The 2017 Jeep Compass has been revealed at the LA Motor Show, with the company boasting it will be its most capable compact SUV ever.

JEEP IS SLOWLY refreshing its range of SUVs and the Jeep Compass is the latest to have copped the new-look styling and all-terrain drivetrains. In a first for the company, the Compass will be built at a number of different locations (Brazil, China, Mexico and India) around the world for sale in 100 countries, including Australia.

“Our all-new 2017 Jeep Compass enters an extremely important and growing segment worldwide, and does so with an unmatched list of attributes that includes benchmark 4×4 off-road capability, exceptional on-road driving dynamics, fuel-efficient powertrains, countless advanced technology and safety features, all wrapped in a premium, authentic Jeep design,” said Mike Manley, Head of Jeep Brand – FCA Global.

The Jeep Compass will be available in four different variants: Sport, Latitude, Limited (pictured) and Trailhawk. In keeping with Jeep’s current categorization of its vehicles, it’s likely the Compass will be categorized here as an MA passenger vehicle instead of an MC off-road passenger vehicle. This obviously has implications for those wanting to modify their vehicle, but this is a compact SUV so that’s possibly not such a major issue.

Jeep, as usual, is claiming the Compass will be best-in-class in terms of its off-road capability boasting Jeep’s Active Drive 4×4 system and its Active ‘Low Range’ which Jeep says, offers a 20:1 crawl ratio. Jeep’s Active Drive system is designed to allow up to 100% of torque to any one wheel…

The Compass will also feature Jeep’s Selec-Terrain system which provides five driving modes: Auto, Snow, Sand and Mud modes, plus exclusive Rock mode on the Trailhawk variant. The Compass isn’t permanent four-wheel drive, behaving as a two-wheel drive until slip is detected or a specific drive mode has been activated.

The Compass Trailhawk gets a one-inch lift over standard models, skid plates and improved approach, rampover and departure angles: 30-degrees; 24-degrees; and 34-degrees, respectively.

Jeep claims improved on-road performance thanks to its Koni shocks and tweaked electric power assist steering. Depending on the market there will be five engines available for Compass, three petrol engines and two diesels. All 4×4 variants will run a nine-speed automatic transmission, while 4×2 and 4×4 variants will get a six-speed manual, while 4×2 variants will get a six-speed automatic transmission.

The inside of the Compass, Jeep says, promises a more upmarket feel compared with the old model Compass. And there will be plenty of variation between models with the centre stack offering a 5.0-, 7.0-, or an 8.4-inch touchscreen run via Jeep’s Uconnect system which offers Apple Car Play and Android Auto connectivity.

Jeep claims the new Compass will offer more 70 active and passive safety systems, although not all will be available on all variants. Some of the systems include: Forward Collision Warning-Plus, LaneSense Departure Warning-Plus, Blind-spot Monitoring and Rear Cross Path detection, ParkView rear backup camera with dynamic grid lines, electronic stability control (ESC) with electronic roll mitigation and seven air bags (as standard).

Question: Bigger than a Renegade, could the new Jeep Compass set a benchmark for all-terrain SUVs?