Jeep Compass deserves to be more popular, says FCA

The upgraded MY20 Jeep Compass deserves to attract more attention than the unloved small SUV it replaces, says Fiat Chrysler Automobiles Australia chief Kevin Flynn.

Pricing and specs for the updated Jeep Compass were announced in June, when an $8000 higher admission price of $36,950 was confirmed for a paired-back line-up that now opens with the new front-drive Night Eagle auto variant and includes more standard safety and tech features across the range.

Despite the price hikes, Flynn believes the MY20 Jeep Compass range will arrest the model’s 42 per cent sales slide so far this year, when it accounted for less than one per cent of all compact SUVs sold in Australia.

In a market dominated by the Mitsubishi ASX, which found almost 8000 buyers to July this year, the Jeep Compass notched up just 331 sales.

That made it less popular than not only the ASX but the Hyundai Kona, Toyota C-HR, Honda HR-V, Subaru XV, Kia Seltos and new Mazda CX-30, all of which are priced from under or around $30,000.

“We’ve taken out the entry [Sport manual] models because to be honest people weren’t buying them and there’s no point trying to sell vehicles people don’t want,” said Flynn.

“Sometimes you try to specify a vehicle that hits a certain price point but it doesn’t have much appeal, so I prefer to bring vehicles that have the right spec and better value.

“We’ve added far more than we’ve actually charged for, so we’ve increased the value of the proposition but actually we’ve made it more appealing.”

The Jeep Australia boss said the latest Compass would be more popular than before not only due its improved value, but its class-leading off-road credentials.

“A lot of people buy SUVs these days and sedans are now undoubtedly in decline, so we end of with more specialist vehicles as opposed to mainstream cars,” he said.

“The convenience of an SUV – they’re easy to get in and out of, there’s a lovely driving position, seats all down, kids, the whole flexible lifestyle thing – so SUVs make a lot of sense.

“And particularly in countries like Australia where you’ve got a lot of outback roads, they’re just so flexible.

“But the thing is a Jeep is different to an SUV. We’re selling an SUV segment, but actually a Jeep – every single Jeep and it doesn’t matter which one it is – still has the DNA of the original Willys baked in it from the word go.

“So when we talk about Compass, which is a project I was very close to when it was developed for right-hand drive, you look at that vehicle and it starts off with making sure we’ve got the right approach angle, breakover point departure angles, the right level of articulation, and once we’ve got that then we start thinking about the other things.

“For example, there’s not another vehicle in that segment that’s got frequency adjusting dampers.

“So it’s got a very cleverly designed, high-articulation Chapman rear suspension, whereas when people go and buy an SUV, they’re buying a slightly higher vehicle… We deliver that, but also actually far more.”

Flynn admitted that Jeep Australia had failed to communicate the off-road strengths of the Compass to potential customers in the past.

“It’s got all the baked in things of a Jeep. It’s like a compact version of the Grand Cherokee. Obviously, it’s a very different vehicle, but in terms of what it offers and what it can do…

“But have we made enough noise about that, have we made that accessible, have we encouraged people to evaluate that?

“If you’re driving along in a Compass and you need to drive through a river, you can and nothing else will do that.

“OK that might not be the mass of that segment but actually we can appeal to that mass and there’s a lot more tools in the toolbox ready for anybody that wants to use it.
We need to uncover that and that’s what I’m hoping with 2020 model year.”

As we’ve reported, there are no changes to the 129kW 2.4-litre four-cylinder petrol engine fitted to all variants bar the top-shelf Compass Trailhawk, paired to a six-speed automatic transmission.

Standard equipment for the MY20 Jeep Compass Night Eagle includes 18-inch black alloy wheels, navigation, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, digital radio, cloth/synthetic leather seat trim, leather steering wheel trim, roof rails, LED interior lighting and tinted windows, as well as the same 8.4-inch infotainment unit that’s used throughout the range.

Safety and driver assist features standard on every variant include blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, forward collision warning, reverse camera and rear parking sensors.

The MY20 Jeep Compass Limited ($42,950 plus ORCs) adds adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, an electric tailgate, nine-speaker sound system and heated leather seats.

The Limited also uses the same 2.4-litre engine, but with a nine-speed ZF automatic and an all-wheel drive layout. Other features include Jeep’s Selec-Terrain Traction Management System, bi-xenon headlights, LED tail-lights, electrically adjustable driver’s seat, keyless entry/start, auto high-beam, front parking sensors and park assist.

For another $3000, the Compass S-Limited adds 19-inch Granite alloy wheels, black leather seat trim with accent stitching, a dual-pane panoramic sunroof, black painted roof, black headlining and Granite Crystal exterior accents.

The Trailhawk remains the only off-road-focused Jeep Compass variant and gets a $4700 price hike for MY20 – now priced at $49,450 (plus ORCs).

The ‘trail-rated’ Trailhawk is the only diesel-powered variant, with a 125kW/350Nm 2.0-litre turbo-diesel engine paired to the same nine-speed auto and Jeep’s Active Drive Low 4×4 System.

Standard equipment on the Trailhawk includes Jeep Selec-Terrain with Rock Mode, off-road suspension with raised ride height, an anti-glare bonnet decal, tow hooks, bash plates, all-weather floor mats, hill descent control and more.

Optional extras include premium paint ($645), a black painted roof for the Compass Limited ($545) and a dual-pane sunroof for Night Eagle, Limited and Trailhawk variants ($1950).

“We’ve addressed some of the issues that were there,” said Flynn.

“We’ve now put the big screens in, we’ve put all the safety equipment in from the entry. The two-wheel drive Night Eagle is beautiful inside, but once you get into the Limited S with the 4x4 and then the Trailhawk which has the trail rating you’ve got extreme capability, which only a Jeep can have.

“I think it deserves a better share of that segment, which is very bouyant, but the majority are sold at the entry-level and they’re nothing more than a jacked-up car.

“So I think our expectation for it to do better is justified.”

How much does the 2020 Jeep Compass range cost?
Night Eagle 2.4 FWD auto – $36,950
Limited 2.4 AWD auto – $42,950
S-Limited 2.4 AWD auto – $45,950
Trailhawk 2.0D AWD auto – $49,450
* Prices exclude on-road costs