Jeep is keen to get the new Compass - based on the Patriot but with more rounded body styling - in Australian showrooms. Spokesman Dean Bonthorne says "we'd love to see it".
"We have nothing to announce yet but we are still working quite hard on Compass. We probably won't announce anything for a couple of months. For us it complements the Grand Cherokee because it's a more stylish, urban-like wagon."
Jeep may be going the way of Land Rover, which is quietly splitting Range Rover from its parent. The plan is believed to have Evoque and Range Rover as the premium SUVs and Land Rover - with Discovery, Defender and 110 - as the more 4WD and workhorse focussed models. The Compass, already on sale in the US, comes with the Patriot's 2.4-litre engine and on-demand all-wheel drive, or as a 2-litre petrol with front-wheel drive. It is not known if Jeep Australia is seeking to add the 2WD to the range.