New car launches are often shrouded in secrecy, but things don’t always go according to plan. Information and photos can end up on the internet ahead of time, taking some steam out of an official reveal. These are official-looking allegedly leaked photos of the next-generation Jeep Compass seemingly unearthed by Brazilian outlet Quatrorodas, and they seem like a perfect match for the silhouette Jeep teased months ago.
The Jeep Compass is one of the most important Jeeps in America right now, yet it’s also in the most precarious spot of any Jeep model. See, 2024 wasn’t a great year for Jeep from a sales perspective. Wrangler sales were down, Grand Cherokee sales were down, the Wagoneer barely outsold the niche Wrangler-based Gladiator pickup truck, but Compass sales were up 16 percent to 111,697 despite the model’s age, making it the second-most-popular Jeep by a significant margin.
At the same time, preparations for building the next-generation Compass is Stellantis’ Brampton plant have been put on ice, likely for a variety of reasons. With a variety of powertrains planned, it’s possible Stellantis wanted to launch the new Compass in America as a battery electric vehicle first, but uncertainty around the future of electric vehicle tax credits may have led to a shift in priorities. Alternatively, it’s possible that the threat of tariffs on cars made outside of the U.S. may have influenced Stellantis to hit pause. Regardless, a European debut is still on schedule, and these official-looking photos could be our best look at the new Jeep Compass yet.
Looking at it in profile, everything seems to line up with what we saw in the official teaser. The slight pinch in the greenhouse at the quarter window, the front bumper corner trim, the beveled character lines and the angular wheel arches. It all adds up to a rather handsome silhouette that’s significantly more upright and squared-off than the current rotund Compass.
Up front, we’re looking at an interesting interpretation of Jeep’s seven-slot grille, in that it’s not really a grille but instead just seven chiclets. Given the appearance of what seem to be active shutters in the lower grille, that aperture should give this thing all the cooling it needs, while the solid plastic faux upper grille seems like a good place to hide sensors.
In this photo of the rear end, note the conspicuous absence of exhaust tips. Indeed, this seems to be an electric Compass variant, employing some interesting tricks in the pursuit of efficiency. Those unusual bumper corners look to act like wind deflectors, possibly creating a virtual long tail. In addition, check out the extensive underbody panelling to guide air underneath the vehicle.
Inside, these leaked Compass photos certainly depict a Jeep interior. The rotary knobs and console toggle switch should look familiar to anyone who’s spent time in a new Grand Cherokee, while what looks like a shelf in the dashboard seems like a promising storage solution. Also, check out that huge panoramic sunroof, one of those features compact crossover buyers love.
At this point in time, we still don’t know much about powertrain details, but we do know that the next Jeep Compass rides on the same STLA Medium platform as the Opel Grandland, meaning it should accept electric, plug-in hybrid, and pure combustion powertrains. Given that these appear to be studio shots as part of a promotional set, don’t be surprised if we learn a whole lot more about the new Compass shortly.
Top graphic image: Stellantis
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Confession time: my daughter owned a first-gen Compass… and I didn’t hate it. It had a manual transmission, which did a lot to make driving it more fun.
She got a hecka deal on it when she needed a new-to-her car. It was cheap and ugly, but clean. The interior always smelled like crayons for some reason.
She drove the heck out of that thing for nearly 70k miles, even taking it to performance driving school at Road America. (That was hilarious.) It was perfect for her young teacher, urban Milwaukee, quirky adventurer lifestyle.
She finally traded it off this spring when her excellent local mechanic identified too many glitchy systems for cost-effective repair. She ended up with a used Kia Sportage that has much the same cheap-and-cheerful personality.
Phoebe the Jeep, RIP…
https://itisgood.org/auto-biography/#07Jeep
It doesn’t matter if the Compass is attractive.So is the current one. Chances are, the powertrain specs and reliability will be sub-par given Stellantis’ (and FCA before them) track record.
If they price it right something like this could sell well. But after the wagoneer r issues I have doubts. Maybe they will have half an idea by the time this thing comes out. Alot of buyers want a little cuv thing in bright colors.