Since we're talking standard features, I'm going to throw a list your
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| Practical and durable, the Patriot can be fitted with all the goodies a traveler could ever want. (Photo: DaimlerChrysler Canada) |
way of all the features that come standard in a Patriot. Take a deep breath: standard side-curtain air bags, four-wheel disc brakes, Sentry Key theft-deterrent system, rear 60/40 fold-flat seats, vinyl load floor, AM/FM single-disc CD radio with an auxiliary audio input jack, outdoor temperature display, 12-volt power outlet, tilt steering wheel and a centre console sliding armrest that moves forward 3 inches to accommodate shorter drivers and the armrest lid features a unique flip pocket for storing a cell phone or an MP3 player.
The
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| Round lights, seven-slot grille and a profile that couldn't be much boxier... it harks back to the Cherokee, and that's a good thing. (Photo: DaimlerChrysler Canada) |
standard and only engine for the Patriot will be the 2.4-litre "World Engine" that also serves as the top dog in the Caliber and Compass. In the Patriot, it will make 172 horsepower and 165 lb-ft of torque, making use of dual variable valve timing for both intake and exhaust camshafts. The two lesser members of the new engine family won't be offered as the Patriot is heavier due to the off-roading kit it must lug around. Standard transmission on lesser models is a five speed manual, but upgrading to either of the four-wheel drive options means getting Chrysler Group's second-generation continuously variable transmission (CVT2), promising "pleasing engine response" and better fuel economy than a comparable automatic gearbox.
The interior equipment is pretty much the same as the feature list available with either the Caliber or Compass, but since I'm in list mode tonight, I'm going to paste the full option list in here because it absolutely makes me dizzy and I just want to share that tingly sensation: the aforementioned Freedom Drive I or the Freedom Drive II 4x4 system, seat-mounted side airbags, reclining rear seats, fold-flat passenger seat, air conditioning, power windows, including driver one-touch down feature, speed-sensitive power locks, power foldaway mirrors, remote keyless entry, 115-volt outlet in the centre console, a removable/rechargeable interior cargo lamp, map lights, six-disc CD player and MP3 CD play capability, SIRIUS Satellite Radio, UConnect hands-free communication system, deep-tinted sunscreen glass, trailer tow prep package, soft tonneau cover, and a nine-speaker Boston Acoustics Premium Sound Group (which features the MusicGate hanging speakers packaged in the rear hatch; open the liftgate and the speakers swing facing rearward for tailgating parties and general mayhem and noise pollution).
There's no denying that these features are nifty, tricky and
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| With a wipe-down cargo area, flat-folding rear and front passenger seat, the Patriot is a gear-hauler too. (Photo: DaimlerChrysler Canada) |
downright clever; I mean, how appropriate is it to have a pop-out flashlight in a Jeep? But what I truly feel this Jeep has going for it is its looks; while there's no denying some similarities to the Liberty, it doesn't suffer from the Liberty's unfortunately tall, gawky proportions. It's a Cherokee recaptured on a slightly more compact scale, with shorter overhangs, plus modern detailing and fluidity. I'm sure Jeep will do well with the Compass coming in at the lowest price point ever for a Jeep, but the Patriot is, to me, what Jeep is all about. While not as single-minded as a Wrangler (TJ, YJ, CJ and so on), its quest to redefine the utility of a Jeep lead the Patriot downtown into street-ute practicality without losing sight of what every Jeep used to promise: mountainside trails, fording backcountry rivers and taking us away from the city that we must survive in order to get out to the country that we love. It's the great escapist, and it offers that promise even to the escapists that never get out in the mud on weekends.
