If proclamations such as "more Facebook fans than ever" are meant to impress, you have to wonder if FB, that paragon of credibility, should really serve as the paradigm of success. To our well-worn eyes and ears such a boast carries all the weight of "as seen on TV." But Facebook fandom helped Jeep kick off this morning's Detroit Auto Show press conference.
With Jeep sales up, the folks at Chrysler do have something bankable to celebrate. The company built on that good news to announce that the 2014 Jeep Compass, a compact car-based SUV, receives a new six-speed automatic transmission, said to boost highway fuel economy to 30 mpg, four more than previously.
The new Compass also gets new interior and exterior styling and a "quieter cabin." This last point is especially critical since we described the engine noise of our last tested Compass as "guttural," and made worse by the Jeep's CVT transmission.
The 2014 model will also get standard side air bags at long last and an optional rear-view camera.
Will these changes put the Compass on the map in this highly competitive segment? Conceivably, but top competitors are moving ahead rapidly too. Stay tuned to a future CR test when we find out of the revamped Compass has finally found its way.
