Now in its third model year, the new Jeep Compass receives a handful of tweaks for 2019. In addition to adding some more equipment, the Compass gets two new styling option packages.
The first new trim package is for the base 2019 Jeep Compass Sport. Called the Upland, the special edition equips the SUV with 17-inch wheels from the Trailhawk model, as well as matte-black tow hooks, a front skid plate, gloss-black badging, a gloss-black roof, silver anodized interior accents, rubber all-weather mats from the Trailhawk and a polished exhaust tip.
The second trim pack is the High Altitude Appearance package, which dresses up the Compass Limited with 19-inch wheels, an 8.4-inch Uconnect touchscreen infotainment system with navigation, HID headlights with LED running lights, LED taillights, Satin Gloss Granite grille trim, a gloss-black roof and anodized gunmetal interior accents.
Other changes concern equipment packaging. Adaptive cruise control is now part of the Advanced Safety Group package; it was not previously offered at all on the Jeep Compass. There's a new Sting Grey paint color, and the design of the Trailhawk's 17-inch wheels has been updated. Finally, the Compass Sport and Latitude now come standard with a 7-inch Uconnect touchscreen infotainment system. Previously they had a dated audio system with a 5-inch screen as standard.
The 2019 Jeep Compass's 9-speed automatic transmission now has a rev-matching feature, which Jeep says will result in quicker downshifts, especially when drivers really step on it and require a multi-gear downshift. In fact, Jeep says that rev-matching "can shave a second off a downshift." It's a welcome change as we've often kvetched about the 9-speed's sluggish responses. In a 2017 review we lamented that, "acceleration is a bit sluggish and while passing on the highway can be planned, emergency situations, like an unexpected merge or a vehicle straying into your lane, cannot." The tweak was actually instituted as a running change midway through the 2018 model year and continues for the 2019 Compass.
