With the Renegade on ice, the Compass is Jeep’s only small SUV in Australia.
Despite a redesign in 2018, its sales lag behind rivals in a segment that’s hotter than ever.
Jeep, therefore, is making some changes so to make Compass can be more magnetic.
The company hasn’t revealed much at this point, but a spokesperson says the updated Compass will arrive in the second or third quarter of 2020 with “enhanced style, safety and technology features”.
No facelift has been revealed overseas, nor is one planned. However, upgraded safety kit would be a welcome improvement to the Compass in Australia.
The current model (pictured) offers autonomous emergency braking (AEB) and forward-collision warning as an option.
Lane-departure warning is also optional, while blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert are only available as options on more expensive Limited and Trailhawk models.
Rivals such as the Nissan Qashqai, Kia Seltos, and Hyundai Kona offer AEB standard across the whole range.
The Indian-built Compass currently offers a choice of two engines. It’s not yet known if there’ll be any updates to the powertrain line-up.
Standard on the Sport, Longitude and Limited is a naturally-aspirated 2.4-litre four-cylinder petrol engine producing 129kW and 229Nm.
The Sport and Longitude are front-wheel drive-only, with a choice of six-speed manual and six-speed automatic transmissions, while the Limited is only available with all-wheel drive and a nine-speed automatic transmission.
A 2.0-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder is optional on the Limited and standard on the Trailhawk. It produces 125kW and 350Nm and is available only with all-wheel drive and a nine-speed automatic transmission.
The company recently revealed plug-in hybrid variants of the Compass and Renegade for the European market, badged 4xe.
The new models mate an electric motor to a turbocharged 1.3-litre four-cylinder engine and an 11.4kWh battery for a total output of between 139kW and 176kW, depending on the tune.
Jeep hasn’t revealed if it will introduce the Compass 4xe here.
The company is currently offering the Compass range from $28,950 drive-away to $43,950 drive-away.
There was no 2019 Compass, Jeep instead selling leftover stock from 2018.
The Compass notched 818 sales on 2019, outsold by most rivals but still beating the Ford EcoSport, Nissan Juke and Renault Captur. It also outsold the larger, more expensive Cherokee.
