Facelifted 2021 Jeep Compass outed

Jeep is about to facelift the Jeep Compass and, to prove it, the updated small SUV has already been spotted in China completely undisguised.

Snapped ahead of its official unveiling at the Guangzhou International Automobile Exhibition in China next month, the 2021 Jeep Compass appears to get fresh LED headlights, a redesigned grille and, in the case of the Trailhawk, a reprofiled front bumper for a better approach angle when off-roading.

At the rear, a pair of smoked tail-lights suggests minimal changes over the current model that was introduced in 2017.

Pictures of the cabin have not been released, but it's understood the changes will be limited to the introduction of a tablet-style touch-screen infotainment system and tweaked dials on the instrument cluster.

Under the skin, the arrival of the facelifted Compass will herald the debut of some new powertrains, which should include a 1.3-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder that will be combined with a nine-speed auto and offer 112kW or 134kW outputs.

The same 1.3-litre turbo also stars in the recently introduced Compass 4xe plug-in hybrid.

Using with a small 44kW electric motor, 11.4kWh battery and six-speed automatic transmission, the plug-in Jeep is available with either 140kW or 176kW and can cover up to 50km on pure-electric power alone.

Stay tuned, because more details of the refreshed Jeep Compass are set to be released following its unveiling at the Chinese car show.

It's believed the updated Jeep SUV should be on sale in early 2021.