After a brief hiatus, the Jeep Compass is set to make a return to Australian showrooms with a four-model lineup ranging in price from $28,850 to $44,750.

On sale from January 14, the 2018 Jeep Compass is an all-new offering that trades heavily on its butch styling and promise of go-anywhere capability, but also on what Jeep says is compelling value. Indeed, at the low end, the Compass is price competitive with segment stalwarts like the Mazda CX-5, Toyota RAV4 and Hyundai Tucson, while the range-topping Compass Trailhawk undercuts the majority of its Japanese, Korean and European rivals.

It’s also placed uncomfortably close to the compact Jeep Renegade, which sits in a size class lower than the Compass yet wears a starting price of $26,290 and tops out at $40,290. Measuring 4394mm long and 1819mm wide, the Compass sits roughly midway between the Renegade and the mid-sized Jeep Cherokee.

Sourced from India, the 2018 Compass will be available with two engines – a single petrol and a single diesel – three transmission options, front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive and four trim grades.

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The petrol is Fiat-Chrysler’s 2.4-litre ‘Tigershark’ naturally-aspirated four-cylinder, which produces 129kW and 229Nm and consumes an average of 7.9L/100km when joined to the six-speed automatic front-wheel drive transmission, 8.6L/100km as a FWD six-speed manual or 9.7L/100km with the all-wheel drive nine-speed automatic drivetrain.

Meanwhile, the diesel-burning option is a 2.0-litre ‘Multijet’ powerplant producing 125kW and 350Nm. Available only on all-wheel drive, nine-speed auto models, the Compass diesel drinks an average of 5.7L/100km on the combined cycle.

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Here’s how the model walk-up looks:

Jeep Compass Sport

  • 2.4-litre petrol
  • Six-speed manual or six-speed auto
  • Front-wheel drive
  • 17-inch alloys
  • Rear parking camera
  • 5.0-inch touchscreen display
  • Digital radio tuner
  • Cloth upholstery, leather-wrapped steering wheel
  • 7 airbags
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Jeep Compass Longitude (as above, plus)

  • Dusk-sensing headlamps,
  • Foglamps and cornering lamps
  • Rain-sensing wipers
  • Forward-folding front passenger seat
  • Privacy glass
  • Six-speed auto standard
  • Optional Premium Audio Package including 8.4-inch touchscreen, sat nav, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, dual-zone climate control
Jeep Compass Longitude (as above, plus)
  • All-wheel drive standard
  • Nine-speed auto standard
  • Option of 2.0L diesel
  • Premium Audio Package as standard
  • 9-speaker BeatsAudio sound system
  • 18-inch alloy wheels
  • Bi-xenon headlamps
  • LED tail lamps
  • Leather upholstery
  • Heated front seats
  • 7-inch colour LCD instrument panel
  • Powered front seats
  • Optional Advanced Technology package including lane departure warning, forward collision warning, autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring, auto high beam and powered tailgate.
Jeep Compass Trailhawk (as above, plus)
  • 2.0L diesel standard
  • Jeep Active Drive Low 4×4 system
  • Raised suspension
  • Underbody skid plates
  • Full-size spare
  • Black bonnet decal
  • Trailhawk front and rear bumpers
  • Red tow hooks
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Safety-conscious buyers should note that autonomous emergency braking – fast being adopted as standard equipment by many automakers due to its potentially life-saving ability to avoid accidents – is conspicuously absent from the standard specification of every 2018 Jeep Compass.

Only available as an option on the higher-spec Limited and Trailhawk variants, AEB isn’t offered at all on the base-model Sport and Longitude. With competitors like the Mazda CX-5 and Volkswagen Tiguan making that technology standard, its absence on the all-new Compass is worth noting

PRICING

The Jeep Compass goes on sale on January 14 next year, with retail pricing as follows:

– Jeep Compass Sport petrol manual FWD – $28,850

– Jeep Compass Sport petrol automatic FWD – $30,750

– Jeep Compass Longitude petrol automatic FWD – $33,750

– Jeep Compass Limited petrol automatic AWD – $41,250

– Jeep Compass Limited diesel automatic AWD – $43,750

– Jeep Compass Trailhawk diesel automatic AWD – $44,750