Jeep has always been an authentically American brand with its design, engineering and even manufacturing firmly rooted in the American Midwest.
However, with the steadily rising popularity and the auto industry rapidly changing, Jeep has stepped into the future with a European flair by launching a new version of the Jeep Compass this week in Turin, Italy.
Antonella Bruno, head of the Jeep brand Europe, unveiled the new Compass, the first Jeep SUV ever launched in Europe. The launch marks a major step in the importance of the brand around the world and especially in Europe, Bruno said. The new Compass was developed “to speak with a more European language with enhanced finishes and advanced on-board technology,” she said.
New offerings on the new Compass
The new Compass offers features that take it to an even higher level in terms of design, safety, technology and capability by combining Jeep’s off-road prowess and on-tarmac functionality to meet the needs of customers in the segment, she added.
Rational, factual people, they are also fascinated by the possibility of getting away from their daily routines: “we call them pragmatic dreamers,” Bruno said. The new Compass has a strong aesthetic character, enhanced by a refined and distinctive style, which remains true to the brand’s styling cues, driving dynamics and more sophisticated safety and connectivity.
It offers a balance between performance and emotions, rational usage and dreams of freedom and adventure. All in the name of the brand’s claim: “Go Anywhere, Do Anything.” Because 80 years later, Jeep remains Jeep, Bruno said.
All charged up
Along with Renegade, the Compass was the first model to feature the 4xe logo, which identifies all Jeep 4×4 vehicles offering enhanced hybrid capability and performance. This provides a balance between efficiency, driving fun and attention to the environment with plug-in hybrid technology for 100% electric, zero-emissions driving — the combination of 4xe capabilities and sustainable mobility.
Approximately one in four Compass models sold in Europe is a 4xe version. The 4xe variant is the best-selling plug-in hybrid model in Italy, the company noted.
The 2022 Compass also is available with a range of internal combustion engines, including a new 1.3-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder. It’s designed to offer outstanding performance, while delivering excellent driving comfort and efficiency.
European success
The 2017 Jeep Compass marked the return of the brand to the compact SUV segment and was the first Jeep specially designed to hit global roads. It laid the foundation for the success of Jeep in Europe, accounting for more than 40% of its sales, and confirming its position as one of the Jeep models most appreciated by European customers.
Major highlights of the new Compass include the full-HD digital 10.25-inch instrument cluster, DAB radio, Uconnect 5 system with touchscreens from 8.4-inch to 10.1-inch, moved to the middle of the dashboard in a higher position so the driver can remain focused on the road, a five times faster processor, Android operating system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration, interactive 3D TomTom navigation and natural voice recognition, and Uconnect Services.
The new Compass is the first Jeep vehicle in Europe to offer level 2 autonomous driving and is equipped with the latest generation ADAS, as standard across the range, including traffic sign recognition, intelligent speed assist, to automatically keep the car within the speed limit advertised and drowsy driver alert as well automatic emergency braking.
