Autoblog

Click above for a high-res gallery of the 2008 Jeep Compass

We weren't really sure what direction Jeep was heading when it introduced the Compass in 2007. Built on a shared platform with the Dodge Caliber, the Compass goes against what we normally think a Jeep should be – rugged, tough, capable, and... well... square. The departure from classic Jeep styling hasn't received rave reviews, and the interior has been a source of complaints, as well. Does the Compass deserve the criticism it's been receiving? We aimed to find out and secured a 2008 4x2 Sport model for the Autoblog Garage.

All photos Copyright ©2008 Drew Phillips / Weblogs, Inc.

It's no secret that Chrysler has some overlapping models in its lineup. Case(s)-in-point: it's hard to make a rational argument that Jeep should be offering both the Compass and Patriot (not to mention Dodge selling the Patriot's platform sibling, the Caliber) or the Grand Cherokee and the Commander. The Chrysler Aspen and Dodge Durango barely pretend to be different vehicles and there's no reason to sell both the Jeep Liberty and Dodge Nitro when they're basically the same machine. This revelation is as obvious to Chrysler's new management as it is to us, and Chrysler President Jim Press, says as much. "We're going to stop overlapping, we're going to bring everything under one roof. By doing that we will have more products in the markets we are not covering."

Also marked as redundant by Press are the Chrysler Town and Country and Dodge Caravan minivans, but as easy as it may be to pinpoint overlapping models, fixing that problem may prove more difficult. Dealers will need to begin offering the whole Chrysler line of vehicles if this strategy of "bringing everything under one roof" is to succeed. Expect to see drastic changes taking place in the next four to five years.

[Source: Bloomberg]

After a five-day shutdown due to a mechanical glitch at Chrysler's Belvidere stamping plant, the facility will again be able to resume building the Dodge Caliber, Jeep Compass, and Jeep Patriot. In the short term, Chrysler will keep the assembly facility running smoothly by outsourcing stamping to other nearby plants. The shutdown came only weeks before the Belvidere plant permanently drops one shift, which will result in the indefinite layoff of 1,000 workers. With a tough economy in which automakers are struggling to sell units, it's unlikely many people will have difficulty finding a Caliber, Compass, or Patriot as a result of the temporary shutdown.

[Source: Auto News (subs. req'd)]

Having learned from the sales bank debacle of the past, Chrysler is now throttling back production to draw down inventory levels. Sales of the PM/MK platform cars – Dodge Caliber and Jeep ComPatriot twins – are down roughly 23 percent compared to last year. Part of that is due to a move away from fleet sales, but whatever the cause, the 3,400 workers at the Belvidere assembly plant will get a two week vacation starting Monday. It's a great time of year to take a trip, enjoy some of the last warm days before winter tightens its grip, or just get out and rake the yard. By the time the line starts back up again, the backlog of unsold vehicles will be reduced, and the looming catastrophe of UAW contract talks will be looming.

[Source: Auto News - sub req.]

The Jeep Wrangler Unlimited, Compass, and Patriot are helping Chrysler defend its market share in a declining sales environment. Between these new models and incentives on Dodge and Chrysler vehicles, Chrysler has managed to stay 0.1% ahead of the market's year-on-year drop in sales. The Wrangler Unlimited is proving a noteworthy boon, helping lift Wrangler sales by 71% year-over-year. Steve Landry, Chrysler's EVP of North American sales said, "The four-door has really created a halo effect for the Jeep brand, bringing people into the Jeep showrooms and it has improved our two-door sales."

Although Chrysler-brand vehicles lead the way among the Big Three in incentives, Jeep has placed little reliance on them. The numbers mean that Chrysler's market share has actually improved a tiny bit, from 12.85% to 12.86% in the US. It's a minuscule improvement to be sure, but for a company that has been through the wringer over the past few months (years, some would say), it's still a great statement.

[Source: Freep]

When Chrysler introduced the Jeep Compass to the UK market last year, the automaker made the decision to only offer it in the more aggressive-looking (well, kinda) Rallye trim (above). That was based on market research conducted by the automaker in advance of the product launch. Now, a year into things, it's backtracking in a big way. According to UK media resource Headline Auto, Chrysler Blighty has shelved the Compass Rallye in favor of the standard-look Compass. Why? Simple: the regular Compass, contrary to all that prior research, tests better with consumers in clinics held by the automaker's marketing people. In particular, first-time SUV shoppers and women were drawn to the unkitted version of the car. Reading the writing on the wall, Chrysler has made the call to back-burner the Rallye. Don't throw dirt on the Rallye package quite yet, though. It could resurface in some form down the line.

Meanwhile, on this side of the Atlantic, Chrysler hopes that American customers become smitten with that very same Rallye kit. It's now being offered as a Mopar option package in the US for the first time. Here at home, the Compass has become a bit of a piñata among enthusiasts, who have mercilessly derided the car for a variety of reasons. Those include problematic styling that in no way lives up to the promise of the original Compass concept, a chintz-heavy interior, a general lack of "Jeepness" and a powertrain selection that is uninspiring at best. The domestic Compass Rallye is obviously an attempt to "man up" the vehicle a bit, though based on Autoblog's reader comments, it's clear that a many view the package as little more than lipstick on a pig. However this all turns out, it's been interesting to see how the marketing approach for Compass has evolved on each side of the pond. Hindsight's 20/20, of course, but maybe Chrysler would have been better off if it launched the Compass Rallye here from "go" and just gave the Brits the regular version. Despite this inter-continental game of Three-Card Monte with the product, we think there's a way Chrysler can rectify everything and get all the naysayers on both ends of the ocean to stop yapping. How about a 300-horsepower, AWD Jeep Compass Rallye SRT-4? You know. Just a thought...

Jeep's hip-hop Bobblehead spots for the Compass have been taken out back and shot. Like the Compass they were shilling, the Bobblehead spots were only effective at being crappy. Of course, the replacement may not be any better. Surfing in from foreign markets is ad agency BBDO's "City Man." City Man is a jumble of street signs, gas pump nozzles and general urban detritus created by the swirl of wind from a passing Compass.

Read the rest after the jump.

[Source: Detroit News]

If you own a 2007 Chrysler, Dodge or Jeep listen up, because you're likely affected by Chrysler's latest recall. DaimlerChrysler is bringing home more than 68,000 vehicles to reprogram balky brake computers.

The 11 affected models are 2007 versions of the Sebring, 300, Charger, Magnum, Caliber, Commander, Grand Cherokee, Liberty, Nitro and Compass. Whew.

Chrysler says computers in the recalled vehicles' could fail, leading to a loss of antilock brakes, traction control and speedomter functions. We don't remember much from our drivers' ed class, but we're pretty sure brake failure is hardly ever a good thing. Thankfully DC says nobody's been hurt yet.

Oh, and you Sebring drivers must have broken a mirror or something. While one team of crack DC mechanics gives your car a brain transplant, another team will be reteaching it to defrost your windshield. So take a book or something. That particular recall affects about 6,000 new Sebrings.

[Source: Reuters]

Sheesh, it's about time... Pricing on the Dodge Caliber-based Jeep Patriot has been announced, with the first Patriots rolling off the line in Belvedere set to arrive in dealerships around January 1. The news, which comes a little later than the fall launch plans Chrysler announced previously, finally satisfies those of us who have been eagerly awaiting the little ute's arrival since its launch at April's New York Auto Show. As promised, the Patriot starts at under 15 grand -- $14,958 including shipping, to be exact. The Patriot Limited 4x4 rings in at $23,530, still at the low end of its class in terms of price.

Sharing a platform with the Caliber and Jeep Compass means Patriot is available with the option of a continuously variable transmission (CVT), as well as DaimlerChrysler's 2.4L World Engine. Die hards need not be disappointed by the non-truck platform, however -- in the upper-level trims, the vehicle still comes "Trail Rated," complete with four-wheel-drive, tow hooks and skid plates, and its design hearkens back to the Cherokees of the 90s. No word on the nature of the marketing push yet, but Jeep should roll that out by the end of first quarter when dealerships are all stocked up.

[Source: Automotive News]

Click to enlarge

With the tunerrific Essen Motor Show upon us, we've received more info on what Deutsch masters of mayhem, Brabus/Startech, prepared for the show (Startech is Brabus' Chrysler Group vehicle specialist). We'll start with their Jeep Compass.

The Compass is a pretty ugly car, which is tragic, because the original 2002 Compass Concept was super-duper-looking (photos after the jump). And give Startech a little credit -- they've made the retail version look a bit better just by referencing the concept for inspiration and trying to apply more cues from it to their version. (How novel. If only Jeep had done the same thing.) The stock, ridiculous-looking fascia has been jettisoned in favor of a Startech unit that mimics the concept car's frontal appearance, with a metallic-look bumper cover that features foglights covered in protective grilles.

Plenty more to talk about. It continues after the jump.

[Source: Brabus/Startech]