Puppy Love

Imagine a pit bull, with its muscular jaws and taut flanks.

Now, think of the dog as a pup: vaguely intimidating, but impossible to take seriously.

Such is the challenge confronting Jeep as it rolls out the diminutive '08 Patriot, the third variant off Chrysler Group's front-wheel-drive C-segment platform. (The Dodge Caliber and Jeep Compass were first and second.)

More ambitious still is Jeep's insistence on pinning its venerable Trail-Rated badge on Patriot's top trim level. The good news: This puppy can run with the big dogs. On the down side, it can use some grooming.

Patriot's 2-box design recalls the slabby but almost-iconic Jeep Cherokee midsize SUV that enjoyed a marketplace run spanning two decades, until it ended in 2001.

With an overall height of 65.7 ins. (167 cm), Patriot is slightly taller than its pudgier Jeep platform-mate, the Compass.

Both CUVs share a 104-in. (264-cm) wheelbase. Access and egress is effortless, while the driver's sightlines are unencumbered by Patriot's compressed greenhouse. Legroom is more than adequate.

For those not paper-trained, there is YES Essentials stain-resistant, odor-fighting, anti-microbial upholstery from Milliken Automotive, a $250 option.

With its rear seats folded down, Patriot's cargo volume grows from 23 cu.-ft (0.65 cu.-m) to 54.2 cu.-ft. (1.54 cu.-m), more than enough to accommodate a large kennel.

The instrument panel is stylish and well organized, but the proliferation of plastic is a major bone of contention. Not the quantity of plastic, but the quality.

Gloss levels on the dashboard are excessive. Knock on any critical surface, from the center stack to the door panels, and it resonates with a hollow clack.

However, Patriot gets out of the doghouse thanks to its pricing and performance. Starting at $14,985 — including a $560 destination charge — it is a bargain for car-buyers who expect advanced safety features, solid fuel economy and driving enjoyment in a stylish package.

Side-curtain airbags, electronic stability control with roll mitigation, and antilock brakes come standard.

Equipped with either of Chrysler Group's I-4 World Engines, the 158-hp 2L version or the 172-hp 2.4L, the Patriot is no greyhound. But both engines can deliver up to 30 mpg (7.8 L/100 km) on the highway, depending on the transmission.

Choices include the T355 5-speed manual from Magna Powertrain and a pair of second-generation continuously variable transmissions from Jatco Ltd. — the CVT2 and the CVT2L.

The latter, optional for the Trail-Rated Patriot featuring the 2.4L I-4 and Jeep's Freedom Drive II 4WD system, has a crawl ratio of 19:1. Ready access to its 165 lb.-ft. (224 Nm) of grunt is handy on the rain-slicked desert floor, where Patriot showed more heart than a St. Bernard.

Used in various combinations, Patriot's 4WD, low-gearing, electronic stability program and automatic hill-descent control make quick work of mud mounds and water holes, deep sand and steep inclines.

On-road, the Patriot is a bit doggy; “crisp” will not often be used to qualify its acceleration.

Its MacPherson strut front suspension and multi-link independent rear, both bolstered by gas-charged shocks and stabilizer bars, keep the vehicle planted. And there is no skitter as the car glides over the red-dirt washboard roadways overlooking Roosevelt Lake, outside Scottsdale, AZ.

Clearly, Jeep challenged itself when it decided to migrate its legendary off-road capability to a small, car-based platform. However, Patriot is proof that you can teach an old dog some new tricks.