The Gas-Powered Jeep Compass Is Not Getting The Brand’s Most Important Feature

When Jeep launched the all-new Compass in Europe before the U.S., and with front-wheel drive only for the gas version, it left us with some serious questions about the brand’s intentions. Since then, we have learned that the new Jeep Compass might not be offered in the U.S. at all.

Base Trim Engine

2L I4 ICE

Base Trim Transmission

8-speed automatic

Base Trim Drivetrain

Four-Wheel Drive

Now, a new report all but confirms that, because the gas-engine version of the Compass is not going to offer the one thing that we all expect from a Jeep.

New Compass Won’t Have A Rear Driveshaft

According to Motor1, Jeep has confirmed that, in gas-powered form, the new Jeep Compass will be exclusively front-wheel drive. That shouldn’t really come as a surprise, because the Compass is based on the STLA Medium architecture. The platform doesn’t offer gas power together with all-wheel drive in any of its current forms, which include multiple Peugeot, Citroën, and DS models.

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Would Jeep be making a mistake if it decides not to sell the new Compass in North America?

A recent statement by Stellantis suggests that the new Compass may not make it to the USA at all. Is there still a place for a smaller Jeep model in the USA, or should the brand focus on larger, more rugged models like the Wrangler?

The Compass will only offer AWD in the EV version, and even then, only in its most powerful form. While there will be single-motor FWD models with 210 horsepower and 230 hp, only the 375-hp dual-motor setup spins all four tires. And that motor is a new one, not shared with any other Stellantis models right now. It has enough power and torque to make sure the AWD Compass can climb steep hills when the front tires can’t find grip. You know, to do Jeep things.

It’s not a surprise for the platform, but it is definitely a surprise for a Jeep. A Jeep without the ability to power all four wheels is hardly a Jeep at all.

Electric Jeep Now On Hold For U.S.

On the other hand, Jeep has done front-drive before. Lower-spec trims of small Jeeps like the Compass, Renegade, and even the Cherokee have offered front-wheel drive for nearly 20 years. Even the bigger Jeeps, like the Grand Cherokee, offer rear-drive-only versions. Is pushing the buyer to an EV really different from pushing a buyer to pay extra to get the AWD model?

The lack of gas AWD might not matter for Compass sales in the U.S. anyway, because it’s looking less and less likely to come here. Jeep had planned to build the model for the U.S. at its plant in Brampton, Ontario, where retooling had already started. That work has been on pause since February, and it is not clear when it might restart; the original plan called for Jeep to start building the Compass there in early 2026, but the delay could now be 8 to 12 months.

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Jeep Is Putting The Wrangler’s Legacy On The Recon’s Shoulders

The company thinks of the Recon EV as a thoroughly modern successor to its signature off-roader.

With sales of the all-electric Wagoneer S not exactly living up to expectations, Jeep may be having second thoughts about its Compass plans. That could mean the existing second-generation model, launched in the U.S. in 2016 and built in Mexico, could stick around for a few more years. Jeep is unlikely to want to walk away from a model that sold 112,000 copies in America last year.

Source: Motor1