The Comeback of the Deleted Models

Is Jeep about to turn the Compass and Patriot into a sort of Frankenstein’s Monster? While we know these two small SUVs have been taken out of the lineup, at least for now, Jeep is already working on bringing back a small SUV that will replace them both. The original though was that this new SUV would be a combination of the two deleted models and take the features that were most admired about each one to build one fantastic subcompact SUV that will have the off road manners we expect from Jeep.

Now that we’ve gotten a look at the new vehicle, thanks to the images from Autoo in Brazil, it seems like the new SUV will capture some style cues from a third model to make it a vehicle that has quite a few interesting characteristics. This third model is larger than the original two and much more expensive as well and comes to us as the Jeep Grand Cherokee. While the Grand Cherokee is in no danger of being taken out of the lineup, it does have a lot to offer its smaller stablemates as we’ve seen already during a photo shoot.

Most likely this new SUV will show up with the Compass name once again, but it will have a similar grill to the Grand Cherokee but the seven slots will be smaller than the ones on the larger vehicle. Even the headlights and LED daytime running lights are similar to what you see on the Grand Cherokee, giving this new SUV a great look. This new Compass will feature something new that we haven’t seen on the lineup in the past. This vehicle will feature a black roof, which actually gives a nod to the European competitors that typically show up with a dark roof color.

Other changes you will notice on this new model are the taillights that are no longer square and are replaced with oval lights instead. The overall look and feel is of a vehicle that’s more modern than what the Compass or Patriot offered while still giving us the Jeep look we’ve come to know and love.

The platform this new vehicle is built on is the same one that is used for the Jeep Renegade and Fiat 500X. The engine under the hood could be a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline four-cylinder model that can be attached to a nine-speed automatic transmission to give us a great powertrain that offers smooth shifting. The six-speed manual might be offered for those who want to enjoy the fun of rowing their own gears and as expected you can have this vehicle in either FWD or AWD.

This new vehicle will be built in the new Jeep plant in Brazil, hence the photo shoot in that country, and it will make an official debut before the end of this year. We expect to see this vehicle on display at the Los Angeles Auto Show later in the year to give us a better idea of what this new Compass will actually be where we can learn all the stats we want to enjoy.