Jeep Compass/Patriot Replacement Spied, Looks Jeepier Than Recent Jeeps

The unveiling of the Jeep Cherokee and Renegade prompted many unplanned chiropractor visits after their, erm, interesting proportions elicited neck-snapping double takes.

As the final months of Compass and Patriot production sell like discount cigarettes on a WW2 airbase, Jeep likely felt pressure to keep styling on the safe side when it came time to craft a replacement.

Well, after seeing leaked images of the model, we can report back with a quote from Dustin Hoffman in Marathon Man: “Yes, it’s safe, it’s very safe, it’s so safe you wouldn’t believe it.”

Images of the Compass/Patriot twins’ undisguised replacement have surfaced on Chinese media site Autohome, showing Americans what to expect from the (very) long-running compact SUVs.

The new design doesn’t hide the fact that this is a Jeep. Is it the Jeepiest Jeep that ever Jeeped, as TTAC’s Bark M one uttered? Of course not — that title, always and forever, belongs to the Wrangler. However, there are styling elements of existing Jeeps in the design. The Grand Cherokee’s visage is strongly echoed up front, and the lesser-than-Grand Cherokee can be seen in the rear.

While the new model (which carries the Compass name in these overseas shots but could easily adopt a new moniker in America) sits atop a Fiat-sourced platform, the body tries its best to avoid appearing un-American. This thing must replace the unabashedly blocky Patriot — a vehicle designed with a ruler and soup bowl — after all.

The automaker hasn’t said what powertrains to expect when the Jeep Insert Name Here starts production in January, but it’s a safe bet that the 2.0-liter or 2.4-liter Tigershark four-cylinder will be standard equipment. FCA’s slightly improved nine-speed automatic could find a home in the new model.

[Images: Autohome]