85 years old. Jeep turns 85 this year. That is old for a car brand.
In the UK, the name has always sat uneasily. Brash. American. An outlier. Since joining the Stellantis fold in 2021 things have shifted though. The empire is huge. The strategy is clear. More cars. More SUVs. By 2030 they want to triple the European lineup.
It starts small. The Avenger led the charge. Now the third-generation Compass arrives.
It sits in the cramped compact SUV lane. It shares DNA with the Peugeot 3000, Citroën C5 Aiscross, Vauxhall Grandland. The STLA Medium platform does the heavy lifting under the skin. We got mild hybrids first. Standard range electric next. Now? Two bigger things. A plug-in hybrid and the Long Range EV.
But the real story is the flagship. The 4xe.
Jeep wants its hardcore reputation back. Land Rover’s biggest threat? They claim so. This isn’t just marketing fluff wrapped in rubber cladding.
The 4xe gets dual motors. One for each axle. All other Compasses are front-wheel drive. This one isn’t. 370bhp combines from those electric motors. There is a Sport mode that claims to shove up to 70% of the torque to the rear wheels.
On paper it looks tough. On the street it looks very tough.
Look at the body. It got a makeover. Ten millimeters of added ride height. New bumpers change the approach angles. Red towing eyes stare out from both ends. It looks like it wants to eat dirt for breakfast.
Is it a Peugeot in costume? Maybe. But the clothes fit.
We drove it over trails Jeep prepared. Dry ground. Steep hills. Deep gulleys that tested the suspension articulation. The Mud and Snow modes kicked in. Hill descent control did its job. The thing moved.
Honestly? It felt too capable. Most owners will never need this. The dry conditions helped sure but the steep inclines and vertical drops showed the engineering holds up. It isn’t fake.
On the tarmac? Fast. 5.4 seconds to 62mph feels real. The power comes in smooth. Linear. No lag. The throttle feels natural despite the instant electric surge.
So it goes from mud to pavement without complaint. Is it perfect? Probably not. But it drives the point home.
Jeep isn’t dead yet. They just need an electrical boost.
