There is something deeply satisfying about driving off-road, especially when you can find a quiet stretch of gravel or dirt road which spears off through the trees and the pastures towards the mountains. No traffic with which to deal, bar the occasional herd of deer, gambolling on springy legs across the track. No lane changes to worry about. No roadworks. And, if you go far enough, no phone signal via which you can be called back to the grind.Little wonder, then, that Jeep has become such a successful global brand. While it’s still very much a minority interest in Ireland – possibly a legacy of the classic Cherokee XJ model arriving here in the 1990s with largely unsuitably thirsty petrol engines – it’s a massive deal in the United States and globally, and increasingly so in Europe.It’s one of the brands – along with Fiat, Peugeot and Ram commercial vehicles – picked out of the vast Stellantis Group conglomerate’s catalogue to be a ‘core brand’, set to receive prominence in funding, development and sales. That’s a big deal for Jeep, but out here amid the cooling shade of the trees, with the distant hum of aircraft circling over some random point in a far-off field before descending into Frankfurt airport, it seems hardly to matter. What matters is the ground, the car and the relationship between the two. Off-roading such as this is pretty blissful, and it’s made even more so when your propulsion is electric. No clattering diesel, no revving petrol, just the sound of the gravel crunching under your tyres and the breeze lightly whooshing in through open windows and the sunroof. The 4XE model is the only four-wheel-drive model in the Compass line-up This is the Jeep Compass, already on sale in Ireland as a conventional front-wheel-drive family-sized SUV with mild-hybrid or fully electric power. It’s closely related to the Peugeot 3008, Citroen C5 Aircross and Opel Grandland but this is not a typical Compass. Perhaps it ought to be, because this is the 4XE model, and so far it’s the only four-wheel-drive model in the Compass line-up, with power – 375hp of it – delivered by two electric motors and a massive 96kWh battery (giving a potential range of 606km, and a more real-world 450-500km). The Compass 4XE's ride height is 10mm higher than the standard model Jeep has not mucked around (pun very much intended) with this Compass 4XE. It has given the Compass an even taller ride height, raised by an extra 10mm compared with the standard model. That gives it the ability to tackle steeper slopes and cope with almost half a metre of flood water should you need it. Chunky mud-and-snow tyres are a standard fit for the Compass 4XE’s 19-inch alloy wheels, and much of the front and rear bumpers’ area remains unpainted so that you can’t scuff it against rocks or spiky shrubs. Even the forward-facing radar unit has been moved from low in the front bumper up to the familiar seven-slot grille so that it’s out of harm’s way.[ Best used car picks for less than €10,000Opens in new window ]With 375hp, it doesn’t sound like so much power these days, but the combination of 345Nm of torque from the front motor and 232Nm from the bespoke rear motor (there’s no mechanical relationship with the tarmac-friendly Peugeot E-3008 four-wheel drive model) means this chunky Jeep (always a specific brand, never a generic term, folks) can launch to 100km/h in just 5.4 seconds. Sports-car speed from a family SUV? Yep.Is that a good thing? Not really. The Compass is too heavy and too chunky to feel genuinely sporty on the road, although at least this 4XE model has a smoother ride quality than the fidgety, lumpy plug-in hybrid version we also tested. That PHEV won’t go off road, or at least not far off road, as it is front-wheel drive only, but the Compass 4XE is the real Jeepy deal. It effortlessly rolled over the various obstacles we found, from gravel-strewn tracks across German pastures, over knotty, ancient tree roots along forest paths still damp from the overnight rain, and through deep, slimy mires of gathered rainwater at the bottom of muddy defiles. Nothing stopped the Compass – helped by an impressive new traction control system which tries to predict when grip will be lost, rather than waiting for it to happen and then reacting – which is entirely in keeping with the brand. Inside, the 4XE model – which will be the Compass line-up’s flagship when it arrives in Ireland towards the end of this year, with a price tag north of €60,000 most likely – gets nice tan inserts for its seats and dash, which lifts the gloom of the standard all-black cabin. The Compass 4XE has 375hp of power and a potential range of 606km The seats have hard-wearing fabric centres and seat backs that include fabric straps The seats get hard-wearing fabric centres and seat backs that include fabric straps from which you can dangle camping tools and water bottles. Space isn’t overwhelmingly good – a much cheaper Dacia Bigster is roomier and almost as capable in the mud – but there’s just enough rear room and a 515-litre boot, so it’s just on the right side of practical. It’s the genuine toughness and ruggedness that appeals most about the Compass 4XE, though (backed up by much improved performances by Jeep in reliability surveys of late). Most of us don’t need an SUV at all and would be far better served – and far better in service to our communities – by purchasing a hatchback, saloon or estate. If, though, you need the capabilities of this 4XE version it’s nice to know that they’re there. Nice to know that this is a car that can reach for a distant horizon and still help you find a way home again afterwards. The Compass can launch to 100km/h in just 5.4 seconds The flip side is also true. If you’re going to buy an SUV you ought to be buying one such as this. Something that lives up to the billing of outdoorsiness and woodsman stuff. Something that has the capability that you’re pretending to have with your over-tall, front-wheel drive, school-run special. Does that mean you have a less efficient car and a shorter range than the other electric Compasses? Yes, but then that’s the point. There’s always a price to be paid for authenticity.