Reader Spy: More revealing 2011 Jeep Compass shots come to light

The lone spy photo of the 2011 Jeep Compass that was sent in by an astute Autoblog reader did nothing if not leave us wanting for more. Fortunately, more is just what we've been granted today by another eagle-eyed shooter who wishes to remain anonymous.

Again, we can see a nicely restyled front fascia that brings Jeep's entry-level nameplate more in line with the range-topping Grand Cherokee, and that's certainly a welcome improvement. The chrome-highlighted seven-slot grille doesn't look out of place with the Compass' newfound hulky appearance. Looking past the nicely-styled fascia proves what we had surmised would be the case: a profile and greenhouse that are mostly left alone.

That means the Compass will retain the gently sloping roofline and reverse-crimped C-pillar arrangement of the first-gen model... for better or for worse. And while we still can't say for certain, our best guess is that there will be a much nicer interior under that freshened sheetmetal, but likely no significant updates to the powertrain packages.

With auto show season about to kick off in LA, we shouldn't have to wait much longer for a full reveal of the 2011 Compass. Even so, these spy shots make it clear that the next Compass will have its needle pointing dead North in comparison to the much unloved original, and we look forward to finding out how well Jeep is able to differentiate this machine from its platform-mate, the Patriot.