MILITEM Hero | Test Drive

19 April 2021 Redazione News, Stories, Tested

HEROES & VILLAINS

Words Marco Mancino / Photos Daniél Rikkard

When children we can’t wait to grow up, but once we’ve grown we would like to be children again. Not so much for the complications and responsibilities that life puts in front of us – those have to be faced as challenges – but because losing childhood’s innocence we stop dreaming and find ourselves dealing with a reality made up of solid concepts, targets and the watchful eye of conscience always ready to keep us with feet on the ground. Don’t do that, don’t go there, that’s not the case – these are just some of the typical words that haunt the entire life of someone like me who has always had rebellion in his blood. And we know well that to live properly you have to dare, get out of the comfort zone and pursue your dreams, a bit like Hermes Cavarzan, owner of the Cavauto Group which has its HQ in Monza, who gave free rein to his inner child by turning his love for American cars into his life mission.

There’s more, because in 2017 Cavauto broadened its horizons, giving shape to a real brand that after just a handful of years boasts three models in its list. Militem – Latin word for “soldier” – is the dream you can touch with your hands, of those that are finally realized and made available to enthusiasts who are not fully satisfied by the infinite world of stars and stripes off-road vehicles and who are looking for that typical Made in Italy beloved touch. Combining two aspects almost on the opposites, a bit like happened with the Hero, based on the small and cute Jeep Renegade. Heroes and villains, that’s the point, so distant but so linked that one could not exist without the other. In this way and with a crystalline vision from the beginning, Hermes and his Militem create a niche that breaks through the hearts of off-road enthusiasts because despite a more elegant and refined dress it does not lose and even improves the wild side of the considered models. After a good chat (you can find it on our website, ed), we took the keys of the Hero, the smallest of their three proposals. Destination? We will find out very soon.

You know when a few lines earlier I said that it’s nice to be child again? This is the feeling I get when approaching the Hero, where the increase in ground clearance is what immediately capture my look courtesy of the Lift Kit 1.5″ Extreme Performance Militem suspensions, designed in Italy and able to not affect the steering precision despite the noticeable increase in height complemented by a set of All-Terrain tires that wrap around the beautiful 20-inch alloy wheels. To increase its grandeur, especially looking at it from the front, we have enlarged wheel arches which in this case are the same color as the bodywork, but keep looking for unique details we also have a new front grille, a hood with contrasting air intakes and the Militem star on display wherever possible.

The Hero is available both for the petrol Renegade powered by the 1.3 Turbo brought to 200 horses, and for the the 1.9 Multijet like the one of our test, capable of delivering something more than the 190 horses declared. As for the transmission, the excellent 9-speed automatic is obviously maintained and therefore also the low ratio gears, which are fundamental in off-road conditions, where the height from the ground and the overall limited dimensions of the body make it truly unstoppable. If on the one hand there is no doubt about its ability to tackle rough terrain, a setup of this type can suggest that on paved roads this could become a nightmare, but the real surprise is precisely the calibration, with incredibly precise steering and suspensions that are perfectly able to make you move from one curve to another without the slightest imprecision. The weight remains practically unchanged (1,710 kg), but once on the move the Hero wastes no time and immediately reveals its improved qualities both on the road and away from the asphalt.

Once far from the motorway where it is possible to keep a similar pace to the traditional counterpart, with a minimum increase in fuel consumption due to the greater aerodynamic resistance, we continue towards what for many would represent the end of the road, while for us it will be the beginning of the adventure. In the meantime, we are cradled by a cabin completely covered in leather, where the Militem logo stands out in the middle of the steering wheel and in front of the passenger sat next to me. This one features the upgrade called Stage 2, the most complete and which embellishes surfaces that on the starting model are anything but elegant. It is at this juncture that the sartorial aspect takes over and demonstrates how once again two apparently distant worlds manage to coexist, making the Hero a comfortable living room in which to spend time waiting to reach the forest and cross it without the slightest effort.

The Multijet remains noisy, an aspect that however does not prevent the driving experience from coming to life once the road so far partially covered with snow becomes completely hidden under a soft white blanket ready to accommodate the grooves of our tires. I put into Snow mode among those available and traction proves immediately ready to help, while the improved ground clearance is useful, especially in the tightest points, making you feel the lack of the rearview camera more when parking in the city, rather than here in the middle of unspoiled nature. The fact of being in a natural setting immersed in total solitude allows us to approach and take photos that best capture the sense of freedom offered by a car of this kind and which, thanks to its dimensions, do not prevent an easy coexistence in a urban environment.

If you are wondering, getting on and off is easier than expected and, as mentioned, fuel consumption is practically unchanged compared to the starting model. With just over 52,000 Euros for the petrol version and prices starting at around 58,000 Euros for the diesel one, it is possible to enter the Militem club and take home a product with the utmost attention for details and that does not distort the Jeep philosophy, with its eternal desire to explore. It continues to do so by ticking a few more boxes, such as the craftsmanship of the interiors and with a look that stops being that of a cute 4×4 and becomes more aggressive and always ready to take roads where there are no roads at all. It is a matter of sense of freedom discovered little by little, realizing the endless opportunities granted by an arrangement of this type placed under one of the most effective yet civilian off-road vehicles around.

I don’t even feel guilty when jumping into some filthy puddle of mud and let the splashes come up to the windows and when the snow covered ground allows it, just disable traction control and let the rear to slide, maintaining control of the desired direction with one hand on the steering wheel. If the Hero is pleasant and satisfying to drive, it is also incredibly beautiful to look at in a similar context, where there is no time for connectivity and where the satellite navigator places us in the middle of nowhere. An indefinite spot from which you would not want to come back so quickly because it is here that you realize that everything that matters must be sought in that flame that characterized our childhood. For Cavarzan it was all about those big American cars, among the first in the world to adopt solutions such as air conditioning and electric windows, synonymous with freedom and practicality, the same things we breathe today with the realization of his dream, shown to the world under the shapes branded Militem.

The Hero has plenty of character, there is no doubt about this and despite the solutions adopted for the cockpit it does not give up any off-road skills and does not play at being an SUV, it just doesn’t care. The spirit of Cavauto’s CEO has always been to live the spirit of freedom offered by the landscapes of the States and its oversized cars and the Hero fully reflects his intentions, however embodying the class that distinguishes Made in Italy all over the world. A hero disguised as a villain who does not deny his origins and aims at the most fashionable streets of the city, confirming how Militem have not simply managed to create an excellent car able to get the eyes of the posh corners of the fashion capital – just to name one – but gives life to that spark that is able to make our inner child happy again.

MILITEM HERO

Engine 4 cylinder turbodiesel, 1.956 cc Power 190 hp Torque 350 Nm

Traction All-Wheel-Drive Transmission 9-Speed Automatic Gearbox Weight 1.710 kg

0-100 kph n.d. Top Speed n.d. Price from € 58.370