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2017 Jeep Compass ads navigate life for Millennials

Jeep kicked off an advertising blitz Thursday for the 2017 Compass, pitching the attractive compact crossover directly at the Millennial generation. The first broadcast spot, called Recalculating, shows young people navigating life's changes, including marriage, children, job moves, and more. A narrator intones "recalculating" – like a GPS – at each life moment during the 60-second ad. Naturally, a Compass would be a logical ride for all of these milestones, Jeep suggests. "We expect its message of life's journey moving us in many directions to resonate with our Millennial audience while staying true to the Jeep brand's core value of freedom," Oliver Francois, Fiat Chrysler's chief marketing officer, said in a statement. The campaign will be shown during Saturday Night Live, Modern Family, and other popular television shows. Print versions will also appear in national magazines, and the campaign will include digital, cinema, and experiential elements. The blitz began in North America, but it will be a global marketing effort as the Compass is sold in a wide range of regions. The ads will be customized for local audiences. Four more 30-second spots are planned for launch in May. An FCA US spokesperson declined to provide a monetary value for the campaign. The Compass will also be a featured vehicle at the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival in June in Tennessee. Additionally, FCA US will showcase the vehicle outside its headquarters in Auburn Hills, Mich., with a multi-story wrap on the building (replacing the current Chrysler Pacifica hybrid wrap). The Compass, which is on sale now, is receiving positive reviews for its updated styling that echoes the Grand Cherokee, increased storage space, and off-road capability. Hawking the Compass toward the Millennial generation, which is young people in their 20s to mid-30s, is a logical move for Jeep, as the group is beginning to display increased buying power. The Compass is one of Jeep's entry points. Customers could then theoretically stay with the brand as they age and their families grow, moving up to larger and more expensive vehicles, a longtime strategy employed by automakers. Related Video:

2019 Jeep Cherokee revealed with new, more conservative look

Just as it did with the new Wrangler, Jeep is showing off images of a new product before its debut. In this case it's the 2019 Jeep Cherokee. Jeep hasn't released all the details on it, but we can see a number of exterior changes from the official images. The biggest change is one we've been expecting: the merging of the current Cherokee's split headlights into single units on each side. The result is a more conventional nose that has a closer familial resemblance to other Jeeps such as the Compass and Grand Cherokee. The rest of the front bumper and grille also look a bit softer and rounder, but there's still a hint of the wedge-y pointy look of the previous generation that helps keep the crossover immediately identifiable as a Cherokee. The other major change is at the rear. The big slab of a rear hatch is broken up now with the license plate mounting position, which makes the tail look much less bulky. Naturally the bumper was also redesigned with a faux skid plate to fill up the space left by the license plate. As for the middle of the crossover and the interior, there are no noticeable changes. Jeep hasn't revealed anything other than these images, so we'll have to wait until the full debut in January to find out about any mechanical changes. Jeep's press release does hint at more efficient powertrain options, so there could be some updates to the transmissions or engines. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2019 Jeep Cherokee Image Credit: Jeep Detroit Auto Show Jeep Crossover SUV

The Jeep Yuntu is a plug-in hybrid SUV just for China

The Shanghai Auto Show has been host to a heaping helping of hybrids this year, and we have yet one more to share with you. Jeep created this Yuntu SUV Concept, and it features a plug-in hybrid powertrain. Interestingly, Jeep has very little to say about it, and didn't even provide hypothetical performance figure, apparently because it's just a concept. About the only thing Jeep did tell us was that the Yuntu was designed with a focus on Chinese consumers' tastes, also citing that the SUV segment is the fastest growing in the country. While the design may have been targeted at Chinese buyers, we think the Yuntu would find fans in the US, too. It mixes cues from both the Compass and the Renegade. The roof treatment, with a thick, upright, body-colored D-pillar and black roof come right from the Renegade, as does the generally boxy aesthetic. From the Compass comes the slim seven-slot grille and horizontal headlights. The inside has no parallels to the current Jeep line. It's a light, airy place with plenty of pale woods. The dashboard is effectively all screens, and the few buttons and switches present have a unique copper finish. It's far more futuristic and modern than any Jeep on sale right now. As for what this Yuntu means for the Jeep brand, there are a few possibilities. It could simply be a styling exercise that indicates where Jeep is headed in the future. These future design cues could be applied either to China-specific versions of current vehicles, or they could also appear on vehicles in other markets such as the US. It's also entirely possible that this concept is a preview of a new SUV designed just for the Chinese market. Jeep could do this fairly easily and affordably by putting a toned-down version of the Yuntu's design on the Cherokee platform, which is already built by FCA's Chinese partner, GAC. This wouldn't be the first time a car company created an SUV just for the Chinese market, either. Mazda did it with the CX-4, so Jeep certainly could, too. Related Video: