As we bounced along the boulders in Arches National Park outside Moab, Utah, my co-driver—a Jeep enthusiast and editor at a popular off-roading magazine—summed up his thoughts in a single statement:

“I wish they wouldn't have called it the Cherokee.”

Translation: “Cherokee is sacred.”

True enough. In 1984, the Jeep Cherokee, aka XJ, invented the midsize SUV, with the basic original design lasting through 2001. While hardly perfect—it had soggy handling, loose steering and a prodigious thirst for fuel—that original Cherokee was, and in many cases still is, loved, leaving its replacement with mighty big boots to fill.

Let's shoo the elephant from the room first: Yes, the 2014 Cherokee not only resurrects a vaunted nameplate but also presents buyers with a controversial new Jeep face, reactions to which have run a relatively narrow gamut from “hideous” to “meh.” Your author began in the former camp but has slowly drifted to a more positive attitude—you get used to the look.

To be fair, Jeep stylists didn't just get bored one day and decide to change everything. The new design is largely dictated by aerodynamic, pedestrian safety and NVH demands. “We couldn't make that today if we wanted to,” said Jeep design chief Mark Allen of the boxy former Cherokee shape. Jeep also didn't want simply to make a mini-Grand Cherokee either; thus stylists landed on the 2014 Cherokee's sharpened silhouette, punctuated by squinty, high-mounted running lights.

Whether or not your cup of tea, the front fascia isn't visible from behind the driver's seat, and that's where we spent most of our time. In contrast to the exterior, the Cherokee's interior design is reminiscent of the Grand Cherokee with a prominent center stack pod, console-mounted shifter and meaty steering wheel. Seat comfort is exceptionally good, and storage spaces abound, including a flip-up passenger seat bin, cellphone holder in the lower console and cubbies/nets throughout the cabin.

Second-row seats slide fore and aft and fold flat, which, combined with the flat-folding front passenger seat, creates a level load floor for extended cargo. Trailhawk models add an off-roading kit tucked away in the side of the cargo compartment (using a handy modular hook system also available on other trims) containing a tow strap and other trail goodies.




New Cherokee lighting explained...the squinty things on top aren't actually headlights.

We drove both Limited and Trailhawk models with the 2.4-liter Multiair Tigershark I4 and 3.2-liter version of the Chrysler Pentastar V6, a $1,495 option. Whichever engine you choose, it's coupled to a new ZF nine-speed automatic transmission, resulting in competitive, if not exciting, acceleration. The four will be all most drivers need—the only time we wanted more was during highway passing maneuvers—but Jeep is quick to point out it's continuing to offer a V6 option (with 4,500-pound towing capacity) while other manufacturers have moved to straight-four diets. We're still waiting for complete fuel economy numbers, but new Cherokee 4WD models have been officialy rated 21 mpg city/28 mpg highway/24 mpg combined for the I4 and 19/27/22 for the V6. Reportedly 31 mpg highway is the target for the front-drive Tigershark model.

Jeep was anxious to prove the new Cherokee's off-roading credibility; while the new midsizer isn't going to outrun a Wrangler on the Rubicon, our Trailhawk did an admirable job of tackling the park's Hell's Revenge trail thanks to Selec-Terrain's rock mode, a low-range and locking rear differential. Approach and departure angles kept fascias unscathed despite a few obstacles that had us glad we weren't driving our own vehicles. Should you happen to get yourself in a bind, Trailhawk models include a pair of fully functional front tow hooks, finished in bright red so you won't forget they're there.

Being a Jeep, we expected Trail Rated skills, but the new Cherokee did surprise us with its on-road handling. Bounding around twisty two-lane blacktop in the hills around Moab, the Cherokee was a willing participant, diving into corners with as much confidence as our small SUV standard-bearer, the Mazda CX-5. Credit the Cherokee's deep-down Alfa DNA and Jeep's excellent Active Drive I AWD system feeding the rear tires power only when needed; in fact, the system will anticipate AWD requirements based on sensor inputs like temperature, yaw and throttle-application speed.

Jeep has spent a lot of time and engineering talent building a credible off-road-capable compact crossover, but has the company answered a question no one's asking? Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4 intenders seem perfectly content staying on pavement, so we question whether a controversial-looking offering from a brand known for rugged, go-anywhere SUVs will draw them into dealerships. Similarly, off-road enthusiasts will simply continue buying Wranglers and accept poor fuel economy as part of the deal.

Jeep execs were coy about sales targets, but given the size of the crossover SUV market, there should be room for a new Cherokee. Whether consumers will make room for this new Cherokee remains to be seen.



2014 Jeep Cherokee

On Sale: September

Base price: $23,990

Drivetrain: 2.4-liter, 184-hp, 171-lb-ft I4; FWD; nine-speed automatic

Curb weight: 3,775 lb

0-60: 8.9 sec (est)

Fuel economy (EPA city/hwy/combined): 24/31/27 (est)



Read more: http://www.autoweek.com/article/2013...#ixzz2byrgPaKV
Follow us: @AutoweekUSA on Twitter | AutoweekUSA on Facebook

Jeep has not ruled out developing a SRT-tuned variant of its new 2014 Cherokee that would slot above the off-road-focused Trailhawk model, the lineup's current flagship.

Billed as a cheaper alternative to the V8-powered Grand Cherokee SRT, the SRT-tuned Cherokee will likely be powered by a turbocharged four-cylinder engine because it will use less fuel and emit less CO2 than a larger six-cylinder unit. The crossover will boast an aggressive body kit all around, a lowered ride height, large alloy wheels mounted on low-profile tires and beefier brakes on all four corners. A sporty interior will round out the updates.

Jeep will focus on successfully launching the 2014 Cherokee in the United States and abroad before it turns its attention to developing a more powerful variant of the car. Ultimately, whether or not the Cherokee SRT is given the green light for production depends on how solid of a business case Jeep's top brass can make.

"[Jeep executives] will try and see if the business case makes sense. And if we can make money on it – it has to make money not just break even – we'll go for it," explained Greg howell, the Cherokee's lead designer, in an interview with Australian website Motoring.

If launched, the Cherokee SRT is at least a year and a half away from making its debut.

All-new 2014 Jeep Cherokee sales top 15,000 units in its second full month of sales; sales up 48 percent compared with previous month of November