The new Jeep Compass, based on STLA Medium, has started production in Italy at Fiat’s big Melfi plant. The Compass has electric, hybrid, and plug-in hybrid variants, at least one of which has all wheel drive:
- Hybrid: 145 hp
- Plug-in hybrid: 195 hp
- Electric: up to 375 hp
The drag coefficient is 0.29, similar to the 1995 Neon. Ground clearance is higher, though, at “over 200 mm” (~7.9 inches), with water crossing up to 480 mm (~19 inches).
The press release claims that Melfi has “a strong Jeep heritage,” but also claims Melfi was Jeep’s first manufacturing site outside of North America in 2014. This ignores the joint venture factory in Graz, Austria which made Jeeps before Daimler took over, as well as Beijing Jeep, which Daimler turned to Beijing Mercedes, as well as Jeep’s many global licensing agreements under Willys and Kaiser.
The press release claimed that the powerplant choices gave “freedom of choice” while the plant’s ability to make the Compass with different powerplants was “freedom of production.” Stellantis’ decision to keep electric and gasoline vehicles on the same platforms has given them arguably lower production costs, but does not optimize the electric powerplant, and may have increased engineering costs over companies that have separate platforms (such as GM and Ford).
The Compass is to be produced in the United States next year, using the Belvidere factory which was sunsetted by former CEO Carlos Tavares. The midsized pickup Tavares claimed would be sent to Belvidere is being developed now, and will be made in Toledo.
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