The Jeep Compass, codenamed MK49 was a new offering in the segment of compact crossover SUVs, built on similar lines of Jeep Wrangler and Patriot, marking Jeep’s entry into the market of crossover SUVs.
Jeep’s lineup Compass was introduced in the year 2007, and marked a new era in Jeep’s history: the era of front-wheel drive Jeeps. It was not just ‘Trail rated’, but also a ‘town rated’ Jeep, featuring high-tech, fuel-efficient engine, improvised interiors, and crisp exterior body styling.
2007-2008 Compass
Compass’s urban cool was however let down due to its old-fashioned drivability, and lack of power. Although its continuously variable transmission (CVT) was an innovative approach, it delivered a bone-shaking and anemic performance, making it suitable only for serene trips to nearby locations.
Combining urban, snazzy exterior body styling with plenty of interior room, the 2007-2008 Compass vehicles had plenty of standard safety features, but the 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine that churned out 172-hp wasn’t enough to vow the sport enthusiasts.
2008 Compass
There were minimal changes for the year 2007 and the 2008 Compass was offered comes in Sport and Limited trims, equipped with 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine that delivered an unchanged output of 172-hp.
2009 Compass
For the year 2009, Compass got an interior makeover, and the CVT became an optional offering. A front-drive Sport variant mated to CVT and a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder was also offered, which delivered only 158-hp.
2010 Compass
During the year 2010, Jeep finally decided to improvise on the specs of Compass. There will be several changes in terms of physical dimensions and the 2010 Compass is also expected to deliver better fuel economy with the revamped multi-point injection fuel system. However, the same old 2,360 cc 2.4 liters in-line 4 front engine will be on the offer that will deliver 172 HP @ 6,000 rpm, and 165 ft lb of torque @ 4,400 rpm
As far as the new physical dimensions are concerned, the 2010 Jeep Compass will have a 88.0 mm bore, 97.0 mm stroke, variable valve timing/camshaft, four valves per cylinder ED3, double overhead cam, and a compression ratio of 10.5.
The safety features and the standard luxury features will remain more or less the same, while a navigation system may also be offered in the limited trim. Jeep is working on improving the interiors further; but we’ll have to wait and watch, if this revamp will be enough to vow the folks!