The SUV, updated to resemble the larger and higher-priced Jeep Grand Cherokee, should appeal to non-U.S. drivers who prefer smaller vehicles, said Mike Manley, head of the Jeep brand and Chrysler’s international organization. The new Compass will make its auto-show debut in Detroit on Jan. 10.
Chrysler has said it wants to more than double its sales in Europe and South America to almost 200,000 this year, in part by taking advantage of Fiat’s distribution network. Jeep accounts for half of Chrysler’s deliveries outside of North America and sold 13,050 Compasses in those markets last year, a 26 percent gain from 2009, said Todd Goyer, a Chrysler spokesman.
The Compass “will really fuel growth for us in the international markets, coming in underneath, hopefully, an equally strong reception for the Grand Cherokee,” Manley said in an interview late last year.