At the wheel of the new Jeep Compass 1.3 GSe Turbo: petrol for everything

Important changes for the Jeep Compass range, which is now manufactured in Italy for the European market. A welcome development for customers, as it shortens delivery times and allows Jeep to offer greater personalisation options.

In this regard, five new body colours and six new wheel designs come into play. The connectivity services of Uconnect are also being incorporated.

An engine with two power outputs

In addition, the new Jeep Compass receives the 1.3 petrol engine from the GSe family, designated T4, which debuted in 2018 in the Jeep Renegade, along with an DDCT automatic gearbox with dual-clutch and a new Sport driving mode.

Until the version with the 1.6 Multijet turbodiesel engine producing 120 CV arrives in the range, the new Jeep Compass bases its offer on the 1.3 Turbo petrol engine. Above it sits the new Jeep Compass 4xe, the plug-in hybrid, which uses this 4-cylinder 1.3 as its combustion engine. You can read the first drive of the new Jeep Compass 4xe and Renegade 4xe here.

The new Compass 1.3 GSe T is available with a six-speed manual gearbox in its 130 CV variant, while with the new six-speed DDCT dual-clutch gearbox, power rises to 150 CV. In both cases, drive is always to the front wheels; the only version with all-wheel drive is currently the plug-in hybrid, the Compass 4×3.

Range and prices of the Jeep Compass 1.3 GSe

Depending on the transmission and trim level, these are the recommended prices from Jeep, before any discounts you may obtain by financing the purchase:

• Sport 1.3 Gse 130: 26,550 EUR
• Longitude 1.3 Gse 130: 29,360 EUR
• Night Eagle 1.3 Gse 130: 30,950 EUR
• Limited 1.3 Gse 130: 32,950 EUR
• Limited 1.3 GSe Auto 150: 34,950 EUR
• S 1.3 GSe Auto 150: 37,950 EUR

The most powerful version with the automatic gearbox is only available with the two top trims, Limited and S, while the 130 CV is not offered with the top trim, the S. The only trim available with both engines is the Limited. In this case, Jeep offers the automatic gearbox and the engine with 20 CV more power for an extra 2,000 EUR.

A state-of-the-art engine in technology

Under the GSe family name (short for Global Small Engine), the 1.3 petrol is a technically advanced engine. Made entirely from aluminium alloy, it features direct injection, turbocharger supercharging (with specific electronic management for the Compass), petrol particulate filter and the third generation of the MultiAir system, which controls valve timing by adjusting both the lift and the opening duration of the valves for greater efficiency.

The manual version delivers its maximum power of 130 CV at 4,750 rpm, with 270 Nm of peak torque from just 1,560 rpm. With the DDCT automatic dual-clutch gearbox, the 1.3 produces 150 CV at a higher speed, 5,500 rpm, maintaining the same peak torque figure and rev range.

In performance terms, the 150 CV automatic version pulls away from the 130 CV manual by more than the power difference would suggest: 9.2 seconds for the automatic to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h, versus the 10.3 seconds the manual Compass needs.

Jeep announces a reduction in consumption with this new engine, of up to 30% compared with previous petrol Compass versions with automatic gearbox and 4×4 traction. For now, the 1.3 is only offered with 4×2 drive.

Comfort above all else

With this renewal and the arrival of the petrol engine, Jeep has taken the opportunity to make some adjustments to the chassis. The steering has been recalibrated and new dampers are fitted. These changes give the Jeep Compass greater precision in fast corners and less body movement through bends, with superior braking stability and high comfort even when leaving the tarmac.

In our brief first drive, however, I felt the Compass has not improved as much as it should in agility and cornering precision on winding roads. At least compared with other SUVs of similar characteristics, where a benchmark could be the Seat Ateca. Not so much in body roll, which has been partly mitigated, but in the body’s movements when braking under load or changing direction quickly, showing an uncomfortable floating sensation, though never with reactions that are hard to control.

On the other hand, you won’t find many rivals as comfortable as the Compass at swallowing potholes… nor as capable off road. Even in the 4×2 versions, the Compass retains very good rugged capabilities compared with most alternatives in its class, and the well-judged cabin insulation is matched by the work of the new dampers, which filter bumps far better than before.

As for the combination of the 1.3 petrol engine with the DDCT dual-clutch gearbox, its performance already known from the Renegade did not surprise us in the Compass. We only drove the 150 CV version with automatic gearbox, which does not leave us missing the punch of the previous 170 CV 1.4 MultiAir, partly thanks to the benefits the dual-clutch gearbox brings when transferring power to the wheels.

The new Sport mode does not affect the suspension; it acts on the steering, the throttle and the automatic gearbox’s behaviour. An added advantage of this engine is its lower consumption. We will be able to check in a more thorough test whether it reaches that optimistic 30 per cent that Jeep announces at best.

The reality is that the Compass 1.3 DDCT can stay at modest figures if you drive with your right foot under control. But it is also true that, as with the Renegade and most high-output small-displacement engines, consumption is very sensitive to driving pace, and jumps to figures above double digits as soon as you try to make use of its real power.

The new Uconnect services of the Jeep Compass

Another area where Jeep has done its homework with the new Compass is connectivity, adopting the Uconnect services that first reached the range on the 2020 Renegade.

From the second trim level upwards, the Compass comes standard with the Uconnect services, which are divided into different packages. The basic one, called My Assistant, is standard and includes emergency and roadside assistance services, as well as vehicle status reports for maintenance purposes.

Above it are the My Car, My Remote and My Navigation packages, which can only be activated as options if you have the multimedia system with an 8.4-inch colour screen, which comes as standard from the second trim level.

Among the functions these packages offer are remote locking and unlocking of doors, speed control and geolocation, sending destinations from your phone to the navigation system, real-time traffic alerts or speed camera locations, and searching for points of interest. It is also possible to set up a Wi-Fi hotspot, or to have a fleet management assistant.

Image gallery of the new Jeep Compass 1.3 Gse

Technical specifications of this car

Off-RoadJeep Compass6 versions · from 43,200 €