Jeep's New Direction

Jeep is traversing terrain trickier than the fabled Rubicon Trail by crossing into “car” country with the all-new '07 Compass.

Yes, the new entry-level Jeep Compass is a cross/utility vehicle, derived from Chrysler Group's C-segment car platform that launched with the Dodge Caliber hatchback.

Zealots cringe at the thought of a front-wheel-drive Jeep, with a continuously variable transmission and urban-friendly styling that eschews the approach, break-over and departure angles necessary to achieve Trail-Rated off-road status.

The Compass provides ample fodder for brand loyalists who slammed the auto maker for going soft when the '02 Jeep Liberty (with its scandalous independent front suspension) replaced the bona fide Cherokee SUV in the lineup in mid-2001.

The Liberty never has come close to fulfilling expectations it would double Cherokee sales, but consumer acceptance of a softer side of Jeep provides the courage to take the concept a step further.

Thus the Compass, a modern Jeep for non-traditional Jeep buyers and a player in the compact utility segment Chrysler forecasts will double to 600,000 units by 2010 and triple to more than 814,000 by 2016.

Compass has the audacity to ride on a fully independent suspension and achieves best-in-class 25 mpg (9.4 L/100 km) in city driving and 29 mpg (8.1 L/100 km) on the highway with a 4-wheel drive model powered by a 2.4L 4-cyl. mated to a 5-speed manual transmission. The numbers are expected to be even better with 2-wheel drive.

For those who want automatic shifting, this Jeep uses a continuously variable transmission that Chrysler says improves fuel efficiency 6%-8% compared with a traditional 4-speed automatic.

Chrysler's 2.4L DOHC I-4 World Engine in the Compass produces 172 hp and 165 lb.-ft. (223 Nm) of torque, better than the 4-cyls. of many segment stalwarts, including the Toyota RAV4.

Styling is engaging. There are enough cues to be recognized as a Jeep, with the trademark 7-slot grille, bug-eyed headlamps and trapezoidal wheel openings reminiscent of original World War II Jeeps.

But the Compass casts its own unique shadow with a sweeping roofline, raked windshield, clamshell hood, sculpted fenders and a functional spoiler.

Both the Sport and Limited trim levels are available with FWD or full-time 4WD. The lockable center coupling of the Freedom Drive I active 4WD system is activated with the touch of a handle. An electronic-controlled coupling attached to the rear differential transmits torque to the rear wheels through a 2-stage clutch.

Safety and capability are enhanced by such standard features as side-curtain airbags, electronic stability control and electronic roll mitigation and brake assist with rough-road detection.

And while this is the first Jeep not Trail-Rated — it lacks skid plates and other heavy off-road paraphernalia — that does not mean it lacks capability.

The Compass sits 4 ins. (10 cm) higher than the Caliber, with greater ground clearance and the design of a utility vehicle, down to such details as tucking the fuel line in the undercarriage.

The 4WD system provides more traction than the all-wheel-drive system of the Caliber, Chrysler says, and the whole package has a degree of capability not offered on the Dodge.

Steering and braking are commendable; the CVT is smooth, although some transmission whine and tire noise does creep into the cabin, especially with the manual.

The Compass rides on a 103.7-in. (263-cm) wheelbase, just shy of the Liberty's 104.3 ins. (264 cm) and quite a bit more than the old Cherokee at 101.4 ins (258 cm). Standard 17-in. wheels can be traded up for 18-in.

Inside are 60/40 fold-flat rear seats that recline on the Limited (which the $30,000-plus Acura RDX cannot claim) and the front passenger seat folds forward, creating a table within 60.7 cu.-ft. (1.7 cu.-m) of cargo space.

Occupants sit 2 ins. (5 cm) higher in the Jeep than in the sister Caliber, on standard cloth seats that can be upgraded to Chrysler's YES Essentials patented fabric that spurns stain.

The bucket seats on the Limited feature leather trim and standard manual adjustment. Height adjustment on the base model must be purchased as part of a package, a must for shorter drivers, who also are at a disadvantage because the Compass does not have adjustable pedals or a telescoping steering wheel.

An optional navigation system will be introduced later in the year.

In a nod to the past, the Sport model bases with manual crank windows.

That serves as a reminder the Compass sets a new course as the most affordable Jeep, although it will lose that mantle to the Jeep Patriot when it bows at a slightly lower price-point this fall, from the same platform.

The Compass starts at $15,985, including $560 destination fee, for a Sport model with a 5-speed manual transmission. A loaded Limited trim with 4WD can get the price to about $23,000, still reasonable.

Job One at Chrysler's plant in Belvidere, IL, was May 30, with the CUVs arriving in showrooms at the end of June.

Chrysler has charted a course with the Compass that takes the Jeep brand into decidedly unnavigated waters.

But consumer research suggests that as long as the rugged Wrangler continues to anchor the lineup, the brand can expand into calmer seas. The gamble is that Jeep will net more incremental sales and buyers new to the brand than the number of loyalists who get away.

The new Compass may not be perfect, but given the value and styling, the auto maker should sell a boatload of them.