- The STLA Medium platform will support the next-generation Compass, offering powertrain flexibility.
- Despite pausing work in Brampton, Stellantis will push ahead with building the new Compass in Italy.
- Unifor warns that uncertainty in the North American auto industry poses risks to Canadian jobs.
Stellantis has unexpectedly hit the brakes on activities at the Brampton Assembly Plan in Canada, catching many by surprise. The facility was set to become the production hub for the next-generation Jeep Compass, but the model’s North American launch could now be delayed as Stellantis reevaluates its strategy.
Plans for the new Compass were already in motion. The compact crossover is designed to be underpinned by the STLA Medium platform, allowing Jeep the flexibility to offer it in both ICE and BEV guises. Pilot production was originally slated to begin on January 20 but was pushed back to May last year. Full-scale manufacturing was then scheduled for February 2026.
Read: 2026 Jeep Compass To First Hit Production Line In Italy
However, Stellantis spokesperson Lou Ann Gosselin confirmed to Carscoops that work on the new Compass in Canada is now on hold. All activities at the Brampton plant, including the retooling that began after production ended for the Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger, and Dodge Challenger, have been paused.
“As we navigate today’s dynamic environment, Stellantis continues to reassess its product strategy in North America to ensure it is offering customers a range of vehicles with flexible powertrain options to best meet their needs,” the spokesperson told us “As a result, the Company is temporarily pausing work on the next generation Jeep Compass, including activities at the Brampton Assembly Plant. This does not change our previously announced investment plans for Brampton.”
An unnamed source has told Auto News that Stellantis could be reevaluating whether it should launch a battery-electric version of the new Jeep Compass in North America. It could decide what to do with the new model in March, and the Compass may have a delay of eight to twelve months.
No Changes to the European Launch
Crucially, the halt at Brampton won’t impact Stellantis’s plan to start production of the new Compass at its Italian plant. “The next generation Jeep Compass, the brand’s most globally available model, will debut in Europe with production beginning in Melfi (Italy) this year,” Gosselin told us.
Union Worries
Unifor, the union representing workers at the Brampton site, has expressed its concerns about the temporary pause at the facility.
“The company has reassured the union that vehicle production plans are still in place for Brampton, although the timing of this announcement raises very serious concerns for Unifor members both in the plant doing the retooling work and those on layoff,” it said. “The chaos and uncertainty plaguing the North American auto industry, which is under the constant threat of tariffs and a dismantling of EV regulations from the United States, are having real-time impacts on workers and corporate decisions. We have been saying this as a union from day one that the threats are also dangerous to our economy and to Canadian jobs.”
