This is the Jeep Compass, and as the way it stands here, is has been the exact same since 2017.
It's bound to be facelifted, so you might ask yourself why we're testing it now. Well, I've got an answer for you.
For the first time in the entire history of Jeep, the Compass is available as a plug-in hybrid.
And we're going to test it out. And to compare it, we've put our Volvo XC40 T5 Recharge-longterm next to it. Just like the Jeep,
it's a plug-in hybrid which has similar performance as the Jeep. Time for a hard comparison.
The Jeep Compass started life in 2006 as the small Jeep. A tough one at that, which came with big round headlights which reminded...
of the original Willy's Jeep. Those were removed over time, it now looks much more like a regular car.
It still looks tough though. Especially in this color scheme, which is a mix of anthracite and blue with a black roof.
It looks quite impressive. And if I compare it with the fancy design of the Volvo, this is clearly the tougher looking car.
And it actually is, because it's powered by a relatively small 1.3-litre 4-cylinder engine, producing 180 horsepower. It's supported by...
a 60 horsepower electric motor. And the funny thing is, the electric motor sends all of its power to the rear wheels. That means you've got...
four-wheel drive when you're driving electrically. Inbetween the front seats, you've got a button which lets you choose what driving mode you want.
Auto, Sport, Snow, Mud, Gravel, you name it. There's even a mode which is called 'Four-wheel drive low', which implies it's got a...
low-gearing transfer box. However, it doesn't. I've selected the mode and the drivetrain remains the same. I think it has something to do with...
the electrics. Also, there's a four-wheel drive lock-mode, which locks the car in four-wheel drive.
It comes with hill descend control as well, and even though I'm not going to try it, that means this car can find its way off-road.
That's what a Jeep should be all about. But let's get back to tarmac, shall we?
The combined power output is 240 horsepower, which is very good. Even in a heavy car like this, which weighs almost 2.000 kg.
Despite that however, the engine and gearbox have no trouble whatsoever moving this car about. It has a six-speed automatic gearbox,
and I've got some things to say about it. I think it's too present. Sometimes, it feels like you've hit a pole, but it's just a downshift.
A car like this is clearly meant for taking your family somewhere, so it's good to know it can fit 420 litres of luggage.
What's unfortunate, and maybe it's Italian charm, but this is a new car and the window controls already don't work anymore.
You might think that's because of the lock-button, but you're wrong. They work at the back.
Luckily, this Jeep comes with five years of warranty. Anything to keep visiting the dealer, am I right?
When it comes to the drive, it feels very solid. It's a Jeep, an SUV, a crossover, and it feels like one.
It feels kind of heavy, but it feels like it's a quality product as well. I think the chassis is very good as well.
There's a bit of heaving going on in the corners, but not in an annoying way. The springs are a tad hard though, not like I expected.
It could've been softer, but since it's an American, they might've thought to do things differently this time.
It still feels very solid, a very nice car to drive really.
The seating position is good as well, and there's a lot of space on the rear seat.
What I don't like is the dashboard. It's kind of messy, not modern, and you have to look for a lot of functions. All kinds of shaped are...
molded together. However, like I already said, this car is about to be facelifted, and besides the nose, the interior will be taken care of.
I've already seen pictures, and I reckon you've seen them as well. So it goes without saying that the interior will be improved immensely.
Right. When the XC40 is the car you'll get compared with, you should prepare for the worst.
This is a car which was extremely well received. I've called this the Mies Bouwman of the car world multiple times now.
Everybody loves it. Even before this car was released, every article that was about the XC40 was extremely well-read.
It didn't matter if it was about the rear light or about the prices, everybody wanted to know everything about the XC40.
And it's a remarkable Volvo as well, because it doesn't really fit in Volvo's range.
It's much less static as a XC60 or XC90, much more meant for a younger audience. Fresher, zingier, you name it.
It's a hip design which looks good and very modern. It evens comes with all kinds of handy features.
You can hang stuff here, store big bottles in the doors, but despite that it's a very Swedish and sober interior.
Especially if you compare it with the Jeep, which is very much out there. In here, it's very simple. It does have a big satnav-screen, which you...
have to get used to. If you're used to it however, it's very easy to use. Digital dials in front of me. Not very spectacular, but very good.
It's just typically Swedish. In the back, it's nice and spacious. Also, it's relatively high. It doesn't seem to be from the outside,
but through colors and the typical C-style, it's higher than it actually looks.
The boot is smaller than in the Jeep. It's only 405 litres big, as opposed to the Jeep's 420. That's usual in the C-segment.
So it's not great, but you can get along with it. The advantage of the Jeep is that the charging port is at the back.
I like that, because I usually park backwards. That's easier to plug-in. On the Volvo, the charging port is at the front, but because of their...
long and thin cable, you're still able to park backwards. Just like the Jeep, this car produces 180 horsepower from the combustion engine.
Unlike the Jeep, the bore is bigger. 1.5-litres to be precise. On the other hand, it has only three cylinders.
And that's getting more common in bigger cars, but I don't like it. When I'm just driving about, it doesn't cause any problems,
but if you start putting your foot down, it starts making lots of noise. I just don't like it, a 3-cylinder in a car like this, but that's the times.
The big difference between this and the Jeep is that this car sends all of its power to the front. That means the Jeep is much better...
off-road. Even on tarmac, it's a four-wheel drive car if you use both power sources. However, I doubt that you'd notice it on the road here.
This car has a 7-speed automatic gearbox which is much more refined than the gearbox in the Jeep.
The gear changes are much smoother. I like the drivetrain in the Volvo as a whole more than the drivetrain of the Jeep.
It's more refined, whilst the Jeep has a more raw drivetrain.
You notice that in the steering as well. It feels light, but very precise. As a whole, the car feels lighter as well. And that's because it is.
This weighs a bit over 1.700 kg, whilst the Jeep almost weighs 2.000 kg. Quite the difference.
All of a sudden, a tire warning-light starts burning. According to the car, my right-rear tire is running flat.
I can't really feel anything though, but I'm going to check anyway.
Nothing wrong with that.
I do have a point of criticism when it comes to the infotainment system. I know, because I drive a lot of cars every year, Apple and cars just...
don't go together. It's always a problem. Usually, three out of four times, CarPlay just doesn't work. In this car, it's the other way around.
Three out of four times, it doesn't work. Or partly. It's constantly getting a connection failure. If I select Ways, which is clearly visible on the screen,
it just won't open when I tap it. I just don't get it. Especially since Apple has announced they want to build a car in 2024.
Well, they can't even build a telephone which communicates with a car. So why would they even try to build a car? But that's another story.
So now it's the time to choose. As a total package, it's easy. This Volvo is much more refined, the drivetrain is smoother, it's more powerful,
it's much more modern as well. However, as it stands here, it's €6.000 more expensive than the Jeep. With the latter having more options.
Also, the Jeep is able to go off-road with its four-wheel drive. This can't really go off-road. So if that's the things you're looking for,
you might prefer the Jeep. On the other hand, the Jeep might have four-wheel drive, it can only tow 1.250 kg. This Volvo on the other...
hand can tow 1.800 kg. Things to consider if you need to tow things often. So, as a whole, the Volvo is the better choice I think.
If you like raw and off-road capabiltiies though, you might prefer the Jeep. You can read the full report in AutoWeek, with all of the numbers.