Jeep and cheerful

The Jeep Patriot keeps options simple but offers classy looks and superior road handling at a decent price. Photo / Jacqui Madelin

Jeep's patriot made a good impression at its Australian debut, but let's face it, launch drives are designed to show a car at its best. So I was keen to try it on familiar roads - more so because I'd just sampled Hyundai's ix35. The two are aimed at similar markets, for similar prices, the Korean from a brand that's leaping up the sales charts and the American from one that's largely sidelined.

The first salvo went to the Yank. This 2.4-litre CVT four-paw Jeep Patriot Sport retails at $35,990, or $39,990 for the up-spec Limited. That's the same price as Hyundai's 2.0 two-wheel-drive entry-level car.

Both offer visual character, but a brief taster of the Hyundai suggests it doesn't have this Patriot's assured on-road handling.

Mind you, if you buy a Patriot you don't get a choice of powerplant; there's just the 2.4-litre petrol, mated to a CVT transmission. Jeep is keeping it simple. Simple, but smart. The Patriot is instantly recognisable as a Jeep, particularly from the front, where the round headlights and seven-slot grille lead the way, followed by those flared guards and squared-off lines.

Inside, the looks mandate relatively narrow windows and windscreen, but you soon get used to that - and though the high waist closes the rear seats in a tad, the littlies should still see out just fine. Meanwhile, their parents will enjoy a smart cabin with subtle chrome accents and classier materials - and build quality - than this car's predecessor.

It's well thought-out (it even includes child-friendly stain-resistant seat fabrics and a reversible carpet/easy-wipe plastic boot floor), and just avoids the bland stick usually wielded over this breed of car. Remove the centre rear headrest if you're not using it though - it does block rear vision.

We already know how well this four-paw system works. It's called "Freedom Drive" - you can tell it's American, can't you? Patriot is a soft-roader, so there's no low-range transmission and usually it's front-drive. But in low-grip conditions power also goes rearwards, and the set-up is so well-tuned that if only one wheel has grip you still have forward motion. You can lock power delivery 50-50 front to rear, the switch also cutting reaction time and altering the ABS threshold, but you'll rarely find it necessary.

Meanwhile, Patriot is an accomplished handler on-road, if not quite matching the likes of Skoda's far pricier Yeti. The ride is compliant too, yet well-damped.

At this price Patriot deserves to sell well. Yes, the class is crowded, but many of the alternatives are bland, and few make a more convincing price-features argument while tackling most tasks so ably.

Jeep Patriot Sport

We like
Jeep class and character at a mainstream price; assured on-road handling

We don't like
No steering wheel reach adjust

Powertrain
2.4-litre four, 125kW at 6000rpm, 220Nm at 4500rpm, CVT auto drives front or all four wheels

Performance
0-100, sedate; 9.1l/100km

Safety
ESP, ABS, all-wheel drive, four airbags, electronic roll mitigation

What it's got
17" alloys, air con, cruise control

Vital stats
4408mm long, 51.1-litre tank