Exploring the many points of the third-generation Jeep Compass

The Jeep Compass has always been a difficult model to match with the illustrious heritage of the brand. 

In 2002, Chrysler Group’s Pacifica Advanced Design Centre in California was tasked with coming up with a Jeep that could take on the wave of crossovers and small SUVs hitting the market. Targeting millenials, Micheal Castiglione (now with Rivian) created the exterior design of a concept under the watchful eye of then senior VP of design at Chrysler Group, Trevor Creed. 

The result was the Compass, a concept inspired by another concept, the Jeep Jeepster of 1998. It was only in 2006 that the production version arrived, with Creed describing it as “a compact SUV offering performance, cargo space and an attractive price.”

Its price might have been attractive, but that is certainly not an adjective that can be used to describe the design of the first-generation Compass. It had the Jeep seven-slat grille of course and the interior had a typical utilitarian feel about it, but it was a low point in Jeep design and didn’t drive any better either.

A 2011 facelift corrected things slightly, removing the bulbous look in favour of sharper lines but only in 2016 did the Compass become something that more closely resembled a modern Jeep and which crucially was much better to look at. That second generation was facelifted in 2020 and in the third generation, the Compass really has come into its own. 

For Barber and the rest of the design team tasked with creating the new Compass, it was almost a case of going back to a clean sheet of paper.

“We started from a function-driven standpoint at the beginning, to modernise,” says Barber. “Clearly we're going towards a more minimal design language, but we're keeping that classic Jeep architecture that people expect, but now we're bringing minimalism into the surfacing. We're bringing in a more sharp and minimal approach compared to before, but keeping the car serious and clearly a Jeep, so it's not going to be mistaken for something else.”

This means lots of nods to heritage, although electrification means the famed seven-slat grille is now closed off, but a neat piece of design is that the radar and front-facing camera is housed in it, away from the dirt that might accumulate on them while off-road. The headlamps are what Barber calls a “clamp” design, intended to hint at the round headlights of the classic Willy’s Jeep. The mouldings on the bumpers and side cladding are all about rugged off-roading appeal, even to the extent of using scratchproof paint and plastics while practicality also extends to the larger dimensions

The increase in size comes in part through the use of the STLA Medium platform, which is shared across Stellantis of course, being used on the new Citroën C5 Aircross, DS No.7 and Peugeot E-3008.

“The old Compass was quite compact in the C-SUV segment but we’ve added nearly 160mm to the wheelbase for the new one and it’s now bang in the middle for overall length.,” he says. “We’ve concentrated on keeping the overhangs short to give it that unique proportion but we had a clear functional brief and the longer wheelbase provides more space in the second row of seats.”

Larger proportions adds to what Barber says was the biggest challenge for the new Compass - aerodynamics. In the beginning the team didn’t think they would be able to meet the targets they were set, but they got there.

“With electrification aero is becoming more important and for the very first time we have a battery-electric Compass,” he says. “Aero was part of the discussion from the very beginning. Before we even started drawing it, the targets were set and we had to respect those. It was challenging with a boxy car like this and so we had to really look at every detail and that’s why we introduced some surprising details that you wouldn’t expect on a Jeep.”

Those details include the active grille shutters in the lower grille, air curtains and outlets in the trapezoidal wheel arches to allow air to flow through like on a sports car and there’s a subtle nod to the original Compass in the flaring of the panels around the arches themselves. Then there’s a hard edge running around the rear of the Compass inspired by the Kamm tail of the 1960s, part of a rear design that is the highlight for Barber. 

“I like the inspiration from the original Jeep Cherokee and Wagoneer at the back, a piece of architecture that has been inspired by our past but we interpreted it in a really modern way,” he says. “The backlight in particular with the ‘X’ signature that started on the Renegade and evolved on the Avenger has evolved again in a really bold way, creating a clearly identifiable signature at the back with the Jeep logo illuminated for the first time. I think when people see that, it will make a real impact.”

People will have to look closer if they want to spot the 16 Easter Eggs hidden throughout the design though. There are some obvious ones like the Jeep with its rooftop tent at the bottom of the windscreen, but then there are the four points of the compass, each placed at four locations around the exterior of the car. Climb into the back seat and there are cracked eggshells moulded into the floor mats, with footprints that run beneath the front seats to where a turtle appears in the front mats. These are part of an interior that reinterprets Jeep and focuses not just on the driver, but on all the passengers onboard.

“We tried to get a balance in the interior, modern but without being confusing.,” says Barber. “We want people to feel immediately at home so everything is more or less where you would expect it to be with a linear, architectural and functional approach. We’ve got nice new controls for the gear selector, drive modes and Select Terrain, all of which are pure, deep and chunky. We’ve used a rubberised finish so that if someone is wearing gloves first thing in the morning, they can still use these controls without fussing around. It’s all function driven, minimal and honest.”

Minimal also means more negative space on the IP, which has enabled a new “panic handle” for the front passenger and more storage areas. The team actually increased front space storage from only 14 litres in the previous generation to 34 litres in the new one. 

There’s a fully digital HMI with a 10-inch cluster and 16-inch touchscreen UI, but the good news is that there are capacitive buttons for the essentials. They don’t have haptic feedback but can be wiped off with a wet cloth and the volume control has more of that rugged rubberised material. That durability aspect also extends to the seats, with fabric that has been injected with polyurethane to make them twice as durable as regular fabric.

It’s all very well thought-through, combining all the elements of Jeep heritage with modern design and practicality. Available in mild-hybrid, plug-in hybrid and fully electric, the new Compass also happens to be really good to drive. From the days when the Compass was a model you really could not take seriously, the third generation has come into its own, not only as a serious contender in a packed C-SUV segment, but more importantly, as a Jeep.