22 Feb 07 16:36
Jeep Compass
Prices have been announced for the Jeep Compass SUV. This Chrysler Sebring/Dodge Caliber-based 4x4, with a car-like monocoque structure in place of a traditional off-roader's body-on-frame construction, will cost from £17,990 when it goes on sale in the UK in May.
The Compass features an active four-wheel drive system, running in front-wheel drive in normal conditions but with power sent to the rear axle when conditions get slippery. It will be offered with a choice of a Volkswagen-sourced 2.0-litre diesel engine and six-speed manual gearbox, or Chrysler's own 2.4-litre petrol with five-speed gearbox; CVT automatic transmission is optional with the petrol engine. It's not going to be the cheapest Jeep on offer, though: its close relative, the Patriot - based on the same underpinnings but with a more retro, utilitarian look - will be cheaper still when it joins the Jeep range in July.
Vauxhall's new SUV, the Antara, will cost from £19,850; deliveries of this start in July too. Entry-level versions are badged Antara E, and come with air conditioning, front foglights, an alarm, stability control, hill descent control, 17" alloy wheels, silver roof rails and a CD/MP3-player; Antara S models add 18" alloys, climate control, heated front seats, cruise control, auto headlights, rain-sensitive wipers, a heat-reflecting windscreen, self-levelling suspension and chrome door handles and exhaust tailpipe. SE versions have DVD sat nav, a six-CD autochanger, Bluetooth phone kit, xenon headlights, part-leather seats, an auto-dimming rear view mirror, front and rear parking sensors and tyre pressure monitoring. The only option is the Flex-Fix cycle carrier, as on the Corsa, which slides out from the rear bumper (£475).
Engines on offer in the Antara are a 2.4 petrol (from £19,850) or a 2.0-litre diesel (from £20,995); automatic diesel models cost from £22,395.
