- Off-road giant jeep wants to continue to grow in Europe
- Gas-Guzzling SUVs have been replaced by hybrid and electric
- New compass is set to be the most skilled car in its class
Despite the fact that Jeep is about as American as peanut butter-and-jelly-sandwich, the stellantis-owned producer creates waves in Europe with its line-up of electrified SUVs.
The smaller Avenger model available in fully electric, hybrid and gasoline versions has already proven a success story that blends the brand’s famous off-road skill with a compact and practical everyday crossover vehicle.
Now, the new compass hopes to build on these successes with brand new looks and a very electrified selection of driveline lines. It will compete in the growing C-SUV segment in Europe, which Autocar claims are expected to be 90% electrified by the end of 2026.
By turning your back on the gas-Guzzling image that Chunky models such as Wrangler and Gladiator think of, the new compass is built on the same Stellantis STLA media Architecture as Peugeot, Vauxhall and Citroen Medium SUVs and many sports many electrified drivers.
The combustion-driven compass has the option of “mild hybrid” and plug-in variants that predominantly use the engine to drive the car, but either increases overall efficiency (mild hybrid) or adds allelectric driving options at a short distance (plug-in).
But Jeep says the clean electric version comes with either a 211BHP or 229BHP engine mounted on the front axle, offering 311 miles of range from a smaller 73kWh battery or up to 404 miles from a row-topping 96kWH package.
The most expensive alleh-electric models, Badged 4xe, arrive with an additional engine on the rear axle, deliver Jeep’s famous Selec-Terrain four-wheel drive and offer up to 370BHP and a staggering 3100NM available on the rear wheels thanks to a 14: 1 rear reduction.
This allows the compass to climb up to 20% slope, says Jeep, even with zero traction on the front wheels, as the clean grunt from the rear wheels can handle the heavy lift.
The charging speeds are up to 160 kW, allowing for a 10 to 80% charging in 30 minutes and the battery’s electrical range is touted to exceed 400 miles.
The 4XE model also receives improved soil spacing thanks to a 100 mm increase in suspension height and a number of off-road-specific touches, such as knob tires and a more aggressive, scuff-resistant body set.
The first edition versions of the compass containing all the aforementioned range kit are available to order now, with the first deliveries expected at the end of the year in Europe. Additional markets are expected to follow afterwards.
Hard cars are the hardest sale
Most car manufacturers have a hard time getting on board with the electrical revolution, and not only persuade customers that it is a good idea, but also makes the whole expensive endeavor profitable.
However, there are a number of brands that will of course have it harder than most, with Jeep mentioned in the same breath as Ferrari, Lamborghini and a handful of performance car manufacturers who are struggling to convince customers that electrification is the answer.
After all, Jeep has forged a reputation for the past 80 years for producing very skilled, combusted off-roaders that can go anywhere.
By nature, the electric vehicle cannot exactly “go anywhere”. Well, not until anyone inventing a Jerry Can-Size Portable battery capable of adding at least 300 miles of range and can be topped up in minutes from any, easily accessible charging station.
But Jeep knows that the only way to make money is to chase the most popular sectors, with Avenger already proving a sales success in the compact SUV sector that changes more than 2.5 million units around the world.
The company hopes it will achieve similar results with compass in Europe and further afield.
Although it is a good alternative to the 3.6-liter V6 found in Gladiator models, it will be a much harder task to reassure the North American market that battery-electric and plug-in hybrid driving drive is a good alternative to the 3.6-liter V6 found in gladiator models.
