Jeep Removed Almost All the Physical Buttons in the New Compass

Jeep finally unveiled the third-generation Compass, and nearly every part of the crossover is new. That’s not surprising; the current-gen car was getting rather long in the tooth. The exterior styling is more angular than before, and there’s a lot more technology inside, including a 16-inch touchscreen for the infotainment system and capacitive, touch-sensitive switches throughout, replacing the outgoing SUV’s old-fashioned buttons on the steering wheel and center stack. Is this the return to physical controls that carmakers have promised us?

On one hand, at least there are switches of some sort in the new Compass. I’d argue that even touch-sensitive buttons are better than lumping every function and feature into the touchscreen’s menus. But, while I haven’t sat in the new Compass, I can’t help but wonder how intuitive it’ll be to live with. For conventional buttons, it typically takes nothing more than a firm push to make something happen. With capacitive switches, as increasingly more cars are using today, you need to apply just the right amount of pressure, and that can sometimes take one or two tries.

Jeep pointed out during a presentation on the new Compass that its implementation will provide physical feedback, which pretty much sounds like the haptics that have been in smartphones for years. You’re likely to feel a little “pop” when you press something, and that should help confirm the action. But haptics won’t help you find those functions without looking away from the road, as regular buttons do, so they’re not really much of a solution.

“This is a new technology that gives feedback. Being capacitive, we don’t have any more gaps between the different functions,” said Daniele Calonaci, the head of design for Jeep’s European division, during a presentation. He added that no more gaps means no more dust between the buttons, and that’s difficult to argue against, but was it really an issue that owners complained about? We’re talking about a Jeep, after all, not a Maybach. It sounds like a bigger issue will be having to take off your gloves to turn on the rear defroster on a cold winter morning.

Interior annoyances aside, the new Compass looks pretty sleek. It falls in line with Jeep’s current design language by adopting a short, angular seven-slot grille, rectangular headlights, and squared-off wheel arches. Out back, the lights feature an X motif that strangely reminds me of the new Dacia logo and a backlit “Jeep” emblem on the hatch. Some of the more off-road-focused trims stand out with more outdoorsy styling. The new Compass measures about six inches longer than the last-gen model and three inches shorter than the recently discontinued Cherokee.

Buyers in Europe will have several powertrain types to choose from. Jeep detailed a 145-horsepower 48-volt hybrid, a 195-hp plug-in hybrid, and three EV variants with outputs ranging from 213 to a mighty 375 hp. Front-wheel drive comes standard, and all-wheel drive is available.

Keep in mind that, as of writing, the third-gen Compass has only been announced for the European market. We’re guessing it will make its way to the United States sooner or later, but details such as launch timing, specifications, and pricing haven’t been announced by Jeep yet. When we asked the automaker about a timeline for domestic availability, a representative responded with the same statement Stellantis provided when the company confirmed it was halting activity at the Brampton Assembly Plant in Ontario where the Compass is built, citing the need to reassess its product strategy to offer flexible powertrain options.

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