2022 Jeep Compass debuts with revamped styling and a posher interior
The 2022 Jeep Compass recently debuted at the 2021 Chicago Auto Show, but it first made wares at last year's Guangzhou Auto Show. The latest Compass may look eerily similar to the outgoing version, but the most significant and most obvious change is inside the vehicle.
The outgoing Compass had a sea of plastic for the interior. Now, the updated model has a plethora of soft-touch and upholstered surfaces using more premium-feeling materials. The driver has an available frameless 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, while an 8.4-inch touchscreen with Uconnect 5 dominates the center console. If you like a bigger screen, there's an optional 10.1-inch touchscreen, too.
The 2022 Compass is also home to a new multifunction steering wheel with integrated control buttons, streamlined cupholders, available heated/ventilated seats, and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. "Our goal was to raise consumer expectations of what a compact SUV interior should look and feel like," said Chris Benjamin, Director of Interior Design, Stellantis North America.
The 2022 Jeep Compass is available in five trim levels: Sport, Latitude, Limited, Trackhawk, and a new Latitude Lux trim offering heated and power-adjustable front leather seats, a leather-wrapped tiller, 18-inch wheels, and a larger 10.1-inch touchscreen. Meanwhile, the trail-rated Compass Trailhawk still comes with a one-inch factory lift kit (for 8-inches of ground clearance), steel skid plates, red front/rear tow hooks, 17-inch wheels, and all-season performance rubber.
Power remains courtesy of a 2.4-liter Tigershark inline-four engine pumping out 177 horsepower and 172 pound-feet of torque. Admittedly, we were pining for more oomph under the hood, but it still has engine start-stop technology to deliver a decent 31 mpg on the highway (4x2).
Front-wheel-drive versions have a six-speed automatic gearbox with a 6.635 gear ratio spread and a 3.502 final-drive ratio. On the other hand, Compass AWD models get a nine-speed automatic transmission with a 4.71:1 first gear ratio and a 20:1 crawl ratio. Jeep also updated the suspension by installing a new front cross member and unique split-type shock absorber mounting points to deliver a cushier ride.
It may look similar to the old model on the styling front, but the 2022 Compass has shapelier LED headlights, new taillights, a more significant lower grille, and slimmer grille slats. Base prices start at $26,490 for the Compass Sport FWD; $28,020 for Compass Latitude, $31,090 for the all-new Latitude Lux; and $32,890 for Compass Limited.
Meanwhile, Compass Trackhawk has base prices at $33,090. The first deliveries arrive this fall. We expect the Compass 4xe plug-in hybrid to come stateside by next year, although Stellantis has yet to confirm the exact launch date.