We’ll finally see the replacement for Jeep’s oldest models, the Compass and Patriot twins, at the New York auto show in March. Note that we said replacement?singular?as one model will supplant both of the current compacts.

Jeep’s offering what is essentially the same vehicle as two differently styled models was sort of an accident of product planning. As the company told it, the Compass and Patriot were two proposals for a compact Jeep crossover. In clinics, Jeep found that the two versions appealed to different customers?the more traditionally styled Patriot to current Jeep owners and the more oddly styled Compass to non-Jeep people?so they decided to build both.
It’s unusual, however, for a brand to have two models that compete so directly with each other. The FWD/AWD pair ride on the same wheelbase and are only 1.3 inches apart in overall length; both have a 2.0-liter four as their standard engine with a 2.4-liter optional. The slightly better-equipped Compass starts at $20,590 versus $18,590 for the Patriot (all prices before destination). In fact, the Patriot is $500 cheaper than the smaller Renegade. We’d expect that anomaly to be corrected when the new model arrives.
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Whether it is the Compass or the Patriot name that ends up being retained remains to be seen. The Patriot has bee...