Fiat Chrysler has unveiled the 2017 Jeep Compass, the compact SUV that will be replacing the brand's Compass and Patriot lines once it hits the market in the first quarter of next year.
The start of production for the 2017 Jeep Compass was celebrated at the company's plant in Pernambuco, Brazil, with three images of the vehicle released by Fiat Chrysler.
The 2017 Jeep Compass features a design that is more aerodynamic compared with the outgoing Compass and Patriot models, with some styling elements seemingly influenced by the sleeker Jeep Grand Cherokee and the Jeep Cherokee instead of the boxier Jeep Wrangler and Jeep Renegade.
"Having something that looks like a smaller Grand Cherokee is probably a good way to go," said Edmunds.com senior analyst Jessica Caldwell, who is also the firm's director of pricing and industry analysis, considering the success that Fiat Chrysler has had with the vehicle.
The two Jeep compact SUVs that the 2017 Jeep Compass will replace, despite not getting a full redesign for a decade, have topped combined annual sales of 100,000 units since 2011, with growth each year starting 2012. This reveals that the segment is an important one to be in for Fiat Chrysler, which likely spurred the redesign of its offerings into the 2017 Jeep Compass.
Caldwell, however, warned that it may be tough for the 2017 Jeep Compass to challenge the most popular options in the segment, namely Honda's CR-V and Toyota's RAV4.
The 2017 Jeep Compass will offer customers with 17 powertrain options across over 100 countries, but the options specific for the United States were not revealed. The large number of options likely means that United States customers will have more than one choice once they would purchase the vehicle. There is also a chance, albeit very slim, that the 2017 Jeep Compass will offer a manual transmission option.
While it was claimed that the 2017 Jeep Compass will be "the most capable compact SUV ever," further details on the vehicle have largely been kept secret. More details on the 2017 Jeep Compass will surely be unveiled at the upcoming Los Angeles Auto Show, which will be held in November.
Another Jeep offering that recently made headlines was the 2018 Jeep Wrangler, as a leaked internal memo revealed that the vehicle will have aluminum doors and an aluminum hood. The usage of aluminum will reduce the overall weight of the vehicle, though it will also increase repair costs that customers will have to pay in case of damage to these components.
