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Caliber, Compass and Patriot.

All derived from the same compact platform and all built on the same assembly line at Chrysler Group’s plant in Belvidere.

A shared parentage, yet with different looks and characteristics. Just how platform sharing is supposed to work: cut costs and boost plant capacity by producing a variety of vehicles in the same plant that share parts and components on the inside while remaining novel looking on the outside.

Dodge Caliber, the crossover, was up first, joined by the Jeep Compass crossover and now the Jeep Patriot sport-utility vehicle.

Compass is meant for the road, Patriot for on- or off-road in keeping with the “anywhere in a Jeep” slogan.

Compass is aimed at females who want a cute ute to drive when it snows, Patriot more for males wanting a brute ute to handle snow, hills, streams, fallen tree limbs and rocks.

“Patriot comes in a trail-rated version, Compass doesn’t,” said John Plecha, director of the Jeep brand for Chrysler Group. “Compass has about 55 percent female buyers, Patriot 55 percent male buyers. Most Patriots will be sold with four-wheel-drive, most Compasses with front-drive.”

Patriot is unmistakably a Jeep with its 7-slotted grille and the boxy look of the Jeep Cherokee popular in the ’80s.

“The design was intentional so everyone would know it’s a Jeep,” Plecha said.

Patriot is offered in Sport or Limited version with FWD or two 4WD systems — Freedom I designed for rainy or snowy roads, or Freedom II, to handle foul weather plus off-roading with a continuously variable transmission with a special low gear ratio designed for “crawling” over hills, rocks or logs and Hill Descent Control to reduce vehicle speed when traveling down steep hills.

We tested the Sport 4×4 with Freedom II. Didn’t encounter any streams, tree limbs or rocks on or off the interstate, but if we had we would have simply pulled the lever in the center console to engage 4WD.

Patriot is powered by a 2.4-liter, 172-horsepower 4-cylinder with a 5-speed manual or a CVT on the FWD or 4WD Sport or Limited. A 2-liter, 158-h.p. 4-cylinder with a CVT only is a $1,000 option on the FWD Sport. The 2-liter is rated at 26 m.p.g. city/30 m.p.g. highway same as with the 2.4-liter with 5-speed manual on the Sport or Limited.

The 2.4-liter we drove is rated at 21 m.p.g. city and 23 m.p.g. highway. Not even a secret handshake gets you in the 30 m.p.g. club.

And a new method of calculating mileage takes effect for the 2008 model. It will more accurately reflect real-world driving so the Patriot rating will suffer, said Matt Liddane, chief engineer.

“We’re crunching the final numbers now, but Patriot mileage will take a hit. Off-roading comes at a price in fuel economy,” he said.

Jeep is considering a diesel, like it offers outside the U.S., but has no plans for one here, Liddane said.

The CVT’s “crawl” gear, effective for off-roading, seems to kick in on the pavement, too, because the 2.4-liter doesn’t have much of a punch.

Perhaps it was merely the CVT, which replaces a conventional transmission’s limited number of gears with a steel belt and two pulleys for an infinite number of gear ratios. This one, however, seemed to spend a long time searching for the right one.

Despite the trail-rated suspension, jostling was at a minimum in the cabin, which holds four in comfort. Head room is spacious, front or back, leg room is adequate in back unless those upfront slide their seats all the way back.

But the pair of cupholders fixed into the back of the center console along the floor make it difficult for kids in the back seat to easily slide over to exit the same door — curbside.

Rear seat backs recline or fold to expand the cargo hold, which even with seat backs up is generous for a compact. The cargo floor lifts, but hides the full-size spare rather than your assorted stuff. A small open compartment along the right wall holds a few items.

There’s mini storage in each door, a tray in the dash in front of the passenger and a small holder in the center of the dash above the radio.

The center seat armrest slides fore and aft to adjust to driver position, and there are two cupholders in the center console along with space to hold cell phone or iPod.

Seats are well cushioned and supportive with adequately sized side bolsters to keep your body in place on- or off-road. For $250, seats can be covered with YES essentials cloth, the stain and odor resistant fabric advised if you have kids that stain or pets that smell — or vice versa.

A big gripe is that front seats ride on large metal rails. When driver or especially passenger slide the seat back, it exposes the metal rails that target ankles.

An even bigger gripe is the Patriot pricing strategy. It starts at just under $15,000, but that’s with FWD and without air and power windows. Add options and the price soars.

The Sport 4×4 tested starts at $16,175. Stability control with traction control and roll mitigation are standard, along with side-curtain air bags, four-wheel anti-lock brakes, AM/FM stereo with CD player and rear-window washer/wiper/defroster.

On the Sport, the preferred package at $2,605 adds air conditioning and power mirrors/windows/locks, items standard on the Limited that starts at $19,680.

Freedom Drive II adds $725 plus $1,050 for the CVT that crawls. Heated seats are $250 and all-terrain 17-inch radials for off-roading cost $590.

You can get power windows/mirrors/locks in a $995 power package, if you buy air conditioning at $850. So that becomes a $1,845 package. Those who like a navigation system can add it for $1,395, but only on the Limited.

Air conditioning will be made standard for the 2008 model year to eliminate some confusion.

“It’ll mean raising the price, but it simplifies and streamlines the buying process,” Plecha said.

More simplification is needed.

Patriot is similar in size to the Jeep Liberty, until the larger, redesigned Liberty that debuted this year at the New York Auto Show goes on sale this fall.

“There will be a clear step up from Patriot to Compass to Liberty,” Plecha said.

In size, as well as price.

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2007 JEEP PATRIOT SPORT 4X4

Price as tested: $22,060 *

Fuel economy: 21 m.p.g. city/23 m.p.g. highway

Wheelbase: 103.7 inches

Length: 173.6 inches

Engine: 2.4-liter, 172-h.p., 16-valve 4-cylinder

Transmission: Continuously variable automatic

THE STICKER

$16,175 Base

$2,605 Preferred package with air conditioning, power mirrors/windows/locks, remote keyless entry, front passenger fold-flat seat back, 115-volt power outlet, removable/rechargeable interior lamp and height adjustable driver’s seat

$1,050 CVT

$725 Freedom Drive II off-road group with hill descent control, fog lamps, tow hooks, full-size spare and fuel tank/transmission skid plates

$590 17-inch, all-terrain tires with white letters and aluminum wheels

$385 Premium steering-wheel group with cruise control, leather-wrapped wheel and audio controls

$250 Heated front seats

$250 YES essentials stain/odor resistant fabric

$30 Floor mats

* Add $560 for freight.

PLUSES

New entry-level Jeep.

Stability control with traction control standard along with side-curtain air bags.

Decent people and cargo space.

All-season motoring with 4WD.

MINUSES

4-cylinder short on muscle.

Front seat floor rails bite ankles.