First Look: 2011 Jeep Patriot, Automobile Magazine, Sept. 23
o The 2011 Patriot receives some updates in the form of an exterior face-lift and some polishing to its underpinnings, Automobile Magazine said. These updates go above and beyond the revisions that the Patriot received for the 2009 model year, which saw significant improvements to the cabin, the suspension, and sound-deadening materials, the magazine said. The most visible change to the 2011 Patriot is its new face - black lower cladding that surrounds the more centrally located foglamps and is designed to visibly extend the underbody skid plate, the article said. The black cladding also runs along the sides of the Patriot, in an effort to make the little Jeep fit in better with the rest of the brand's products, the article said. Inside, the Patriot mostly retains the improvements seen for 2009 but adds softer padding where front passengers' elbows rest (door armrests and center console), the magazine said.