Americans may love crossovers more than we should, but it isn’t like other countries aren’t susceptible to their allure. Even Europe, with its old, narrow streets and functional public transportation systems, loves it some boxy, high-riding wagons. So while it may be a little surprising to hear Jeep revealed the redesigned 2026 Compass over in Europe instead of the U.S., it does make some sense, especially since the new Compass will now only be offered as a hybrid, plug-in hybrid or fully electric vehicle.Â
Style-wise, the 2026 Compass isn’t a wild departure from its predecessor or what we’ve seen from Jeep’s other vehicles lately. It looks pretty good for a car-based Jeep, but if you were hoping for something a little more daring, you’re going to be disappointed. That said, it’s about six inches longer than the previous Compass and should still be a pretty capable off-roader, offering nearly eight inches of ground clearance, a 27-degree approach angle, 16-degree breakover angle and 31-degree departure angle on its most off-road-focused model. You won’t be running with Wranglers in Moab in the new Compass, but if that was your goal, you probably wouldn’t buy a new Compass in the first place, would you?
Inside, the biggest thing that jumps out is the huge, horizontal center screen that measures 16 inches, while the driver also gets a 10-inch display. It also looks like you get a good number of physical controls despite the size of the center screen, although that does include a rotary shift knob that a lot of people around here aren’t big fans of. The rest of the cabin should be fairly spacious for the segment, even if it’s more basic than some of Jeep’s more luxurious offerings.Â
Five powertrain options
Under the hood, Jeep plans to offer more powertrain options than you can shake a stick at. That starts with a 48-volt hybrid that makes a claimed 145 horsepower, but if you upgrade to the more efficient plug-in hybrid version, you get 195 hp. Then there’s the electric Compass, which can be had in three different versions. The front-wheel-drive model offers 213 hp, and while Jeep didn’t specify the second option’s output, the third, top-of-the-line Compass EV will be an all-wheel-drive version with 375 hp.Â
Regardless of which powertrain you choose, the Compass EV should charge pretty quickly, too, since it can handle up to 160 kW of power. That won’t set any new records, but according to Jeep it’s enough to charge from 20%Â to 80% in about 30 minutes. As far as range goes, Jeep says the biggest battery is good for slightly more than 400 miles, but that’s on the more generous European test cycle. In the U.S., expect the EPA rating to be closer to 300 miles.Â
Or at least, that’s what you’d expect if Jeep actually brought the new Compass to the U.S., which it might not. While Jeep is already taking orders in Europe and says deliveries should begin in Q4, the Stellantis-owned automaker also told Motor1 that plans to bring the new Compass to the U.S. have been temporarily paused, “including activities at the Brampton Assembly Plant.” So that’s not a good sign. There’s still a chance we’ll eventually get the redesigned Compass, but maybe don’t hold your breath waiting for that to happen. Thanks, Republican tariffs.
Jeep
