the ability to overcome an obstacle – whether that is off-road or in life.’ Marco Montepeloso, Jeep’s head of European product planning, adds: ‘when we talk about capability, it’s more than just about approach and departure angles. We want to be sure that everything we’re doing in terms of off-road attributes is actually bringing a benefit to everyday life.’For now, the combustion Compass is only available with a 48-volt mild hybrid engine labelled as an e-Hybrid. A plug-in hybrid will follow later in 2026. There is also the electric Compass model, The e-Hybrid model uses a 1.2-litre mild hybrid that develops a total of 143bhp to play with via the engine and e-motor. It’s strictly front-wheel drive, with power being sent to the wheels via a six-speed dual-clutch. Jeep claims a 0-62mph sprint in 10 seconds, a top speed of 121mph and a claimed fuel economy of 47.8mpg. In fact, there is no four-wheel drive Compass model that uses a combustion engine in its powertrain mix; both this mild e-Hybrid and the upcoming PHEV are exclusively front-wheel drive. Not very Jeep not to at least offer an all-wheel drive alternative.Early on, what seems to set the Compass apart from other cars that use the same architecture is the steering. It’s a progressive setup that winds more steering angle on the more you turn the wheel, as opposed to one that turns the wheels at the same rate. That allows for quite a relaxed driving style generally, requiring little effort at a cruise and less arm twisting than you’d expect around tighter bends. Our test drive was in and around Barcelona, driving across urban streets, the city’s congested highways and out in the twisty hills and, overall, the ride comfort and refinement is impressive regardless of the situation. Body control is well controlled, the tyres equipped to our test cars were quiet and bumps are delat with well. We’ll reserve final judgement until we get one in the UK to test, but first impressions are good. The e-Hybrid powertrain is largely fine. There’s a hardworking and gently buzzing three-cylinder turbo beavering away most of the time, and the engine will cut out and run on e-power at low speeds or in traffic to increase fuel efficiency. The DCT the engine works with is largely fine but can feel a little lurchy at slow speeds every now and then. Performance isn’t anything special though – if you want a brisk Compass model, you’d have to stump up for the EV or wait for the PHEV. We did do a bit of biffing about off-road on some dusty, gravel tracks and the Compass handled itself perfectly well. We’d argue the Selec-Terrain system that changes the drive modes didn’t seem to do much at all, despite the addition of a Sand/Mud mode. The whole experience largely felt useless when a man with a Renault Trafic van followed us and managed the route just as well as we did, mind.If we’re comparing all the cars that run on the same architecture, the Grandland’s interior is a bit German airport lounge, the C5 Aircross’ is a little like being in a Salvador Dali’s living room while the Peugeot 3008’s has a bit of a try-hard overwrought French fashion show vibe about it. The Compass’ cockpit, meanwhile, is a little more down to earth and utilitarian, but without feeling cheap. There are plenty of rubberised materials and storage cubbies in the dashboard, as well as an ultra-wide and glossy infotainment screen included in every spec and a general feeling of put-together-ness. It is generally quite grey and drab in here, though – it could do with some more interesting interior colour choices. Naturally, there are plenty of common parts , but the steering wheel has some neat unique touches and the drive selector on the centre console has a satisfyingly rubberywhen you twist it. Common with everything else is the infotainment, which is… fine. Sometimes a little slow to use but relatively okay to operate; Jeep has helped us out by adding a row of physical buttons along the bottom. The seats feel supportive with a good amount of adjustment for the seat and steering wheel, and they’re upholstered with some quite hard-wearing vinyl upholstery. Space in the second row is good enough for tall adults sitting behind tall drivers, while boot volume is the same as a Vauxhall Grandland, rated to 550 litres. That’s split via a false floor.There are currently two specs of Compass to choose from: Altitude and First Edition . Altitude is, frankly, already well equipped; 19-inch alloys, auto LED headlights, power mirrors, two-zone climate control, Jeep’s Selec-Terrain traction control system, loads of safety tech, keyless entry and start and all-round parking sensors. First Edition throws in larger 20-inch alloys, matrix LED headlights, a backlit grille, wireless charger, powered tailgate, heated seats and a heated steering wheel. Also, bizarrely, an alarm is only equipped on this trim; kind of crazy that you have to pay for top spec to get one – get it together, Jeep. Keeping the Compass simple feels like the best option, here. Given our less-than-stellar impression of the plug-in hybrid C5 Aircross and its lack of refinement, we’re not keen to tell you to wait for it. Performance from the e-Hybrid model is adequate, and the Altitude spec already has plenty of kit for around £34k – a cheaper entry price than that of the Vauxhall Grandland or Peugeot 3008. Nissan’s basic Qashqai undercuts it, though, while Ford’s base Kuga does too but offers less equipment. In general, then, the Compass e-Hybrid is reasonably competitive in terms of pricing which may give it an edge.Jeep’s focus on ‘capability’ has largely paid off, with the Compass feeling like a reasonably practical and largely user-friendly car to live with. It’s very inoffensive to drive, being neither interesting or exciting to chuck around, and its powertrain could be smoother. But it’s quiet, comfortable and – something that feels like a rarity these days – won’t be a headache to own.Ford Kuga review: still the dynamic benchmarkJake has been an automotive journalist since 2015, joining CAR as Staff Writer in 2017. With a decade of car news and reviews writing under his belt, he became CAR's Deputy News Editor in 2020 and then News Editor in 2025. Jake's day-to-day role includes co-ordinating CAR's news content across its print, digital and social media channels. When he's not out interviewing an executive, driving a new car for review or on a photoshoot for a CAR feature, he's usually found geeking out on the latest video game, buying yet another pair of wildly-coloured trainers or figuring out where he can put another car-shaped Lego set in his already-full house.
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