The news with an American theme continues to trickle in, in the wake of North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) and all its unveilings. To keep the Jeep family in line with the recently revised Jeep Grand Cherokee, Jeep is bringing minor revisions into effect on its smaller Compass and Patriot models.
Subtle styling tweaks to the front grille; front and rear bumpers and light house casings mark the newcomers ahead of the models’ 2013 launch. The changes aren’t dramatic, but they are still noticeable. Interior materials have also been updated, as have some options like hill-hold assist on the manual transmission and the rear facing reverse camera.
Jeep CEO, Mike Manley, may have promised more significant updates than were actually shown for both the Compass and Patriot, but the most welcome and significant news is the addition of a six-speed automatic into the range that replaces the poor continuously variable transmission (CVT).
Latitude and Limited specification models get this six-speed automatic transmission as standard. It will also be offered as an option on the Sport model. The transmission is sourced from PowerTech and features a long sixth gear for better fuel economy, although Jeep hasn’t released any official fuel consumption figures as yet.
The new transmission is available on front-wheel drive models or those that come with the optional (all-wheel drive) Freedom Drive. The engine lineups have remained the same for the Compass and Patriot, consisting of the 2.0-litre four-cylinder 118 kW engine; along with the bigger 2.4-litre producing 128 kW.
When they do go on sale, the new model Jeep Compass and Patriot should begin pricing where the current models do; showing no appreciable increase in cost. Until that time, Jeep is offering a limited edition Compass they are calling the Altitude. The Jeep Compass Altitude (pictured below) features a black gloss finish to the seven-slot Jeep grille and the headlamps; black roof rails; black step pads and 18-inch black gloss aluminium wheels.
Available in Silver, Black and Bright White, the Jeep Compass Altitude retails for R 295 490 for the 5-speed manual transmission and R 302 490 for the CVT. That’s a R 7 500 premium over the regular Compass. Only 199 Altitude units are available. (Chrysler South Africa could not supply us with a picture of the Jeep Compass Altitude.)
