2008 Jeep Patriot

There was a time, not that many years ago, when the word, "Jeep" was synonymous with sport-utility vehicle. Confuse the terms in a review and you'd get a firm reminder from the PR department emphasizing that Jeep was a protected trademark.

These days, the brand name is seldom confused with the generic SUV, what with the huge proliferation of other ute brands available on the American market. Jeep has steadily lost both market share and share of mind to players ranging from Ford to Toyota . And it has only itself to blame.

The DaimlerChrysler division was unduly slow to respond to shifting market trends, until recently ignoring the addition of third-row seating, as well as low-cost crossover vehicles. But with the impending launch of the new Patriot, Jeep is wrapping up the most aggressive product offensive in its history, one that more than doubles its lineup, giving potential buyers seven separate models to choose from.

If your first glimpse of the new Patriot triggers a mild sense of déjà vu, that's no surprise. The new compact SUV has a lot in common with its fraternal twin, the Jeep Compass, which launched last year. Both are based off the same, small-utility platform, (which they share with a third product, the Dodge Caliber), and are produced, side by side, at the automaker's assembly plant in Belvedere, Illinois.

Where the softer, more feminine look of Compass underscored its cute-ute-ness, Patriot is decidedly more angular and rugged-looking, visually closer to traditional Jeeps like the Liberty and Wrangler, an intentional move meant to imply its "trail-rated" heritage.

In fact, the Patriot straddles the line between soft-roader and full SUV. The reality is that less than one in ten sport-ute owners will ever steer onto anything rougher than a gravel road. So for them, there's the basic version of the Patriot, Dubbed Freedom Drive 1, available in either 4x2 or 4x4 configuration and starting at an extremely competitive $14,985 (which includes destination charges).

For those who want something markedly more rugged, there's the official, trail-rated package, which boosts ground clearance by an inch, and adds such niceties as a tougher rear suspension, low-range transmission, skid plates, electronic stability program with hill-descent control, and a heavy-duty cooling system. This so-called Freedom Drive 2 package bumps the base price up to $19,175.

To round out the various packages, the Patriot Limited, in 4x4 configuration, starts at $21,735.