Lately Jeep has been heading down a new trail. In order to grow the brand it has come out with the urban-oriented Compass. This, uh...uniquely styled crossover is more soft-roader than off-roader because it’s built on the same car chassis as the Dodge Caliber. Now that platform supports a third rig, the Jeep Patriot.

Growing the Jeep brand means war on small crossovers that are becoming more popular everyday. This Patriot is fighting the Asians, not the British. The roll call here includes Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4, Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sportage and Ford Escape.

Patriot may be a light infantryman, but Jeep wants you to know it performs well in battle. Caliber and Compass are not intended for rugged off-roading, but Patriot can be ordered up to tackle some pretty serious terrain.

First, it’s time for inspection. The immediate response from the CO is that Patriot looks like the original Cherokee. Lines and creases on this soldier are crisp and taut. These aren’t dress blues, mind you, but this Jeep has a nice uniform. In comparison, Compass and Caliber look a little shell shocked to my eye.

My tester is a base Sport model. Order the Limited model if you want to upgrade to Officer’s Quarters. A 158 HP 4-cylinder with a 5-speed manual is the equivalent of private’s rank in this Jeep.

The drivetrain I’m testing has been promoted though. It’s a 2.4-liter 172 horse 4-cylinder with 165 lb-ft of torque. The transmission is a continuously variable unit.

The Jeep folks have brought us auto journalists outside of Phoenix, AZ, to prove that the Patriot is more rugged than the competition. Our first tour of duty is the Apache Trail. While the road is rough, it’s nothing the base front-wheel drive version can’t handle.

The road turns to trail and that when I’m glad this Patriot is properly outfitted. No talking in ranks here, pay attention to the following orders: If you’re going to tackle the rough stuff, sign up for Freedom Drive II. This option is more than just an additional inch of ground clearance. It includes upgraded cooling, suspension components, protective skid plates and a Trail Rated badge. FDII is not available with the standard 5-speed transmission. For Patriots doing standard service to the ski slopes and through muddy roads, Freedom Drive I will be enough.

At this point, it’s time to drop into low gear and lock the 4-wheel drive system. Peering over the hood finds a path that looks like a battlefield. Inching forward the front end dips into a deep ravine. I wait for the inevitable crunch but hear nothing. Apparently Jeep put this crossover through some intense basic training. There will be no Purple Heart today.

At this point I urge you to click on the streaming video to view the kind of terrain I’m traversing. Approach and departure angles are good because the facias remain scuff free. Most owners won’t put their Patriots through this kind of campaign but Jeep wants everyone to know this crossover can crawl over some nasty stuff.

To shoot some of the video, I’m hanging out of another pre-production build Patriot that has 4,300 hard miles on it. If any rig is a battle scarred lieutenant with the snot beat out of it, this would be the one. Paying close attention I hear no squeaks, groans or rattles. None.

Next up? A flat sandy riverbed to test the standard 3-mode electronic stability control. The friendly Jeep PR guy tells me to bring it up to around 30 MPH and try to break the rear end loose. Even at 35, cranking the wheel violently back and forth on sandy stuff finds the Patriot very stabile.

What you won’t see (because I was having too much fun to shoot it) is the Patriot blasting through the canyons at high speed. This Jeep is quiet and comfortable on the highway but the real kick is flying through loose dirt road corners at speeds approaching 45 MPH. Is this fun? Sir, yes sir!

Up to now this trooper has been a, well a trooper (with apologies to Isuzu). Time for demerits. The biggest one is the interior. The Spartan looking plastic dash with its utilitarian grade materials is borrowed from Compass. It’s easy to find mold line seams, metal seat supports could use trim covers. At least it’s screwed together well (and remember, these are pre-production vehicles).

Considering the base price is only 15 grand makes it easier to forgive the cabin. Side torso airbags are unavailable, curtain bags are standard.

While the continuously variable transmission works well, the sound is not so pleasing. Under hard acceleration, CVTs rev the engine up near the redline sweet spot and hold it there. The tranny seamlessly changes gear ratios but the engine continues it’s drone until you back off the accelerator. Understand that this is a very efficient way to deliver power. It just isn’t as pleasing to the ear as a vehicle with distinct gears.

Back to the interior. Patriot can be called up for duty with all sorts of optional equipment. There’s a DVD-based satellite nav system General Patton would have found useful. A Bluetooth connection for hands free cell phone connection is also available. So is a MusicGate sound system that folds out of the open liftgate so the gang can still sing Kumbaya around the campfire if you forget your guitar. The rear dome light does double duty as a flashlight.

In the back seat there’s loads of headroom. Even though the cushion is a little short, the two outboard positions have a good amount of room. The middle position is not a happy place though. These seats are very flexible. The rear seats split 60/40 and recline. When on-leave, gear like surf boards can be hauled since the front seat folds flat too.

Patriot is competitively priced. FWD Sport models start at 15 grand. Add $1,700 for all-wheel drive. Add $5,000 across the board for the plush Limited models. Ordering ALL options on a Limited (including sunroof, heated seats, premium stereo and nav system) and the price comes to $27,000 even.

Every so often a vehicle comes along with The Right Stuff. Patriot is one of those rigs. For 99 percent of the buyers out there, it’s all the SUV they will ever need. It’s comfortable on the road, capable on the trail and confident in design. Too bad a stylish interior is AWOL.

Patriot may not quite achieve the off-road Badge of Honor bestowed on Wrangler but it will easily soldier on through most tough terrain. Equipped with Freedom Drive II, Patriot will go places CR-V, Tucson, Sportage, Escape and RAV4 fear to tread.