New Jeep Compass: fresh looks and 403 miles of range for the electric one

This is the brand new Jeep Compass, and this be no ordinary lip-service refresh: Jeep's crammed in more features, more body, more cabin, and more... powertrain. That means three(!) fully electric versions with up to 403 miles of range, plus a couple of hybrids thrown into the mix for good measure.

Let’s check out that fresh set of electricities. There’s a choice between a 74kWh or 96kWh battery: the latter gives you that headline range, but the smaller one is capable of a still-respectable 310-mile distance on one charge.

Both are available in front-wheel-drive, the lower battery providing 210bhp, while the bigger one kicks out 229bhp. That 96kWh version is also available as 4WD via a second e-motor, to punch out an entirely unsensible 370bhp and – get this – up to 2,380lb ft torque (via a 14:1 reducer). Lotta torque, that.

All electrified Compass versions get an active grille shutter integrated into the front bumper, and air ducts on the wheels with a fully flat underbody to maximise aero. It also supports up to 160kW rapid charging, meaning a 20-80 per cent rejuice takes half an hour.

Other flavours of refreshed Jeep Compass include a mild hybrid (called e-Hybrid in JeepSpeak) and a plug-in hybrid (PHEV), no longer called ‘4xe’ but now titled 'e-Hybrid Plus'. The hybrids are more powerful than before, too. The mild hybrid has 143bhp, while the PHEV gets 192bhp.

Following in its smaller Avenger sibling's tread-marks, the rugged-looking SUV gets the Jeep-typical seven-slot grille, chunky wheel arches and LED matrix headlights. The carmaker has physically repositioned the vehicle radar to stop it getting knocked in tight spaces, reinforced the bumpers, and added a protective shield to avoid scratched paintwork.

Plus, there's a new suspension package incorporating new springs, dampers and an anti-roll bar. There’s up to 200mm ground clearance, a 20-degree approach angle, 15-degree breakover angle and a 26-degree departure angle for navigating the worst of the UK’s potholes. And if it’s been raining (which it surely will have), the Compass can handle up to 470mm of water-fording depth, too.

Opting for the all-wheel-drive version ups that approach angle to 27-degrees, breakover to 16-degrees, and departure up to 31-degrees. Hill descent control is standard on AWD.

Inside, Jeep's reconfigured the space to give over five extra centimetres of legroom, more boot space (up by 45 litres, to 550) and 34 litres more cubby storage up front. It waxes lyrical about comfort, too.

Plus, the new central display is 16in as standard and sits with a 10in driver display - all supercharged with remote updates. There’s also a head-up display and driver assist features with semi-automatic lane changing as standard.

Jeep is launching with the Compass First Edition (the lime green one), giving a choice of mild hybrid, or 210bhp electron-fuelled FWD EV.

This spec gets slightly bigger 20in wheels, LED matrix headlamps and an electric tailgate. The cabin gets heated seats, various terrain drive modes, and a veritable swathe of driver assist features – all of which can be upgraded. First Edition pricing for the Jeep Compass starts at £35,700 for the e-Hybrid, and £39,200 for the EV. No word on the PHEV pricing yet, but order books open in the summer. More as we get it.