All-New Jeep Compass Review

Introduction

Apparently, people don't like change. But it has worked quite well for Jeep.

After all, at the heart of every Jeep is a big engine, all-wheel drive and lots of off-road ruggedness. And that’s a problem when electrification is already here.

Yet the Jeep Avenger’s popularity has gone through the roof since it was launched as an all-electric, front-wheel drive car in 2022. Around a year later, Jeep had sold about 40,000 of them.

But, in the two years since, it sold four times that amount – helped by winning European Car of the Year in 2023.

Now, the Compass is hoping to repeat the feat with a new third-generation model.

Like the Avenger, it’s now available as an all-electric model for the first time, and also available with front-wheel drive.

It is, though, still available with all-wheel drive and a combustion engine, albeit in plug-in hybrid form.

Like the Avenger, it’s based on a platform from parent company Stellantis, which also underpins the likes of the Citroën e-C5 Aircross and the Vauxhall Grandland Electric.

At A Glance

The new Compass looks similar to its predecessor but is noticeably distinct.

The famous seven-slot grille remains, albeit made up of panels on the new version – and they light up – but it still gives off the same vibe that we’ve become accustomed to on the Compass in previous years.

Lower down, black cladding covers half the front end and continues around the sides, with almost straight-edged wheel arches, thick side skirts, and a couple of defined creases in the doors.

Around the back, the taillights are straighter than before, with a light bar running the full length of the tailgate, just above the number plate, while lower down there's more thick cladding.

It still looks tough, it's still got presence, but the Jeep is more athletic and less chunky than before.

Think less fat, more muscle – it seems the Compass has been working out at the gym.

Key Features

At launch, there are two trim levels available on the latest Jeep Compass.

Entry-level Altitude gets 19-inch alloys, a 16-inch infotainment touchscreen with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, digital radio, and a 10.25-inch digital instrument display, plus keyless entry and go.

You also get power-folding door mirrors, automatic LED headlights, cloth seats, dual-zone air conditioning, ambient lighting, and two-way lumbar adjustment.

Front and rear parking sensors, along with a bunch of safety systems we'll cover later, are also included as standard.

Range-topping First Edition gets larger 20-inch alloys, LED matrix headlights, front fog lights, privacy glass, satellite navigation, a wireless phone charger, a powered tailgate, cloth and vinyl heated seats, and a heated steering wheel. You also gain enhanced ambient lighting, a rear-view camera, and an alarm.

All electric versions get cabin pre-conditioning (enabling you to get the interior up to temperature before you get in) and a heat pump, which helps warm the cabin without using too much battery power.

For now, there's a mild-hybrid (MHEV) called the e-Hybrid, and a fully electric version. The only mechanical difference (other than the powertrain) is that the e-Hybrid gets a torsion beam rear axle. In contrast, the electric version gets a multi-link setup.

The e-Hybrid comes with a 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol engine, producing 145PS, with a six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

There will be three electric versions, although only the front-wheel drive model producing 213PS is available at the moment.

A longer-range model outputting around 231PS and a dual-motor all-wheel drive variant upping the power to around 375PS will also be following at some point.

A plug-in hybrid (PHEV) model is also in the works, featuring a 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol mill combined with an electric motor to generate around 195PS.

Range and Batteries

The Compass comes with two battery sizes: 73.7kWh and 97kWh.

That is good enough for a claimed range of 310 miles with the smaller battery, 375 miles with the larger battery, 404 miles with all-wheel drive, and 375 miles with front-wheel drive.

At launch, only the front-wheel drive version with the 73.7kWh battery is offered.

These are impressive figures, although expect to achieve around two-thirds to three-quarters of the claimed range in real-world conditions.

The e-Hybrid's tiny battery, by comparison, is just 0.9kWh, in case you were wondering.

Performance & Drive

The Electric version we’re testing gets from 0-62mph in 8.5 seconds, which is sufficiently strong – and, of course, the more powerful versions will likely eat into that time.

By comparison, the 10.3-second time of the e-Hybrid feels pedestrian and quickly out of puff, though it weighs well over half a tonne less than the electric version we’re focusing on.

The e-Hybrid’s gearbox isn’t particularly smooth either, and initial acceleration feels like a chore at anything above 20 or 30mph, although it doesn’t screech at higher revs as much as rivals, so it’s not all bad news.

But our electric model in First Edition trim seems untroubled, with punchy acceleration delivered in large dollops as soon as you hit the throttle – and it’s fine getting up to motorway speeds and accelerating to overtake.

Handling isn’t really the point of a Jeep, and the steering confirms that. The wheel is very light, fails to firm up much around bends, and provides little in the way of feel or feedback, so you have no real sense that there's any connection to the front wheels.

However, it is accurate and sufficiently confident at most speeds, and there’s a decent amount of grip around bends, although the tyres feel easily overwhelmed when pushed.

The body lean is about what you’d expect on an SUV like this, but Jeeps are designed to feel bulky and rugged. So, with that in mind, it duly delivers and, as a result, is enjoyable in its own unique way.

Our electric version feels slightly softer than the e-Hybrid. Indeed, the model seems to have greater breadth in the road surfaces it can competently handle, compared with the e-Hybrid.

Of course, some features give a hat tip to off-roading, with various traction settings designed for mud and snow, but this is still a car built for the road.

If you do want to take it off-roading, its approach angle is 20 degrees, and its departure angle is 26 degrees – the former figure will likely limit how challenging an off-road course it can handle.

Regenerative braking is available in four modes – three controlling the ferocity as per your selection, and one adaptive mode – and it’s not the most intuitive regen system we’ve ever used, in terms of getting used to it. It is adjustable by pulling the paddles behind the steering wheel.

If you’re leasing a Compass for towing, you might be disappointed with the figures. The Electric Compass can only tow 1,000kg, although the all-wheel drive variant should be able to pull more. The limit is slightly higher at 1,150kg in the e-Hybrid.

Charging

The Electric Compass can charge at a maximum rate of 160kW DC. That means a 10-80% top-up takes 31 minutes with the smaller battery.

11kW AC home charging is possible, upgradable to 22kW with an optional extra, though bear in mind many homes can’t support these speeds.

A 7kW home wallbox might be more typical, taking just under 12 hours for the smaller battery to reach 0-100% recharge.

Running Costs & Emissions

The electric version, of course, has no emissions and no MPG figure – it'll be very cheap to run, especially if you can charge it up at home – and it’ll be the one to go for if you’re after a company car, due to its low Benefit In Kind tax rate.

The e-Hybrid returns 47.8mpg and emits 133g/km of CO2, neither of which is bad.

We don't yet know the forthcoming PHEV's figures, but it’ll be much more economical than the e-Hybrid.

Reliability-wise, Jeep has done terribly in recent years, languishing near the bottom of customer dependability surveys.

Interior & Technology

The Jeep Compass’s interior looks anything but rugged. However, it’s very nice and modern, with a chunky, flat-bottomed steering wheel, and there’s plenty of silver trim to break up the otherwise monotonal, dark colour scheme.

There is a nice rotary drive selector on the centre console, too, and the cabin is adorned with plenty of soft-touch, plush materials, as well as wipe-clean rubber floor mats, while even the seat upholstery is designed to be easy to clean.

In all honesty, while it’s very pleasant, there's little to give away the fact that you're sitting in a Jeep, other than the prominent badge in the middle of the wheel.

But look closer, and you'll find the odd nod to the past, including features that resemble the classic Willys Jeep.

Unfortunately, a closer gander will also uncover that many of the materials aren’t as premium as they seem, and there are much cheaper, thinner plastics in places, especially lower down.

Jeep, now under Stellantis, inevitably means parts from Peugeots and Fiats are used across multiple brands, including here. But Jeep is supposed to be a premium SUV brand, and the lack of first-class materials in places shows.

The enormous infotainment touchscreen steals the show, though. At 16.0 inches, it's one of the largest screens in any car, and it's got a customisable home screen so you can pick the shortcuts you use most. Plus, there are haptic touch buttons underneath.

The display is very clear, and the interface is nice. The screen responds reasonably quickly to your inputs, though the menu layout isn’t particularly intuitive, and some icons are hard to hit while driving.

Likewise, the air conditioning controls are buried in the touchscreen, making it trickier to adjust the temperature while on the move.

Mind you, the temperature controls are always in view, regardless of which menu you’re on, so you don’t need to go hunting through screen after screen.

The 10.25-inch digital instrument display behind the steering wheel is crisply clear, too, but it doesn’t offer as much customisability as rivals.

Overall, it’s a nice-looking interior, but the more time you spend in the cabin, the more you’ll likely notice the imperfections which detract from its credibility as a high-end product.

Practicality & Boot Space

Finding a comfy driving position is straightforward, thanks to the electric front seat adjustment in our test car, although it’s part of an optional extra pack.

That pack also adds a massage function, which is very nice when in use, but it makes the seats slightly less comfortable when you're not using it.

Still, there’s a decent amount of legroom and headroom inside, and the cabin is sufficiently broad to accommodate two front occupants without competing for shoulder room.

In the back, there's reasonable headroom and enough legroom to accommodate adults, although very tall grown-ups might feel a bit hemmed in. There isn't much under-thigh support, and the floor is relatively high up.

Forward visibility is fine, thanks to a relatively high driving position and thin windscreen pillars, which help you get a good view at junctions.

At the rear, the tapering side windows, which don't extend far enough back, create very thick pillars that, combined with the sloping roofline, limit over-the-shoulder visibility.

Still, front and rear parking sensors are included on all Compasses, with a rear-view camera featured on the First Edition model we’re driving.

Practicality-wise, 550 litres of boot space is offered in both Electric and eHybrid models, expanding to 1,695 litres with the rear seats folded in a convenient and versatile 40:20:40 split.

There is also a significant amount of underfloor storage, too, but no ‘frunk’ space under the bonnet, as you’ll find in some electric cars.

The cabin features lots of storage space, too (apparently 34 litres, according to Jeep, well over double the amount of the old Compass).

It includes big door bins and a large cubby beneath the central armrest, as well as charging ports and cupholders.

Safety

The Jeep Compass has recently been put through its paces by Euro NCAP, the crash-testing experts.

It earned a four-star rating, scoring 80% for adult occupants, 85% for children and 66% for safety assists.

Jeep will be disappointed with this, seeing as the old Compass earned a five-star rating with scores of 90%, 83% and 59% respectively.

That was back in 2017, though, and the testing criteria are revised every couple of years as technology improves. Therefore, the scores can't be seen as a like-for-like comparison between the outgoing Compass and the new one.

At least it's an improvement on the Avenger, which, when tested in 2024, earned only a three-star rating, with lower scores than the Compass across all three categories.

Our test car comes with automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, forward collision warning, Level 2 autonomous driving, front and rear parking sensors, and Jeep's Selec-Terrain system. They are included on all models as standard, while First Edition models also get a rear-view camera.

Options

There is a small handful of options for the Jeep Compass.

It comes in Pacific Blue as the default colour on the Altitude trim, and in Hawaii (a yellowy-green) on the First Edition model.

Both shades are available on both trims, along with white, Amazonia brown, Vulcano black, and Yosemite grey, while you can also have them all with a black roof.

The Electric version can upgrade the onboard charger from 11kW to 22kW.

You can also choose the Premium Pack to upgrade the seats with grey and black vinyl inserts featuring perforations, ventilation, and a massage function, plus eight-way electric adjustment, as we had in our First Edition test car.

Enhanced active cruise control, a panoramic sunroof and a premium audio system are all part of optional extra packs, too.

Rival Cars

The Jeep Compass doesn't have many obvious foes, given the brand’s heritage as an off-road specialist.

That said, alternative SUVs include the Kia EV3, Volvo EX30, Skoda Elroq and Renault Scenic E-Tech, all of which are fully electric.

The Volkswagen ID.4 and Tesla Model Y, along with the Skoda Enyaq and Kia EV5, might also be suitable alternatives. There is also the Hyundai Ioniq 5.

If you’re not bothered by an electric car, then Nissan’s Qashqai, Ford Puma and the Skoda Karoq might be tempting to lease, along with the Kia Sportage.

Verdict & Next Steps

Overall, the Jeep Compass is a big improvement over its predecessor.

It has got contemporary looks, a nice interior, a large infotainment screen, and plenty of features as standard.

It is also competitively priced for its size, with several smaller rivals in a similar ballpark, so you'll get more practicality for your money, too.

However, the Compass doesn't offer anything that makes it stand out from the rest, and, particularly in how it drives, it lacks distinctive features that make it more tempting than any other Stellantis car.

Yes, it has a rugged personality that exceeds that of other SUVs, but the reality is most people won't need that unless they use a farm track to get between the front door and the main road.

It is easy to drive, but forgettable – and, as lovely as the interior is, it's also got some materials that detract from Jeep’s claimed positioning as a premium product.

All things considered, it’s a good bet to lease, but brands such as Kia offer even more refinement and similar equipment levels.

Where to next?

View latest Jeep Compass lease deals - from just £412.00 per month inc VAT**.

Call us on 0118 3048 688 or hit the green 'Enquire' button for more details.

Looking for a great leasing deal? Check out our incredible range of Special Offers and Lease Deals. 

New SUV? Read our latest Reviews and find the right model for you.

Want to know more about leasing? Take a look at our comprehensive Leasing Guides.

Interested in everything motoring? Why not catch up on all the latest Car Leasing News.

**Score based on Select’s unique meta score analysis, taking into account the UK’s top leading independent car website reviews of theJeep Compass.

**Correct as of 15/01/2026. Based on 12 months initial payment, 5,000 miles annually, over a 48 month lease. Initial payment equivalent to 12 monthly payments, or £4,944.00 (Plus admin fee) Ts and Cs apply. Credit is subject to status.