Automotive icons are rare. The Jeep Cherokee, sold from 1984 to 2001 with relatively few changes, is one of them. Square, small, and rugged, it was the vehicle that turned America on to SUV ownership and the projection of healthy, outdoorsy lifestyles even as we continued to gorge on processed food and laze about playing everything from Atari to Playstation. With the Patriot, Jeep attempts to capture some of the Cherokee’s styling panache in a package designed for a world where gas prices are volatile and most folks put a tire on dirt only to visit a local produce stand. Under the sheetmetal, it shares most of its innards with the Dodge Caliber and the Jeep Compass, but is uniquely equipped with an available “Trail Rated” 4WD system and raised suspension that gives it greater off-road capability than its platform mates. This year, the 2009 Jeep Patriot sees several upgrades that make it more appealing than ever.

Here is a summary of the changes to the 2009 Jeep Patriot:
• New Rocky Mountain Edition model
• Redesigned instrument panel, door panels, and center console
• Upgraded cabin materials include padded armrests, chrome trim, carpeted load floor
• Cupholders have LED illumination at night
• Additional sound insulation for a quieter cabin
• Modified suspension tuning for more comfortable on-pavement ride quality
• Upgraded UConnect technology with ability to store 6,700 songs on a 30-gig hard drive, play movies on the available navigation screen when the Jeep is parked, and to personalize the available navigation screen with personal photos
• New PZEV version of the 2.4-liter engine
• Two new colors: Light Sandstone Metallic and Deep Water Blue Pearlcoat

The 2009 Jeep Patriot is available in Sport, Rocky Mountain, or Limited trim. The Patriot Sport is sparsely equipped. It includes vinyl seats, 16-inch steel wheels, air conditioning, a CD player, and a tilt steering wheel. The windows are crank-style, the door locks manually actuated, the side mirrors adjusted by hand. Notably, an auxiliary input jack for portable music players, an outside temperature display, and illuminated cupholders are standard even on this most basic Patriot.

If you add Special Equipment Group E, the Patriot Sport includes power windows/locks/mirrors, remote keyless entry, dark tinted glass, stain-repellant seat fabric, a 115-volt power outlet, cruise control, a rechargeable LED flashlight, a driver’s seat height adjuster, floor mats, and a fold-flat front passenger’s seat for carrying long loads. Other option packages include a Sun and Sound Group with a sunroof, Boston Acoustics audio, Sirius satellite radio, and articulating speakers embedded in the tailgate; and a Security and Convenience Group with side-impact airbags, a HomeLink programmable transmitter, a security alarm, a trip computer, a compass, a tire-pressure monitor display, and heated front seats.

Patriot Sport buyers can also opt for 17-inch alloy wheels separate from option packages as well as UConnect Tunes, which includes UConnect Phone technology, a 30-gigabyte hard drive, storage capacity for 6,700 songs, and the ability to display uploaded photos on the in-dash screen. Finally, depending on which 4WD system you select (Freedom I or Freedom II), the accompanying Off-Road Group includes skid plates, tow hooks, a trailer-tow wiring harness, an engine oil cooler, a cabin air-filtration system, a full-size spare tire, and fog lights.

The Patriot Rocky Mountain Edition builds on the Patriot Sport equipped with Special Equipment Group E, adding a monochromatic exterior paint job, 17-inch alloy wheels, UConnect Tunes with UConnect Phone, and the Sun and Sound Group. Rocky Mountain Edition badges identify this special model, and it comes painted silver, black, or red.

The Patriot Limited also builds on the Patriot Sport equipped with Special Equipment Group E. Limited models add leather seats, heated front seats, a lumbar adjustment for the driver’s seat, fog lights, 17-inch alloy wheels, bright exterior trim, floor mats, a trip computer, a compass, Sirius satellite radio, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel. Options include the Sun and Sound Group, Security and Convenience Group, the Off-Road Group, and UConnect Tunes with UConnect Phone technology. Exclusive to the Patriot Limited is the UConnect GPS system with navigation and real-time traffic reporting.

The 2009 Jeep Patriot is powered by one of two four-cylinder engines: a 2.0-liter engine or a 2.4-liter engine. The larger engine is standard, and can be paired with a manual gearbox or continuously variable transmission (CVT), driving the front or all four wheels. This engine makes 172 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 165 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,400 rpm, and fuel economy ratings range from 20 mpg city to 28 mpg highway depending on powertrain configuration. This engine is also regionally available in Partial Zero Emission Vehicle (PZEV) format with no loss of horsepower or torque, though only with front-wheel drive and the CVT. Our review vehicle, a Patriot Limited with 4WD, an automatic transmission, and the 2.4-liter engine, averaged 18.2 mpg in mixed driving.

Jeep’s smaller, more cost effective Patriot engine is optional on front-wheel-drive Sport models with the CVT. This 2.0-liter engine makes 158 horsepower at 6,400 rpm and 141 lb.-ft. of torque at 5,000 rpm, delivering fuel economy ratings of 23 mpg city/27 mpg highway.

Standard safety equipment on the 2009 Jeep Patriot includes dual front airbags and side-curtain airbags for all outboard seating positions. Side-impact airbags for front seat passengers are optional on both models, included in the Security and Convenience Group. Additionally, the Patriot comes standard with ABS (four-wheel disc on 4WD models) and brake assist; stability control; traction control; and roll mitigation control.

Optional on the Patriot Sport and standard on the Patriot Limited is Chrysler’s Enhanced Accident Response System (EARS). With this feature, when there is an airbag deployment, fuel flow to the engine is shut off, the interior lights are illuminated, and the doors are automatically unlocked. Patriots equipped with the optional Off-Road Group have a special off-road calibration for the ABS and are equipped with Hill Descent Control technology.

J.D. Power and Associates says the 2009 Jeep Patriot competes against other compact multi-activity vehicles such as the Chevrolet Equinox, Ford Escape, Honda CR-V, Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sportage, Mazda CX-7, Nissan Rogue, Saturn Vue, Subaru Forester, and Toyota RAV4.