WHEN it comes to being patriotic, the Americans are far more behind their flag than we are ours.

Not that we don't have a sense of pride in our clan, it's just that our cousins across the pond are fervent believers that theirs is the greatest race on earth.

Wherever you go in the USA, you will find the Stars and Stripes flying proudly - from buildings, homes and on the bonnets of cars.

Here, you can probably count on one hand the number of Union Jacks on display in your town.

It's probably partly the reason why we never had the Vauxhall Churchill or the Austin Wellington - I'd say something more current, but we don't even make our own cars anymore, never mind give them names.

In the States it's different which is why I ended up with the aptly named Jeep Patriot on my drive.

Cynical marketing ploy maybe, but what's certain simply giving this car such a name is bound to score highly with its home audience.

This side of the 'special relationship', however, we are less likely to be taken in by PR spin and so the car has to work that much harder to impress.

The Patriot is off to a good start. It's arguably the best looking Jeep currently in production.

It's attractively slabby, all straight lines and sharp angles. The front is adorned with the distinctive Jeep grille, a huge bumper and imposing headlamps.

It's also large - 8.65ft in length and 4.99ft in width - but unlike many off-roaders, it's a lot closer to the ground.

That means you don't have to have crampons and a rope to get in the front or use stepladders to extricate your children from the back.

It also means it's a lot easier than most vehicles of its ilk to load up the boot.

Inside, while our test car came with leather and a sprinkling of chrome trim here and there, the materials used, like in most American motors, were less than luxurious.

It's not the easiest to see out of, either through the front or out the rear. The windscreen is somewhat upright and a long way away from the driver - I couldn't reach the rearview mirror to alter it without moving to the edge of seat.

The rear, partly because of how far away it is and partly because of its design, resembles something of a pillbox and without parking sensors it can be something of a gamble when parking.

The controls are laid out well and are easy to use, and the stereo had a good sound to it, though I had huge problems getting it to accept my iPod library.

There's plenty of headroom for driver and passenger and room for two to travel in the rear in comfort. However, a fifth person might find themselves somewhat compromised.

The rear seats fold and recline and the front passenger seat actually folds flat to enable you to carry awkward loads.

The Patriot's bootspace is adequate and nothing more, being quite shallow.

For a big car I found it drove pretty well. It's not the quickest off the mark, but nor is it a plodder. There's plenty of pulling power in the VW-sourced diesel engine and it's an able cruiser.

The Patriot also handles well, there's not a great deal of lean to speak of, there's grip when and where you want it and it irons out most of the undulations our roads throw up.

It's significantly cheaper than many of its rivals, undercutting some by several thousand pounds, but despite this is well kitted out.

It's also pretty striking to look at and, if that's what you want, it will ensure you stand out from the crowd driving around in X5s and Discoveries.

Its name may not endear it to the British as much as the Americans, and it does have its downsides, but the Patriot may still be worth flagging up if youre in the market for a new 4x4 thats just that little bit different.

SPECIFICATION

Price: £19,300, before options
Engine: 2.0 litre diesel
Max power: 138bhp
Max torque: 229lb/ft
Max speed: 117mph
0-62mph: 11 secs
Average fuel consumption: 42.2mpg (combined)
C02 emissions: 2500 g/km
Equipment (includes): Airbags; ABS; emergency brake assist; ESP; remote keyless entry; front fog lamps; Thatcham alarm; immobiliser; solar control glass; 17ins alloys; chrome finish roof rails; headlamp levelling system; power folding heated mirrors; four speakers; cruise control; 12v power outlet; air conditioning; radio with six-disc CD; front passenger fold flat seat; leather trimmed seats; chrome trim; power steering; power windows; rear 60/40 split recline seats; sliding centre armrest; steering wheel mounted controls; leather steering wheel; satellite navigation.