Jeep Compass Night Eagle review

A Jeep for conquering the urban jungle.

Introduced as part of a revised 2020 line-up of vehicles, the Jeep Compass Night Eagle is the starting point in the Compass range, but you probably wouldn't guess it. Externally, its black accents, rear privacy glass and 18-inch black alloys make it look like the options sheet has a fair few ticks on it.

Pricing for the Compass Night Eagle starts at $36,950, and the particular vehicle that we tested was coated in the premium "Grey Magnesio" paint, costing an additional $645. Inside there was also a dual-pane panoramic roof, which can be added to yours too for $1,950.

The Jeep Compass also represents the only front-wheel-drive offering from Jeep, a company renowned for building 4-wheel-drives. With that said, is this the vehicle you want when conquering the urban jungle?

What's it like inside?

Built to be Jeep's daily driver, the Compass Night Eagle is quite easy to get used to and comfortable to boot.

Being the entry-level model, there's no real leather apart from the steering wheel. In its place there's a combination of vinyl and cloth trim. There are hard and soft touch plastics on different touchpoints, but nothing that feels worryingly cheap.

As you would probably expect from a model range kicking off point, the Compass Night Eagle comes with manual, not power-adjustable, front seats, but there is also tilt and telescopic steering adjustment.

There is an 8.3-inch Uconnect touchscreen infotainment system, which works well, though you can't help but feel it needs some new graphics to bring it up to date. That said, there is Android Auto and Apple CarPlay loaded as standard if you prefer either of those. Also integrated into the Uconnect system is DAB+ digital radio, reversing cameras and satellite navigation – not a bad level of standard inclusions at all.

Below the touchscreen unit you can access dual-zone climate control and volume controls for the 6-speaker stereo system.

There's plenty of space and storage inside too, with all the traditional door and centre console bins, but also some nifty (in a James Bond type of way) storage under the passenger seat. The cushion lifts forward to reveal a storage space for different valuables to be stored and no-one would be any the wiser.

In the back, underneath the large (optional) dual-pane sunroof, there is plenty of head and knee room and nothing feels too closed in. In fact, the dimensions of the Compass Night Eagle are on the larger side of the compact SUV segment.

There are also ISOFix mounting points on the two outboard seats, for those travelling with young children.

2020 Jeep Compass boot space

Even further back there is again plenty of storage with 438-litres of boot space available, which is up there with the best in the segment. Underneath the boot floor is a space saver spare wheel.

What's the 2020 Jeep Compass like to drive?

Don't expect too much excitement. Being a front-wheel-drive, obviously it's not the Jeep you'd pick if you want adventure. Equally, the 2.4-litre Tigershark engine performs well enough for around town too, but without making you excited to get behind the wheel. The reality is, for a daily driver around town, it is all you need. It produces 129kW of power and 229Nm of torque, which is put to the ground via a positive-shifting, 6-speed automatic transmission.

Jeep states that the Compass Night Eagle will consume 7.9 litres per 100kms driven in both the city and on highways. During our time with the vehicle though, we recorded a figure closer to 10 litres per 100kms travelled.

The 2020 Jeep Compass rides comfortably too, meaning there will be less complaining in the back on long trips. And while there might be a hint of body roll when it is pushed a bit in corners, you're very rarely going to do that around town.

Then there are the standard inclusions that make navigating the concrete jungle that much easier. There's satellite navigation at no extra cost, ensuring you don't get lost, while blind spot monitors and lane departure warnings ensure you arrive safely. When you do eventually arrive, you have front and rear parking sensors to get you parked up faster and more accurately.

A turning circle of 11.07m is on the larger side of the segment, but it shouldn't be too much of an issue with both the front and rear parking sensors to help you make those multi-point turns.

If you are towing often, it's worth noting that the Night Eagle has no rated maximum braked, or unbraked, towing capacity, with the brochure stating that hitching a trailer up is not recommended.

How safe is the 2020 Jeep Compass?

The Compass has a 5-star ANCAP safety rating and protects passengers with 7 airbags and a range of active safety technology. As standard on the Night Eagle you get:

• Automatic headlights and high beam
• Auto-dimming rear vision mirror
• Rain sensing windshield wipers
• Rear Cross Path Detection
• Blind Spot Monitoring
• Full speed forward collision warning plus
• Lane departure warning plus
• Advanced brake assist

Ownership costs

2020 Jeep Compass servicing costs

Jeep offer capped price servicing on the Compass Night Eagle. Intervals are every 12 months or every 12,000kms, whichever comes first and the first five services are capped at $399.

Every time you have one of your scheduled services conducted at a Jeep dealership, you will gain another 12 months on your free roadside assistance package and you essentially receive free lifetime roadside assistance, as long as you keep doing so.

2020 Jeep Compass fuel costs

The 2020 Jeep Compass is fitted with a 66-litre fuel tank, so, at today's average fuel price of $1.25/litre for 91 unleaded, it will cost you $82.50 to fill it to the brim.

The verdict

It's safe, it rides and drives well, plus Jeep is committed to improving its reliability, support and image. So, if you're after an everyday compact SUV to get the family from A to B, you can't go wrong with the Compass Night Eagle.

With that being said, there are some cheaper competitors out there like the Kia Seltos Sport and the sharply-priced Mitsubishi ASX.