Jeep Compass & Patriot: When Two Become One

[William Maley]

Jeep Compass & Patriot: When Two Become One

William Maley - Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com

October 28, 2011

Related: In Goes One Fiat; Out Comes Three Jeeps

Chrysler and Fiat are busy at work getting some new small cars in their lineup and recent spy shots show what will be happening for Jeep.

Car & Driver posted some shots of a jacked up Alfa Romeo Giulietta mule sitting in a parking lot. What the mule happens to be riding on is Fiat's new “Compact Wide” platform. "Compact Wide" is based on Fiat's C-Evo architecture, which happens to be the platform the Giulietta uses. The new platform will underpin the replacement for the so-so Jeep Compass and Patriot.

The new Jeep model is expected to come out sometime in 2013 as a 2014 model. No information has been released on what the engine lineup could look like, though a turbocharged version of Fiat's 1.4L and Alfa Romeo's new 1.8 turbo four is rumored. The model is expected to come with ZF's new nine speed automatic transmission and have the choice between FWD and AWD.

Source: Car & Driver

[daves87rs]

Sounds pricey....

[Blake Noble]

Color me very suspicious.

The subcompact and compact Jeep indeed sound fine for what they are as long as Fiat does not skimp on making either vehicle rugged in it's design, build quality, and styling. If any weaker, extremely car-like qualities show through anywhere in those three departments, you can guarantee either vehicle is going to be destined to fail from its introduction.

The Liberty replacement, though ... that really leaves me disappointed. Sure, I'm going to be passing judgement on a vehicle that hasn't seen the light of day yet, but provided that the information in the previous article linked to is correct, I don't need to wait until then.

The Liberty has been chastised by Jeep-philes since the day of it's introduction as the replacement of the XJ Cherokee for good reason: it was heavy, it was overly complicated, and it discarded one of the toughest engines ever produced. It was styled too erratically, it was basically unproven, it was more expensive than the XJ. As I've personally said in the past, the only time the Liberty came close to being XJ good was with the Renegade package, if you ignore it's hefty curb weight. (However, brand new that SUV would have been far too expensive, so consider it the only Liberty worth taking home used.) Those traits were carried over for 2008's redesign, minus the erratic styling.

With the calling of a new mid-sized SUV dawning over at Jeep, Fiat has the chance to do things right again and design a true Cherokee successor. However, they're already botching things up from the git-go by using a completely unibody design. As shown with the XJ Cherokee and Grand Cherokee, there isn't anything wrong with unibody construction for a serious Jeep ... as long as your reenforcing it with a ladder frame, and I can guarantee Fiat will want the Liberty replacement to be taken seriously. Although it may possibly share in some of the same efficiency radiated by the old XJ and GC with it's unibody construction, it will still be, by itself, too weak to handle the off-road stress the XJ and Grand Cherokee can manage without breaking a sweat. All-wheel drive will be another mistake with that complex system sure to add unwanted weight, further decreasing its efficiency on and off road.

If Fiat thinks their cock-eyed approach will make for a more fuel efficient SUV, they're in for a gross disappointment. With all of the safety equipment tacked onto the XJ near the end of its run, it still wound up lighter than the Liberty and more fuel efficient as well. Fiat needs to return to the past and learn a little bit from the Cherokee. It's not some AMC-era relic, especially when it's still wiping the floor with whatever you're building to "surpass" it.

My ranting aside, if Fiat's second phase of their vision for Jeep is botched anywhere, it could very well ruin the largest majority of their so far solid effort to restore ChryCo.

Edited October 30, 2011 by black-knight

[Robert Hall]

No one takes the Compass or Patriot seriously as Jeeps, they are just FWD car based cute utes. The bar is set pretty low for their replacement.

[Blake Noble]

No one takes the Compass or Patriot seriously as Jeeps, they are just FWD car based cute utes. The bar is set pretty low for their replacement.

They're runabouts, especially the Compass which was never really intended to be used as a traditional Jeep. It's there to sop up sales from customers who only buy Jeeps because they like the reassurance that comes with the Jeep name. The Patriot, though, can be a somewhat capable off-roader depending on how you equip it.

Watch this video. This one has had a few mods, but it shows the Patriot can work as an off-roader.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z83G_q4rU3M&feature=related

Edited October 30, 2011 by black-knight

[ocnblu]

I happened upon that vid this morning, and that is one tough looking little Patriot. That is how it should be set up from the factory, imo.

[Bimmer325]

I don't see what's so impressive about that. I wonder if he did any damage while teetering on the car's underside more than anything else.