Patriot loyal to heritage

According to my Jeep-like-o-meter, the American off-road icon is still viewed as an object of desire.

The Wrangler commands an incredible number of fanatics and the more recent addition to the range, the Compass, is held in high esteem by our female population. Obviously it boasts a generally feminine styling approach, which is why the latest version comes in front-wheel drive format, forsaking Jeep's traditional mechanical make up and giving credence to the shift towards more fuel efficient motoring.

The ladies are sorted. Now, if you are a guy wanting a second-hand Jeep that isn't Barbie-like, yet still compact and fuel efficient, ask for the Jeep Patriot. This was the company's first foray into building small vehicles, previously terrifyingly unfamiliar territory for Jeep.

Now they are coining it selling smaller egg-crate grilles and round lamps.

There's truly nothing not to like about this junior Jeep. Its road height, which is slightly above that of a regular sedan, makes for a fantastic driving position which is good for both off-road and on-road driving. The interior is very much Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge in construction, ergonomics and a worrying obsession with shiny inserts. But, importantly, it scores big on standard features such as curtain airbags, ESP and more.

Interior room is good by small SUV standards. I use the category of SUV loosely here. I'd prefer to view the Patriot as a large hatchback with an SUV ride height. But Jeep will disagree. Anyhow, the Patriot was a wholly new way to view a Jeep.

Driving it on the road is comfortable in a sedan or hatchback kind of way.

Two engines powered this car - a 2.4-litre petrol four-cylinder engine developing 124kW and 224Nm and a 2.0-litre turbo diesel.

Gearbox choices are a CVT or a six-speed manual. Driven economically this Jeep, especially the diesel version, returned never-seen-before consumption figures on Jeep's digital average fuel counter.

This engine line-up made this Jeep optimal for daily travel as well as a long distance runner, also off the beaten track.

Unlike the newer and softer Compass, the Patriot is exclusively 4x4. Yep, and if you are a dyed-in-the-wool off-road junkie, look out for a unit fitted with a special off-road package - it is about 25mm higher than the regular car.

I'd recommend the 2.0-litre diesel with a six-speed manual combo for enhanced fuel savings and, if you value the wellbeing of your left leg when your daily travel is mainly on congested roads, you'd do well to get a CVT automatic.

Overall, I recommend the small Jeep Patriot that is patriotic to its origins, instead of the small Jeep Compasse, that has lost all of its Jeep attributes. Prices ranged between R160000 and R300000.