2010 Jeep Patriot First Drive Review

ALMOST TORRENTIAL RAIN, something some parts of the country can barely remember, is pounding the windscreen of the Jeep Patriot as we head off the bitumen road and onto the rain-sodden gravel track.

Despite the rain, the Patriot feels surprisingly sure-footed as we hit the dirt. So, ignoring the lever for the full-time 50:50 torque split four-wheel-drive and sticking with the default part-time AWD-setting, we pressed on.

The part-time system detects slip in the front wheels and proportions drive to the rear when necessity demands. On the slippery road, it performed well.

Chrysler Australia has had a tough time of it this year. Its US parent’s struggles with a short-lived bankruptcy before ending up in partnership with Italian carmaker Fiat, disrupted supplies as well as leaving a dent in consumer confidence in the products.

With production in the US halted for months, the Australian arm of the company has seen its stocks of vehicles slowly dwindle. Now, with winds of change blowing through Chrysler US, things are slowly getting back to full swing for the Australian operation.

One result is an updated and refreshed Patriot range.

The new model Patriot sees some mild changes to the exterior and a much-revised interior. Inside, there is now a much stronger European look than the somewhat challenging over-complicated interior design of the previous model.

Open the door and you will see a simpler and more modern interior - though hardly a style leader. Now in a monotone ‘Dark Slate Grey’, there is an all-new dashboard, centre stack and instrument panel, new door trim-panels and a centre console with split lid for added storage space.

The new interior is pleasing enough to the eye and practical for family buyers (and the ravages of children). Thanks to standard ‘Stain Repel’ technology, the Patriot’s interior will maintain its appearance through all life’s little mishaps – or so it is claimed.

The dashboard features a smoother matte look while the new centre stack features chrome accents to brighten the new round air-vents, shift bezel, door spears and cluster rings.

The centre console is all-new and door trim panels are redesigned and with additional padding for improved comfort.

Chrysler Australia Managing Director Gerry Jenkins told The Motor Report that, as supplies of the Patriot had dwindled, sales had dropped to less than 30 a month and recently there were virtually none for sale.

With the revised 2009 model, and supplies back on stream, he said that the company aimed to push sales up to about 150 month.

Patriot is an important vehicle for Jeep, which needs to compete in the booming compact soft-roader SUV market.

Engine compartment and interior floor insulation have both been improved to reduce road and engine-noise intrusion, and Jeep claims a five percent reduction in decibel levels inside the cabin.

Patriot’s mechanicals remain untouched. Marketing and Sales General Manager Brad Fitzsimmons told TMR that while the diesel Patriot was no longer available, he expected it to come back on-stream from the early part of 2010, when a new diesel engine was expected.

More recent news from Chrysler US about the long-term future of the Patriot nameplate may of course modify plans for which variants join the range here.