Updated Compass revealed

Compact Jeep achieves technology upgrade.

A REFRESH for the long-lived Jeep Compass has been unveiled, but no word yet on when or if it will show here.

Most of the revision to Jeep’s budget model - which presently formats here in Longitude, Trailhawk and Limited for between $37,990 and $44,990 - is to the interior.

However, as these images also show, the car achieves new exterior design cues as well.

The model is built in Italy, by Fiat, and  has become a core model in Europe for Jeep, now part of the Stellantis empire that merges Fiat Chrysler with Peugeot-Citroen’s PSA.

A 4xe variant recently introduced there – but not available in right hand drive yet - is, Jeep says, now Italy's best-selling plug-in hybrid. 

The PHEV drivetrain is expected to become a feature of the updated model in its RHD configuration. The model also delivers with a Fiat-derived 1.3-litre turbo petrol producing 95kW or 110kW and a 1.6-litre diesel with 95kW. Depending on the engine chosen, buyers can specify either a six-speed manual, a six-speed automatic or a dual-clutch automatic gearbox, with either front- or four-wheel-drive. 

The big change in the cabin is the introduction of a 10.25 inch high-definition digital instrument cluster, with the infotainment touchscreen (available in either 8.4in or 10.1in forms) relocated to the middle of the dashboard for improved access.

The infotainment system itself has been upgraded with a processor five times faster, added connectivity features, smartphone mirroring functionality, voice recognition and 3D sat-nav. 

Changes to the outside are more subtle, but slimmer headlights and restyled bumpers help to differentiate the new Compass from the outgoing model. 

The updated Compass is Jeep's first European model to come equipped with Level 2 autonomous functions. Standard features include traffic sign recognition, drowsiness alert, automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assistance.

Electric Wrangler concept revealed

Jeep hits the electric trail with a design study that mixes battery-pure drive with a manual transmission.

 A FULLY electric Wrangler is among concepts Jeep has revealed ahead of an annual brand event in the United States where it traditionally serves up concepts of potential production fare.

The Magneto, if brought into the showroom, would conceivably place as the next-step alternate to a plug-in hybrid Wrangler, the 4xe, that the maker already avails to its customers as an introduction to electric-assisted driving.

That product is restricted to North America so though Jeep’s New Zealand distributor has previously expressed some broad interest in taking an alternate to the purely fossil fuel-reliant range it offers, it also accepts that cannot occur until the battery-assisted programme includes right hand drive.

The Jeep Magneto features a solitary electric motor that generates 210kW and 370Nm of torque, powered by a 70kWh battery. The battery capacity is split up into four separate units mounted around the vehicle’s body to keep weight balanced and help off-road performance.

Jeep’s 2021 concepts are, from left, the Red Bare, the Magneto, Jeepster Beach and Orange Peelz

This output should mean the Magneto can sprint from 0-100kmh in 6.8 seconds, according to Jeep’s claims. The brand hasn’t published a figure for the Magneto’s range, it’s conjected such a battery system should allow for around 338 kilometres between charges.

Unusually for an electric vehicle, the Magneto features a six-speed manual gearbox. Jeep says the system is being set up for the motor to collect regenerated power as the driver eases off the accelerator when the clutch is engaged.

The Jeep Magneto was one of four concepts revealed ahead of the traditional Easter Jeep Safari in Moab, Utah, which starts on March 27 and runs until April 4.

The other concepts – the Jeep Red Bare, Jeep Orange Peelz and Jeepster Beach - and are a mixture of modern and traditional.

The first is cast in the mould of an ultra-rugged edition, with V6 turbodiesel power. The Peelz is more about turning heads; this concept does away with the side and rear windows, and uses prototype JPP half doors and a removable one-piece glass sunroof. The Beach, meanwhile, is a homage to a 1968 car that was a classic in the US, the C101 Commando. It runs a modified 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine that produces 255kW and 500Nm of torque, about 25 percent more power than the production version of that engine.

The one ‘everyone knows’ is only for the US

The big Jeep we could possibly do with is not coming.

GIVEN it’s being engineered in left-hand drive and so excluded for our consideration, everything to do with the latest, just-revealed Jeep Wagoneer is something of a semantic.

Yet Jeep fans here irked that the giant one is not coming might find it interesting nonetheless that the one name that means everything to them isn’t attached to this gargantuan luxury V8 wilderness wagon. Yup, no Jeep badges.

So why is this Jeep not … well, a Jeep? Simple reason, says Christian Meunier, the brand’s chief executive officer. “The Grand Wagoneer name and design make it obviously Jeep.”

Well, yeah, that’s true in places where Wagoneers have history – so, basically, North America. (And even there some might not know it, since these models last came out in return of iconic nameplates not seen since 1993). Won’t it seem a touch pompous in spots where it doesn’t; in short, the rest of the world. 

Knowing the biggest Jeep around will only stay on its home turf is a shame. This model formats as a seven-seater, whereas Grand Cherokee that has also been revealed in new ‘L’ form, and is coming here, does not. It’s remaining a five-chair car.

Despite restricting the availability to home turf, Stellantis, formerly Fiat Chrysler, has grand plans, beyond making Wagoneer a sub-brand.

They’re also talking about it being a rival for Land Rover and Range Rover product, which obviously might be of interest since it’s stuff we are all well acquainted with, given that it primarily is built in ‘correct-hand’ (sorry, right-hand) drive.

In that respect, it seems the Americans are talking about their seven-seater model being more akin in terms of plushness and affluence than anything else. Meunier:  "We call it the premium extension of Jeep."

It’s a bit different in respect to core capability. As we all know, all large Land/Range Rovers are equipped to go almost everything - even if few really get asked to.

Jeep also has lots of off-road cred as well, of course, so would you put a Wagoneer on the same trails? Er, maybe not. 

Yes, the models are four-wheel-drive – there are three systems depending on the grade being bought into.

Wagoneers and Grand Wagoneers have two off-road drive modes, can ford up to 70 centimetres of water, and offer approach, departure, and breakover angles of 25, 24, and 22 degrees, respectively.

As positive as that sounds, the full-size Jeep nonetheless has not earned the ‘Trail Rated’ stamp of Rubicon-clearing approval. To earn this citation, a Jeep is tested off-road to prove it meets five criteria: traction, water fording, manoeuvrability, articulation, and ground clearance. The word is that they fell down on the manoeuvrability.

Comments Jim Morrison, vice president Jeep Brand North America: "These have off-road packages for 10.0 inches (25cm) of ground clearance, skid plates, tow hooks, off-road all-terrain tires and are very capable but they are not a trail-size vehicle, so we haven't Trail Rated these vehicles.”

Dimensionally, the Wagoneers measure 5453mm long, 2388mm wide and 1920mm high, and sit on a 3124mm wheelbase (borrowed from the RAM 1500).  That makes them half a metre longer than our home market biggy, the LandCruiser 200 Series.

The expansive dimensions allow heaps of interior room, obviously. The third row of seats are large enough to house big adults, with 990mm of potential headroom and 930mm of legroom. Boot space sits at 773 litres in both models with all three rows in place. 

Powering the Wagoneer is a 5.7-litre naturally-aspirated, mild-hybridised Hemi petrol V8 shared with the Ram 1500 in the US, sending 292kW and 548Nm to the road through an eight-speed automatic transmission.

Air suspension is standard, which can raise or lower the ride height to improve ingress and egress, streamline aerodynamics at high speed, or optimise its off-roading capabilities. There's also autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, rear cross-traffic alert, automatic parking, traffic-sign recognition and driver fatigue monitoring.

A 10.1-inch infotainment screen and a 10.3-inch instrument cluster is standard on the Wagoneer, with another, lower 10.3-inch screen available on higher grades to control air conditioning and other features.

 The Grand Wagoneer scores 12.0-inch infotainment and 12.3-inch instrument displays as standard, with a 10.3-inch 'co-pilot' screen in front of the passenger available on higher grades, which allows them to control music and navigation settings, and smartphone-like functions including answering emails, playing videos and accessing social media.

A pair of 10.1-inch screens available for outboard second-row passengers – with movie and TV streaming, thanks to Amazon Fire TV integration – with vehicles with second-row 'captain's chairs' (standard in the Grand Wagoneer) offering another 10.3-inch screen in the back of the centre console.

Nappa leather is standard on all Wagoneer models and the entry-level Grand Wagoneer (badged Series I), with 'Series II' and 'Series III' Grand Wagoneers upgrading to plusher Palermo leather.

New Grand Cherokee purely petrol

Gone are the days of the diesel-powered big Jeep wagon.

 PURELY petrol power, ultimately with hybrid assistance – but no diesel. 

That’s the drivetrain story for the next generation of Jeep’s Grand Cherokee.

 The brand’s global boss has related this to media in Australia during a briefing in which Christian Meunier also said the new model will be in this neighbourhood around August.

 It’s initially in the seven-seat Grand Cherokee L format that the brand unveiled on January 7 but followed in time by a smaller version replicating the current five-chair formula.

The only engine that will avail for some time is the carryover 3.6-litre 'Pentastar' petrol V6, which in US-spec guise is good for 216kW of power and 350Nm of torque.

A plug-in hybrid Grand Cherokee '4xe' offering a boost of torque via electric assistance is due in 2022, although details of that driveline are yet to be confirmed by Jeep.

And rumours persist that Jeep will still format future product in V8 petrol SRT form. 

But the days of drawing from the dark side of the forecourt are over.

The current 3.0-litre diesel V6, sourced from VM Motori and making 184kW/ 570Nm, won’t continue on – a blow, undoubtedly, to NZ customers, who heavily favoured it unless they were buying into the SRT formula.

Meunier told Aussie media Jeep is hellbent on becoming a market leader in electrified SUVs – a comment that very much suggests that where Grand Cherokee is going, all other products that presently offer with diesel might also be expected to follow.

 He asserts customers will love having a Grand Cherokee without compression ignition, saying the incoming engines will continue the tradition of providing plenty of power and that the hybrid will be good at towing.

“Towing is core to Jeep, so we wouldn’t compromise on it; we’ve tested Wrangler and Grand Cherokee 4XE. Towing is at least as good as with an ICE engine,” Australian website Practical Motoring reports him as saying. 

He enforces electrification is not just about lowering emissions.  

“With electrification on products like Wrangler and Grand Cherokee, we’re able to deliver more capability off-road, more fun to drive, strong towing capacity, strong torque, and eco-friendly technology. So we believe that’s the perfect world for Jeep. 

“To also be able to drive on electric-only for commuting is hell of an experience and we strongly believe in it. So we’re very, very committed to electrification.” 

Jeep is not alone in placing hybrid, and specifically plug-in hybrid tech, to the large SUV and off-road segments. Range Rover has had a PHEV model in the market for more than a year. Also, the replacement for Toyota’s venerable Land Cruiser 200 Series is dropping V8 turbodiesel oomph for petrol V6 and petrol V6 hybrid drivetrains.  

The Jeep announcement ends a week that began with the official completion of the merger of Fiat Chrysler and PSA, into a 14-brand Stellantis supergroup.

The repercussion, if any, on distributor agreements in New Zealand for the Stellantis brands that come here has not been explained.

Ateco Group - which represents Jeep, Chrysler, Fiat, Alfa Romeo and RAM – and Autodistributors NZ (which has Peugeot, DS and Citroen) – have been silent on the matter.

Gen five Jeep Grand Cherokee revealed

New ‘L’ model is the first to offer third row seating.

SEATING for six or seven passengers across three rows, at least two powertrain options, three different drive systems, air suspension and loads of new technology.

Those are among highlights of a Jeep that has been the longest-time coming, a new Grand Cherokee. 

The fifth generation car, called the Grand Cherokee L, has been revealed today in the United States, with comment about New Zealand market provision and launch timing yet to come from distributor Ateco, though on that front talk is that Australia will see it around August-September. By that time, Fiat Chrysler will have been subsumed into a new marriage, with Peugeot parent PSA, under the Stellantis brand name. 

Codenamed 'WL75', the Grand Cherokee L is expected to be sold alongside the current five-seater WK2 Grand Cherokee that has been on sale here since 2011.

Remarkably, the WK2 is expected to slog on for another two years, according to overseas’ reports, before it also switches to the L’s all-new unibody platform.

However, in the interim, it’s likely Jeep will also produce the properly new model in a five-seat format. That edition is expected to go into production before the end of 2021, offering first in North America, which will also be the first candidate for a plug-in hybrid variant.

Jeep and parent Fiat Chrysler are emphasising that the information availed internationally today is specific to North America; more information about international plans will be delivered in due course.

Americans see the Grand Cherokee L in Laredo, Limited, Overland and Summit trims, the latter also reaching to a extra-spiffy Summit Reserve package that puts it on super-sized 21 inch rims (Overland and Summit are on 20s, the others on 18s) and adds glam trimmings Jeep admits are as unsited to off-roading as those big hoops.

The general shape has been inspired by the Grand Wagoneer luxury SUV, revealed late last year in concept form.

Powertrain options for the American market initially restrict to the 216kW/350Nm 3.6-litre 'Pentastar' V6 and 266kW/530Nm 5.7-litre Hemi V8 petrol engines.

The new platform is said to be stronger and lighter than the fourth-generation WK2 Grand Cherokee, with more than 60 percent of the body comprising high-strength steel.

Off-road hardware comes in three varieties, ranging from a single-speed transfer case up to a 2.72:1 low-range reduction and rear electronic limited-slip differential.

There is more off-road ground clearance and water fording capability compared with previous generations, and Jeep’s own ‘Quadra-lift' air suspension is touted to return, joined by adaptive dampers to improve on-road and off-road dynamics.

The Quadra-lift system will also improve off-road ground clearance through an adjustable ride height, with up to 277mm in its highest mode.

A 36mm wider wheel track will improve the stance of the Grand Cherokee L, as well as benefitting off-road stability.

Grand Cherokee L safety technologies include autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, a reversing camera and a 360-degree camera.

The model has a digital rear view mirror, 10.25-inch digital instrument display, 10-inch infotainment display, heads-up display and up to twelve USB-A and USB-C power outlets.

 The 10-inch screen runs FCA's Android Automotive-based Uconnect 5 infotainment system, with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and a 19-speaker sound system.

Safety auditor pummels Gladiator

Designed to take all that Nature can throw at it, the Jeep Gladiator has taken a punishing blow from our crash-testing agency.

THREE stars: Jeep’s first production ute sold here, the Gladiator, has been given the same middling crash test score by the national vehicle safety auditor as the Wrangler it is based off.

In determining this result, the Australasian New Vehicle Assessment Programme – aka ANCAP – has noted that the same “structural issues” that kept Wrangler from doing better are also pinning back the just-released traydeck variant. 

In a report issued today, it has also highlighted a lack of protection for other road users, pedestrians and cyclists.

The model’s safety assessment from the New Zealand Government-funding and NZ Automobile Association-supported independent testing agency hasn’t come from putting a Gladiator to the sword in its Melbourne laboratory.

No direct testing was carried out by ANCAP. Rather, it has applied the same rating it awarded the Wrangler last December, when the addition of autonomous emergency braking (AEB) and blind spot monitoring lifted that model’s safety rating from one star to three.

Gladiator’s test result was based on how the Wrangler performed in 2019.

Gladiator versions has AEB as standard, however ANCAP criticised it for a lack of pedestrian and cyclist detection or lane keeping assist.

According to the safety report, the Wrangler/Gladiator bonnet affords only 'poor' or 'adequate' protection to the head of a struck pedestrian over most of its surface.

"Autonomous emergency braking (AEB) is available on the Jeep Gladiator; however, the system is not designed to react to vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists," the report states.

Plus, ANCAP said, the model has the same “structural issues” it found with the Wrangler.

As the vehicles share the same core structural underpinnings, engine configuration and restraint package – and therefore provide similar structural crash performance – the ute was awarded the same sub-standard scores in all key testing areas. 

These include 60 percent for adult occupant protection, 49 percent for vulnerable road user protection and 51 per cent for Safety Assist.

 “The structural issues we saw with the originally-tested Wrangler also apply to the Gladiator including A-pillar and cross-fascia beam failure, footwell intrusion, high seatbelt loads and excessive pedal movement. These remain an increased risk for occupants,” said ANCAP director of communications and advocacy, Rhianne Robson. 

“Consumers have come to expect a high level of safety regardless of price-point and market segment. 

“Safety should remain a priority in all vehicle purchases, and this is no different for a vehicle of this type – particularly at this price-point,” Robson added.

In response, Jeep’s distributor in Australia has cited that the Gladiator “is a specialist off-road performance vehicle that has more than 70 advanced safety systems.

"This includes front and side airbags, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-path detection, parking sensors, a rear-view camera and autonomous emergency braking."

Jeep’s New Zealand distributor, Ateco Group, has yet to comment.

Gladiator expected to lift Jeep sales

More than a ute … and more than a Wrangler with a tray on the back.

ANTICIPATION of the new Gladiator pulling Jeep out of a sales boghole has been expressed by the distributor. 

Ateco Group New Zealand says the $89,990 Overland and more rugged $92,990 Rubicon editions landing in August have raised plenty of excitement among Jeep supporters.

All the same, optimism for what is effectively a Wrangler with a tray and extra length only seems to go so far, all the same.

There’s no talk of it having ability to blow the doors off from marketing manager Sarah Williams. What percentage of overall Jeep sales it might achieve, might it become the best-selling member of the Wrangler family … sorry, not going there?

There is concession that her reluctance comes back to this being a model taking this brand into a previously unexplored territory.

“It’s quite hard to lock that in … yes, we’re expecting it to be very popular based on the high level of requests we’ve had for information.” 

As for its status within Wrangler-dom; could it be king? Maybe yes, perhaps no.

“I think it would be appealing to those who are looking at Wrangler and want to pack their mountain bikes in the back … but it might yet be that some buyers might want a Wrangler AND a Gladiator.” 

One firm factor affecting Ateco’s thinking is an insistence that just because it looks like a ute doesn’t mean it has to be considered one. 

Well, logically it struggles to fit the billing as America’s answer to the traditional one-tonners that have dominated new vehicle sales, on several counts.

For one, Gladiator’s deck is rated for lighter loads. And until a heavy duty towing set-up offered in America is signed off for export, it won’t get access to the 3.5 tonne club, with both models rated for just 2721kg braked. Another factor against is that it bucks the trend for diesel, delivering instead only with the long-lived 3.6-litre Pentastar V6 petrol.

Aside from all that, there’s the envisaged role. In Jeep’s eyes, this is much more of “a lifestyle pick up truck” than your Ranger, Hilux, Colorado and Triton. Mainly on grounds of it having the goods to prove itself tougher in the environment in which the brand sees itself as being an especially adept conquerer. The rough. 

The ‘truck’ parlance isn’t just American slang: Underpinning this model is a heavily re-engineered chassis including multi-link suspension geometry borrowed from the RAM 1500.

“Globally we agree it is a lifestyle vehicle … one that epitomises the brand pillars while allowing people to go out and do more things, I guess. 

That ability to reach and survive in truly wild spots is a Jeep 101 exploited by the Gladiator not only being brawnier in design but also look, with ability to be stripped down into an open-top, doorless four-wheel drive.

The machismo is particularly pushed in Rubicon format that achieves its premium over the Overland by being stacked with steroidal extras - a far more capable drivetrain and tyres, adding Rock-Trac (over the standard Command-Trac), full-time 4×4, Dana 44 axles, bigger all-terrain tyres, front and rear diff lock, a 77.2:1 crawl ratio and an electronic sway bar disconnect among other tweaks.

She bases that thought on what has happened with the Wrangler Unlimited, which also has a four-door cabin but puts a closed compartment behind the back seats, in the year since it came on sale.

“The Rubicon always goes pretty well (for us), being top of the line and having such a massive four-wheel-drive ability. Overland has a more refined approach … it’s a super-comfortable drive.”

In any event, the ‘not-a-ute’ proposal means thinking, as expressed by some commentators, that Jeep has purpose-priced to meet as the flagship Raptor version of the country’s best-selling traydecks, the Ford Ranger, is simply wrong. Indeed, no top-level trad utes were barometers in this exercise.

“There definitely has been some speculation about the Ranger Raptor being used, but that didn’t happen. We are definitely pushing this as one-of-a-kind.”

“It (the pricing exercise) was more based on what we were looking at across the range and where we saw opportunities; and we did look at what Gladiator would add over and above Wrangler.” (So why there’s just $5000 between the Gladiator and Unlimited in Rubicon format and $10k between the Overlands is not made clear).

Gladiator will be welcomed and not just because Jeep’s last new model rollout was the Wrangler, which came into showrooms in 2018. The brand seems to have lost traction in recent years, with declining sales.

Last year Jeep achieved just 885 registrations and this year’s performance hasn’t lifted, with 290 vehicles sold – 70 fewer than in the same period of 2019.

Brand activity has been carried by the Grand Cherokee, an impressive feat given it is the oldest model Jeep has. The current edition is the fourth generation, which was released in 2011, and has received modest updates through its lifespan in an effort to keep it looking relevant against more modern fare. 

Gladiator has every potential to “add registrations that we wouldn’t have had before.”

Jeep will have more product news this year, and conceivably the next headline-maker is the facelifted Compass (above) as updates to that model just been announced for Australia, which historically by and large makes the same product choices as NZ. However, Williams says she cannot confirm or deny, though she is firm that Compass has a future here. (So, will we see the new evocatively-named Night Eagle special edition and S-Limited models, in Limited and Trailhawk variants, still maintaining the current car’s styling and 2.4-litre petrol?)

The V6 in both Gladiator models produces 209kW of power and 347Nm of torque through a ZF eight-speed automatic transmission.

Equipment available includes leather seats, 8.4-inch infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, the latest USB-C charging and connectivity ports, keyless entry and push to start ignition, forward-facing camera and reversing camera, removable doors and roof, folding windshield, wireless and waterproof Bluetooth speaker, plenty of rail and storage options in the tray, alloy wheels, heated seats and steering wheel, dual-zone climate control, electric adjustment on the front pews and a big safety kit including AEB, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-path detection, front and side airbags, electronic roll mitigation, adaptive cruise control and speed limiter.

The Rubicon uses Tru-Lok front & rear locking differentials, front sway-bar disconnect, Fox aluminum-bodied 2-inch diameter shocks front and rear, forward-facing TrailCam for off-roading, selectable tyre-fill alert and 17-inch alloys with 32-inch 255/75 R17 BFGoodrich tyres.

Options on both include a heavy duty electrical group for $1000, a cargo management setup with ‘trai lrail’ system for $2000, a roll-up tonneau and spray-in bedliner (both $1000) and a wireless Bluetooth speaker for $1000. Rubicon-specific extras include leather-trimmed bucket seats for $2500, with heating adding $500, a steel front bumper for $1500 and 17x7.5 Polished Black Aluminium Wheels for $1000.