Updated Jeep Compass range sends price $8100 north

JEEP Australia has reworked its Compass range for 2020, dropping four variants from the previously six-strong line-up and adding two new ones with the Night Eagle now kicking things off from $36,950 plus on-road costs.

This new entry price is $6200 north of the outgoing Sport automatic’s, a difference which blows out to $8100 compared to the outgoing manual – the six-speed stick-shifter is no longer being offered.

While the range may have been trimmed back to four offerings, all of them feature updated creature comforts and safety tech compared to their respective predecessors as well as a few subtle styling tweaks.

As mentioned above, the Night Eagle is the new entry into the Compass range, replacing the Sport in a move which brings the small SUV into line with the bigger Grand Cherokee range.

Power in the Night Eagle – and the majority of the range – comes courtesy of the same 2.4-litre four-cylinder petrol engine as before, driving the front wheels via a six-speed automatic transmission.

As before, peak power and torque is rated at 129kW and 230Nm respectively with the entry-level car being the only front-wheel drive in the range.

Standard equipment includes a new 8.4-inch ‘Uconnect’ touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and satellite navigation, cloth and vinyl upholstery, six-speaker audio system with digital radio, dual-zone climate control, tinted privacy glass, LED ambient lighting, electric park brake, leather-wrapped steering wheel, 18-inch alloy wheels and roof rails.

Jeep has also given the Compass range a fairly comprehensive boost in standard safety equipment which now includes seven airbags, ParkView reversing camera, Parksense rear park assist system and blind spot monitoring with rear cross-path detection.

Sitting above the new Night Eagle in the range is the $42,950 Limited variant (+$1700) which has been relieved of its diesel mill to now be a petrol only affair, this time driving all four wheels via a ZF nine-speed automatic transmission.

Compared to its entry-level counterpart, the Limited adds a heap of extra goodies including the Jeep Selec-Terrain Traction Management System, leather seats, Bi-Xenon headlamps, LED tail-lights, nine-speaker sound system, coloured 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster, eight-way power adjustable driver’s seat, ParkSense front and rear parking sensors, parallel and perpendicular park assist, push button start, keyless entry, heated front seats, adaptive cruise control with stop and go, automatic high beam and power tailgate.

Above the Limited sits the S-Limited, the other new addition to the range and priced from $45,950.

Just like the Grand Cherokee S-Limited, the Compass S-Limited adds a sportier disposition to the generously specced Limited through the addition of 19-inch Graphite alloy wheels, black leather seats with Tungsten accent stitching, granite crystal exterior accents, dual-pane panoramic sunroof, black headliner and black painted roof.

Sitting atop the Compass tree is the Trailhawk, the most rugged and off-road capable of the range and the only one to still offer a diesel powerplant.

As before, the 2.0-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder mill churns out 125kW of power and a much healthier 350Nm, put down to the ground by Jeep’s Active Drive Low 4x4 system and the same ZF transmission as the Limited and S-Limited.

To make it more capable off the beaten track, the Trailhawk rides higher than its more road-oriented siblings and features an extra mode – Rockmode – in its Jeep Selec-Terrain system.

Standard kit includes off-road specific suspension, remote start, unique front and rear fascias, black anti-glare bonnet decal, red tow hooks, hill descent control, four underbody skid plates, ‘Trail Rated’ badging, full size spare wheel, all-weather floor mats, reversible cargo mat and neutral grey exterior accents in addition to the standard kit found on the Limited.

Pricewise, the new Trailhawk comes in $4700 more expensive than the 2019 model at $49,450 due to the added safety gear and features shared throughout the range.

Jeep Australia brand and product strategy director Guillaume Drelon said the updated Compass range “celebrates style, safety and technology, superb comfort and best in class capability”.

“The new Jeep Compass range provides customers with a significantly improved package with a genuine premium feel, completed with advanced safety and technology updates,” he said.

“The refined and stylish exterior design cues as well as premium interior appointments mirrors Jeep’s flagship Grand Cherokee range.”

Jeep has sold just 210 Compasses so far this year ending May, accounting for just 0.6 per cent of the sub-$40,000 small SUV segment as opposed to the 1.2 per cent it occupied at the same period last year (443 sales).

2020 Jeep Compass pricing*

*Excludes on-road costs