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If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, Chrysler Corp. must be blushing. The 1998 Isuzu Rodeo looks like it slipped out of Chrysler’s design studio Xerox machine.

The Rodeo sport-utility vehicle has undergone a dramatic restyling, borrowing heavily from the bold look of the Jeep Grand Cherokee.

Rodeo lifted Grand Cherokee’s bulging, plastic-clad front bumper, blistered fenders and ribbed (Isuzu calls it “corrugated”) plastic body cladding along the rocker panels and lower doors. It also adopted the egg-crate grille from Dodge. The grille looks good and the body cladding keeps the door panels from getting dented and dinged.

In remaking its compact SUV, Isuzu paid attention to detail; items that had been a nuisance in previous models are pluses in the ’98. For example: The moonroof, which had to be cranked open, a time-consuming and annoying chore, is now power-operated ($700 option). The spare tire, which got in the way when hanging on a metal carrier against the tailgate, is attached to the gate. Press a button in back and the rear window opens; pull the handle and the tailgate and the spare swing out. Much friendlier when you need to store or retrieve items in back. You can get the spare slipped under the vehicle with a lock attached to keep bargain hunters from walking away with it. Thick rear roof pillars have been slimmed to improve the rear and side view. To engage four-wheel-drive, a task formerly accomplished by fiddling with a lever on a floor-mounted transfer case, you push a dash-mounted button. And you can engage 4WD at speeds up to 62 miles per hour. If you try to engage 4WD when traveling faster, a light will blink to warn that you must first slow down.

The 4WD button, however, only is for high. To engage 4WD low, you must use the transfer-case lever on the floor. Ford and Chevrolet allow push-button or dial activation of 4WD high/low, which not only makes it easier to engage quickly when needed, but also lets you keep your eyes on the road instead of searching for the lever.

Also, the 4WD button is to the left of the steering wheel next to the cruise-control button, whereas the rear window wiper/washer is to the right. Those positions should be switched to keep from activating cruise control when trying to enter 4WD.

The Rodeo LS we tested comes with Isuzu’s new 3.2-liter, 205-horsepower, 24-valve, dual overhead cam V-6, replacing the 190-h.p., single overhead cam V-6. The new V-6 is very lively, but the fuel-economy rating is only 16miles per gallon city/20 m.p.g. highway, so you will pay the price for ease of merging, passing and climbing.

After a January intro at the Detroit Auto Show and a curtain call in February at the Chicago Auto Show, Isuzu’s new Amigo bows. We hope it will give Isuzu a more fuel-efficient 4WD SUV.

Amigo, last sold in the 1994 model year before be ing dropped, will be a two-door. It will be powered by a V-6 and offer 4WD. Sources put the price tag at $20,000 or less to compete against the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4 small sport-utes from Japan and the Jeep Wrangler from Chrysler. Chevy is preparing a larger, quieter, better-performing Tracker (from Suzuki, but without a V-6) for 1999.

But we digress.

For ’98, Rodeo’s wheelbase was reduced by 2.4 inches to help trim weight. To ensure ride and handling weren’t sacrificed, however, the vehicle’s track was widened by 2 inches to increase stance and, therefore, improve handling.

Also, the suspension was changed from a four-link to a five-link design. That extra link allows Isuzu to eliminate one frame cross member, which reduces vehicle weight while making the chassis more rigid, Isuzu says.

The suspension redesign also makes the rear end sit lower for better stability in cornering or accelerating and reduces rear-end chatter when accelerating hard.

With dimension and component changes, Isuzu took almost 300 pounds out of the vehicle. Great, but with 300 pounds shed, how about better fuel economy?

Other goodies Rodeo offers include foldaway mirrors that bend, not break, in tight quarters; rear side windows that power all the way down; a rubber pad on the tailgate step to help load items onto the roof rack without slipping; mud flaps to keep debris off the ribbed plastic body cladding; winter/power start control buttons to automatically adjust transmission gearing when climbing steep hills or starting from the stoplight in heavy snow; and rear radio speakers embedded in the roof rather than bulging out.

All controls have been moved to the left or right of the steering column; the radio is higher in the dash; the heating and ventilation controls are dials rather than levers; and the clock has been mounted in the center of the dash for all to see, though the digital clock is not very large so it’s still wise to carry a watch.

There are dual air bags; four-wheel disc brakes with anti-lock; variable assist power steering; under-body skid plate for off-roading; childproof rear-door locks; tailgate and seat-back pockets; cargo cover and net with tie-down hooks; all-season 16-inch radial tires; and fog lamps.

The LS we tested adds air conditioning, power windows and door locks, remote keyless entry, cruise control, leather-wrapped steering wheel, map lights, woodgrain trim, tinted privacy glass, color-keyed outside mirrors with defoggers and color-keyed body-side moldings.

For more cargo room, the rear-seat bottoms fold forward, the rear-seat backs fold flat and headrests store in the tailgate pocket.

A few gripes, other than those mentioned, include a nagging metallic sound from the undercarriage at startup and the fact that the driver’s window and optional moonroof have express down/open, which may be nice at the toll booth, but has its problems when you want to crack the window when it’s raining or partially open the moonroof.

Rodeo prices range from $17,995 for the base two-wheel-drive S with 4-cylinder engine and 5-speed manual to $28,910 for the 4WD LS we tested. With just a few options and tax, you top $30,000.

The budget-minded should check out the 4WD S, which starts at $24,240 with V-6 and automatic. A special option package with air, power windows/locks, cruise, tilt steering, AM/FM with cassette, power mirrors and roof rack runs $2,350 on the 4WD S, a package discounted by $600 for ’98.

In addition to producing Rodeo at its joint-venture plant with Subaru in LaFayette, Ind., Isuzu builds the Passport off the same platform for Honda. So Passport also has undergone a styling update and added the more powerful 3.2-liter V-6 and push-button 4WD activation for ’98.

>> 1998 Isuzu Rodeo LS Whe elbase: 106.4 inches Length: 176.7 inches Engine: 3.2-liter, 205-h.p. V-6 Transmission: 4-speed automatic EPA mileage: 16 m.p.g. city/20 m.p.g. highway Base price: $28,910 Price as tested: $30,855. Includes $250 for limited slip differential; $995 for leather seats; and $700 for power moonroof. Add $445 for freight. Pluses: Redesign makes it look like a Jeep Grand Cherokee. Peppier V-6. Tailgate can be opened with spare attached. Power moonroof replaces crank-open unit. Push button to engage 4WD high. Shift-on-the-fly capability. Wider track for better ride and handling. ABS now standard. Minuses: Why look like a Grand Cherokee? Quieter cabin. but still not noise-free. Would like 4WD high and low button on dash, not just high. >>