FIRST DRIVE JEEP COMPASS 2.2 CRD FWD 136BHP:IN IRELAND, we call all potato crisps "Tayto" and for a while at least, we used to call all SUVs "Jeeps". The brand did invent the genre so they perhaps have a right to be seen as a catchword for the rugged off-roader.
A lot has changed since the first of the Jeep Willys made the switch from military vehicle to coveted family vehicle. The Jeep Cherokee in the US was as ubiquitous as our own Ford Focus or Toyota Corolla. It was a family staple.
Not so here in Ireland. There are a few reasons for this. They came to Ireland very late, as they did to the UK. There was a mild curiosity about the vehicles when they first arrived because they had inappropriate engines and appeared to have been built in the dark.
Since then, Jeep has improved but never really been good enough for the European market. And with the arrival of a CO2 based taxation system to Ireland, the already overpriced product didn’t really have much of a hope. Hence a couple of people have registered a Jeep so far this year, matching the pair that did the same thing in 2010. That means that four of their six dealers apparently didn’t even register one.
Forget all that for now though. Jeep wants another chance. Because they are now part of the Fiat Group, which means that Europeans will no longer be alien to them. Plus they will have access to some of the best clean diesel technology available. Easy then, right?
Well no, not really. Making up lost ground is plain difficult in the car industry. But at least part of Jeep’s product range is likely to spark a firecracker of interest.
There is a three-model line-up coming to Ireland as part of Fiat’s tenure at Jeep. We will breeze over two of these models for now, the Wrangler and Grand Cherokee.
The former is a bit of a novelty act, cool, a little prehistoric, but infinitely loveable. The second, the Grand Cherokee, is a massive, generous, comfortable and incredibly well appointed luxury SUV.
Depending on how much it ends up costing it could well end up being a bit of a bargain. But we will return to these at another time.
What we do need to talk about is the new Jeep Compass. The last Compass was a very odd-looking thing that sold in marginal numbers when it last appeared. It wasn’t really any good.
But now there is a new one and it enters a market that is ravenously hungry for front-wheel drive (and occasionally four-wheel drive) SUVs that don’t cost the Earth to buy or murder the Earth with emissions.
Nissan’s Qashqai is a prime example. Nissan got the formula so right for the Qashqai that several years after it first appeared it is still a mega seller.
The Compass now looks much better, more like a scaled-down version of the Grand Cherokee. It has much better proportions than before and mixes stylish with rugged chic very well.
The interior could be better. There are a few areas where the plastics aren’t up to its European, Korean or Japanese rivals.
But the engines include a 2.2-litre diesel with either 136bhp or 163bhp and a choice of two-wheel drive or four-wheel drive.
These are powerful units, which are still off the pace for now in terms of emissions (band D initially, but band C by January 2012) but they out-muscle the Qashqai’s 1.5 dCi and you can overlook the poor quality plastics when most of the rest of the cabin is covered in leather that you didn’t have to pay extra for.
You will also get climate control and several other “bells and whistles” thrown in as standard on all Compass models.
And you might only need around €23,000 to get your hands on one, albeit a petrol one. That is likely to get you the 156bhp 2.0-litre petrol, even though you’d probably be the only kid on the block buying petrol these days.
Most money will go on the 136bhp front-wheel drive 2.2-litre diesel. But even if you do opt for the more powerful 163bhp version of this diesel engine, which comes with full four-wheel drive, the likelihood is that it’s not expected to cost more than €30,000.
And that is a very compelling reason to be interested. If you like your SUV to wear its off-roading DNA on its sleeve, then you will like the Compass. And now, thanks to the prospect of better pricing, equipment and brand philosophy, this could be one to watch. The Jeep Compass goes on sale in June.
Factfile
Engine2,143cc four-cylinder diesel putting out 136bhp and 320Nm of torque
Maximum speed201km/h
0-100km/h11.5 sec
Fuel economy6.1 l/100km
CO2 emissions161g/km (152g/km by January 2012)
Motor tax bandD
Annual road tax€447
On sale June
Price€26,000