STRANGELY for a company that actually invented the off-roader the Jeep Patriot started life as a family estate rather than an SUV.
That was the plan anyway until Jeep decided it was best sticking with a winning formula and turning out something a bit more in line with customer expectations.
Interestingly the Patriot does feel a little like a regular family estate, it doesn't sit too high off the road for one thing, but looks-wise it is straight out of the tough, rugged go-anywhere 4x4 design manual.
If you saw a picture you could be forgiven for thinking it was one of those gigantic gas-guzzlers that so upset people in leafy suburbs when used primarily for ferrying children to and from school.
But in reality the Patriot is far more dinky than you might ever imagine and is unlikely to block huge swathes of pavement when parked up.
It is no gas guzzler either, the 2.0-litre diesel engine returning more than 40mpg on the combined cycle.
Those looks will certainly appeal to people who like their SUV to look like an SUV rather than a strange hybrid between an SUV and a sporty lifestyle estate.
Good as the original version was there was one big let-down - an interior that would have looked cheap, nasty and outdated on a Korean car built a decade ago.
Obviously customer feedback made this pretty clear at the outset and now the Patriot's interior has been transformed beyond recognition and is far more in line with European levels of quality and refinement.
A raft of improvements inside the Patriot include an all-new instrument panel, redesigned centre console and remodelled door trim. The instrument panel has been given a superior smoother look while new circular heating, ventilation and air-conditioning vents are surrounded by chrome..
The changes are a real breath of fresh air and help give a car that is both good to drive and offers good value for money added appeal.
Outside of its rugged looks the Patriot has plenty else going for it too, its biggest strength being price.
An entry level 2.4-litre petrol model costs from just over £16,000, which for a car in this class represents pretty good value. UK buyers will be far more tempted by the 2.0-litre diesel which costs an extra £1,500.
The Patriot drives and rides well, erring more towards car-like driving manners than a conventional SUV, though there's still a little bit of pitch and roll through the bends.
Four-wheel-drive is switchable, meaning you can keep the Patriot in two-wheel-drive mode for most of its on-road activity and enhance fuel economy accordingly.
Like all Jeeps the Patriot is up to the challenge of off-road driving too, though given its limited clearance its mud-plugging capabilities are fairly moderate.
FAST FACTS
Jeep Patriot 2.0 CRD Limited 5dr
Price: £19,300
Mechanical: 138bhp, 1,968cc, 4cyl diesel engine driving four wheels via 6-speed manual gearbox
Max speed: 117mph
0-62mph: 11 seconds
Combined mpg: 42.2
Insurance group: 11
CO2 emissions: 180g/km
BiK rating: 26%
Warranty: 3yrs/ 60,000 miles