Jeep had planned to debut the long-awaited replacement for the Compass and its similarly-sized compact SUV sibling, the Patriot, at the 2016 New York motor show.
It was a no-show, however, and motoring.com.au wanted to know why, so we asked the head of Jeep, Mike Manley, what the problem was.
"There's no problem with it," he responded, before confirming it will be shown first in South America later this year.
"We decided to launch the new C [segment] SUV in Brazil. It'll be the first plant that gets the global vehicle, so no delays — it's on track."
However, there clearly has been an interruption to the affordable SUV's rollout as the Jeep boss confessed the model was originally set to launch this week, but has now been pushed back to the end of the third quarter of the year, representing a half-year delay.
"We thought it was more appropriate [to launch it in Brazil]," said Manley.
"Anyway, the vehicles released today... what more could you expect from a show? Phenomenal right?" he said of the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk and Summit models.
The ageing Patriot and Compass SUVs will be replaced by this new C-segment or small-sized SUV, but Manley wouldn't be drawn on which of the two names the new model will wear, if any.
It's motoring.com.au's understanding the Compass name will be used, as the US-centric Patriot name isn't considered suitable for global markets, into which the new SUV will slot above the pint-size Renegade.
Roughly the same size as a Volkswagen Tiguan or Nissan QASHQAI, the small Jeep is a crucial model for the brand and it's been rumoured it required further fine-tuning before being released – just like the mid-size Cherokee it will be positioned beneath – which could be another reason for the delay.