Jeep Patriot S-Limited Special Edition : S-CLUB HEAVEN?

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Jeep's Patriot comes in a classier guise if you opt for this S-Limited version. Jonathan Crouch checks it out

These days, you can buy yourself a Jeep with none of the downsides. You know, high fuel consumption, low emissions and ponderous handling. Of course, such a Jeep won't be quite the same off road, but it can come close enough not to matter. Hence the appeal of the brand's new generation products, cars like the Patriot we're looking at here.

Patriots are bought by the kind of people who would otherwise have drifted off and bought a Honda CR-V or a Toyota RAV4. They like the idea however, of something a little more 4x4-focused - as long as it avoids those day-to-day downsides and has a strong dash of street style. To make sure the Patriot can offer fashion as well as 4x4 focus, the importers have introduced the S-Limited special edition version that we're looking at here. It comes only with the more affordable 2.4-litre petrol engine, rather than the 2.0-litre CRD diesel that most customers choose. Still, that does mean that prices can be kept well under the £20,000 mark, just under £1,400 more than the plushest Patriot in the standard range, that with `Limited' trim. So what does the extra cash buy you? Well, the answer is a whole series of exterior and interior improvements, including chrome grille surrounds, body-coloured door handles and mirrors, rear parking sensors, plus a special S-Limited badge and a front and rear under-ride body-kit. Interior improvements include leather trimmed seats and leather and Alcantara door panels, plus a leather-covered centre armrest, gearstick and headrests. Outside, there's an S-Limited badge in a red and silver finish and a Startech chrome grille. That's all on top of the kind of equipment fitted to all top Patriots, including electric windows, a CD/radio, side-curtain airbags, anti-lock brakes and ESP with Electronic Roll Mitigation.

"If the Patriot needs a little more polish, this S-Limited special edition variant provides itâ€¦"

Otherwise, it is of course the standard Jeep Patriot recipe. If you haven't come across the model before, let's get one thing clear from the start. Although the Patriot is better off road than it ever needs to be, it's still a step or two down from the true Rubicon Ready vehicles at the top end of Jeep's range. Still, although there are beefier four-wheel drive setups around, the Freedom Drive I system does have a trick or two up its sleeve. This full-time electronically-controlled all-wheel drive setup has a locking mode to set the front/rear torque split for especially slippery conditions. It's worth putting this car in context. Aside from rather task-specific tackle like the Jeep Wrangler and, to a certain extent, Suzuki's Jimny, it's tough to think of another 4x4 under £20,000 that's as capable off road as the Patriot. On the tarmac it's OK, if not as nimble as a Toyota RAV4 or Honda CR-V. The MacPherson strut front suspension and multi-link rear set-up has apparently proven well up to the most demanding tests and is a tried and tested configuration that works well enough in the Compass and which has been further stiffened in the Patriot. Jeep's retro kick is easily discernable when walking round the Patriot. The high beltline, narrow side windows, flat body panels and upright windscreen angle are all design cues reminiscent of the early Cherokee, while the boxily flared wheel arches look straight from a Wrangler. The seven-slatted grille and round lights have become a Jeep totem and some rugged looking alloys complete the look. The Patriot is a car that looks a whole lot bigger than it is. Despite its imposing frontal aspect, it doesn't actually occupy much more space on the road than a Vauxhall Astra. Depreciation is an area where the Patriot is likely to excel. A three year old Jeep is always going to have a lot more allure than a three year old Focus or Astra, especially when it looks as good as the Patriot. You'll pay more in terms of insurance and the pence per mile figure will doubtless be marginally higher than a family hatch but for most customers, the payoff in having a more individual vehicle will be well worth the additional expense. The Patriot is a cheap car and in some cases feels it. Watch for the sharp exposed bolts in the interior tailgate door pull and feel the poorly finished flashings on the plastic mouldings. If you want a car that's impeccably finished, try the Toyota RAV4 but get ready to spend thousands more. Jeep maintains that with the Patriot, the money has been spent on the bits that really matter. Bits like the smart four-wheel drive system and the generous kit list. They may have a point. Overall, as a tool for seducing customers who were previously thinking of Nissan X-TRAILs, Toyota RAV4s and Honda CR-Vs, it's been clearly found by the UK Jeep dealer network that in some respects, the Patriot needs a little more polish. This S-Limited special edition variant provides it - and does so at a price that comparable compact 4x4 products will find it difficult to match.

Facts At A Glance
CAR: Jeep Patriot S-Limited special edition
PRICE: £19,810 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 11E
CO2 EMISSIONS: 206g/km
PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph 10.7s / Max Speed 112mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: (combined) 32.5mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front and side airbags / ABS
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: length/width/heightmm 4408/1785/1667mm