2017 Jeep Patriot Mule Spied Testing with Renegade Body

The 2017 Jeep Patriot has begun testing, albeit with a mule.

Since the 2017 Jeep Patriot will be based on a stretched version of Fiat Chrysler’s small-car platform that currently underpins the Jeep Renegade, the American automaker has opted to use the existing Renegade as a mule for early testing. Spy photographers have caught the 2017 Jeep Patriot mule boasting a riveted section that lengthens the Renegade’s donor body by several inches.

The stretched version of the Renegade serving as a mule largely confirms rumors that Jeep will consolidate the Compass and Patriot to one model. There’s also a chance that Jeep will rename the model to something else, but expect the Patriot replacement to use an adaptation of the Renegade’s independent suspension setup for a more rugged design.

SEE ALSO: Jeep Compass, Patriot Being Replaced by One Model

The 2017 Jeep Patriot is expected to debut in production form in the second quarter of 2016 and will slot between the existing Jeep Renegade and Jeep Cherokee models. For powerplants, Jeep will likely use the more powerful Renegade engines with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder being considered as the volume option. Also expected is the company’s nine-speed ZF transmission, although a six-speed manual transmission is also a possibility.

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