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This Is How Jeep Could Make The Compass A Lot Better

May. 18, 2020 7:16 AM ET by Jared Rosenholtz Scoop / 10 Comments With a little help from the Fiat 500X. There are a lot of things to like about the 2020 Jeep Compass. It looks like a baby Grand Cherokee, has some credible off-road chops in its segment, and offers a quiet, comfortable driving experience. But after recently testing a Compass High Altitude for a week, we found its engine and transmission to be the most glaring weak point. Jeep only offers the 2020 Compass with an aging 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine producing 180 horsepower and 175 pound-feet of torque. This feels like a sluggish amount to move more than 3,500 pounds, especially when paired to the nine-speed automatic transmission that's slow to downshift. The powertrain keeps what is otherwise a pretty compelling little crossover from being highly recommendable but we have a hunch that Jeep that could soon offer a fix with a little help from Fiat. CarBuzz CarBuzz CarBuzz Fiat recently refreshed the 500X for the 2020 model year with some new styling, but it was the update back in 2019 that was more significant. The 2019 500X saw its 2.4-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder replaced by a smaller, more efficient 1.3-liter turbocharged unit. This turbocharged engine actually produces a bit less power than the old 2.4 (177 hp), though it produces much more torque (210 lb-ft). Fiat also retuned the nine-speed automatic transmission to offer faster response times. So how does this relate to the Jeep Compass? Well, the two cars actually share a platform so it would make sense for the Compass to receive the same engine update. In fact, the European market Jeep Compass will now be assembled in Italy rather than Mexico and will be powered by the 1.3-liter engine mated to either a six-speed manual or seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. CarBuzz CarBuzz The European Compass is less powerful than the US model with 130-hp and 150-hp states of tune but we see no reason why Jeep couldn't make the more powerful 177-hp version available in the US. We doubt Jeep would offer the dual-clutch instead of the nine-speed automatic but we would not be surprised if the 1.3-liter was announced as the new top engine choice for the 2021 model year. We reached out to Jeep for comment on a potential engine change but received a pretty standard answer. "We can't comment on potential future product actions," said Todd Goyer, Head of Jeep Brand Communication. But we have a feeling they'll be announcing a new engine option in the near future. Fiat Fiat Fiat

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Jeep Compass Fiat 500X Jared Rosenholtz Editor-at-Large After graduating with an MBA, Jared pursued his love of cars by becoming an automotive journalist. An internship with CarBuzz grew into his current position as Editor At Large. Jared now spends most of his time evaluating new vehicles and chasing the latest news stories in the automotive industry. When he’s not attending Cars & Coffee events on the weekend, Jared loves to watch NFL football and cruise around with the top down in his German convertible. Contact Jared @Carsnbites @jar_rosenholtz LoginSign Up Home News Features Car Reviews Car Advice 2021 CarBuzz Awards New Cars Used Cars Future Cars Compare Cars Sell My Car Car Dealerships Buy Here Pay Here Used Car Reviews Popular Tags Cars # Video # TOP # Spy Shots # Reveal # Rumor # Auto Show # Supercar # Tuning # Car Culture # Industry News # Motorsport Acura Alfa Romeo Aston Martin Audi Bentley BMW Bollinger Bugatti Buick Cadillac Caterham Chevrolet Chrysler Dodge Ferrari Fiat Fisker Ford Genesis GMC Hennessey Honda Hyundai Infiniti Jaguar Jeep Karma Kia Koenigsegg Lamborghini Land Rover Lexus Lincoln Lordstown Lotus Lucid Motors Maserati Mazda McLaren Mercedes-Benz Mini Mitsubishi Nissan Pagani Polestar Porsche Ram Rimac Rivian Rolls-Royce Spyker Subaru Tesla Toyota Volkswagen Volvo By Make Acura Alfa Romeo Aston Martin Audi Bentley BMW Bollinger Bugatti Buick Cadillac Caterham Chevrolet Chrysler Dodge Ferrari Fiat Fisker Ford Genesis GMC Hennessey Honda Hyundai Infiniti Jaguar Jeep Karma Kia Koenigsegg Lamborghini Land Rover Lexus Lincoln Lordstown Lotus Lucid Motors Maserati Mazda McLaren Mercedes-Benz Mini Mitsubishi Nissan Pagani Polestar Porsche Ram Rimac Rivian Rolls-Royce Spyker Subaru Tesla Toyota Volkswagen Volvo By Car Type SUVs Crossovers Sedans Coupes Trucks Sports Cars Wagons Vans Hatchbacks Convertibles Small Cars Luxury Cars Electric Cars Hybrid Cars Future Cars By Price Up to $15K $15K - $25K $25K - $35K $35K - $45K $45K - $55K $55K - $75K $75K - $100K $100K - $200K $200K - $300K Above $300K Back To Top