Jeep Compass 4xe

Jeep's volume-selling crossover adopts a plug-in hybrid powertrain. MODEL TESTED COMPASS 4xe S

- ILLYA VERPRAET & MATT SAUNDERS

Price £40,895 Power 237bhp Torque 2581bft0-60mph 6.4sec 30-70mph in fourth 6.8sec Economy 38.2mpg CO2 emissions 44-46g/km 70-Omph 49.9m

We like

• Cheerful take on a prosaic type of car

• Intuitive and customisable multimedia system

We don't like

• Expensive for the amount of space and range you get

• Dim-witted gearbox calibration

This week, we're testing an Alfa Romeo. Well, sort of. As appealing as the Giulia and Stelvio are to the enthusiast, their bespoke Giorgio platform is just a bit too specialised and expensive for volume models; and Alfa Romeo is in desperate need of a true volume model, more specifically a posh compact crossover. That much was clear well before Fiat Chrysler Automobiles merged with PSA to form Stellantis in January last year. And so the obvious base from which to develop said posh crossover (the Tonale, revealed last week) was the Jeep Compass. It's the right size, it was available and an all-important plug-in hybrid powertrain was in development for it.

However, the story goes that when new Alfa Romeo CEO Jean-Philippe Imparato tried the Tonale, he wasn't too impressed so ordered the launch date to be put back to make the car Alfa Romeo-worthy. When we tested the Jeep Compass in 2018, we gave it just three stars, so we would be inclined to agree.

In the meantime, that plug-in hybrid Compass has come to the UK, along with a facelift that's relatively minor on the outside but rather more drastic inside.