This Is How Jeep Could Make The Compass A Lot Better | CarBuzz

Published 5/18/2020 on CarBuzz by Jared Rosenholtz

With a little help from the Fiat 500X.

There are a lot of things to like about the 2020 Jeep Compass. It looks like a baby Grand Cherokee, has some credible off-road chops in its segment, and offers a quiet, comfortable driving experience. But after recently testing a Compass High Altitude for a week, we found its engine and transmission to be the most glaring weak point. Jeep only offers the 2020 Compass with an aging 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine producing 180 horsepower and 175 pound-feet of torque.

This feels like a sluggish amount to move more than 3,500 pounds, especially when paired to the nine-speed automatic transmission that’s slow to downshift. The powertrain keeps what is otherwise a pretty compelling little crossover from being highly recommendable but we have a hunch that Jeep that could soon offer a fix with a little help from Fiat.