Reader TTS

CHICAGO – Jeep is updating one of its smallest SUVs with new technologies and a redesigned interior ahead of the brand's push into electric vehicles.

New features on the 2022 Jeep Compass include active emergency braking and blind-spot monitoring as standard safety technologies as well as optional 10-inch interior screens and an available

driver-assist highway system.

The compact Compass SUV is the brand's best-selling vehicle globally. The new model is scheduled to arrive in North American showrooms in the fall, starting at $24,995 – $500 more than the

current model.

Jim Morrison, Jeep's head of North America, said the added features and refreshed design are meant to make the Compass "even more desirable" in the growingly competitive small SUV segment.

Many of the updates were focused on the interior design and technology of the vehicle, while the exterior features minor changes to better match other SUVs in Jeep's lineup.

"Our goal was to raise consumer expectations of what a compact SUV interior should look and feel like," said Chris Benjamin, Jeep's North American director of interior design.

This self-driving car technology stock could pop by more than 400%, say three analysts

Forget the automakers: Fund manager picks 2 longer-term plays to cash in on EVs

Nvidia and more: These global stocks will soar on the $324 billion autonomous vehicle boom, analysts say

The vehicle, which is produced at a plant in Mexico, is powered by a 2.4-liter, four-cylinder engine connected to a six- or nine-speed automatic transmission. The fuel economy of the vehicle

is 25 mpg combined, including 22 mpg in the city and up to 31 mpg highway.

The Compass is an important SUV to Jeep. It is a gateway vehicle alongside the smaller Renegade SUV that tend to attract new and younger buyers to the brand.

Jeep is set to unveil the 2022 Compass on Wednesday at the Chicago Auto Show. Its debut comes less than a week after its parent company, Stellantis, promised to invest about $35.5 billion

into vehicle electrification. The investment includes an all-electric Jeep in every SUV segment, executives said.

Jeep's only plug-in hybrid electric vehicle in the United States is the Wrangler SUV. It has announced plans for a plug-in hybrid of its Grand Cherokee later this year.

Plug-in hybrid versions of the Compass and Renegade SUVs are available in Europe. But Jeep has not said those versions will come to the U.S.

These hybrids combine plug-in battery technology with traditional internal combustion engines, while EVs are exclusively powered by batteries and electric motors. Jeep is calling its

electrified vehicles "4xe" models, a play on the brand's off-road reputation combined with electrification.

Stellantis was formed in January through a $52 billion merger between Fiat Chrysler and PSA Groupe. It has 14 brands including Jeep, Ram, Opel, Fiat, Peugeot and Maserati.

Got a confidential news tip? We want to hear from you.

Sign up for free newsletters and get more CNBC delivered to your inbox

Get this delivered to your inbox, and more info about our products and services.

© 2025 CNBC LLC. All Rights Reserved. A Division of NBCUniversal