Here is a very important vehicle. And judging from the squint, it's forgotten its bifocals.
Kidding aside, the Cherokee represents a vital sales segment, both for Jeep/Chrysler, and for their new Fiat owners. Based on the same Italian underpinnings as the Dodge Dart, if this crossover does well, it'll have the profits flooding in.
Overall, you could claim Jeep's been having a bit of a renaissance of late. They've had the good sense not to fiddle with the Wrangler's burly character too much, and the Grand Cherokee is frankly excellent, a sort of Americanized Range Rover. The SRT version is possibly my favourite SUV of all time.
Further down the range, there's the Liberty and the Patriot/Compass, vehicles which are just OK, and tend to look a bit too much of a step down from the Grand Cherokee.
With the resurrection of the Cherokee nameplate, not seen in more than a decade, Jeep hopes to offer a smaller version of their successful full-sizer. Never mind the way this rig's giving you a suspicious glare - it's how it fares from behind the wheel that's important.
Design
Obviously, we first have to talk a little more about that front end. What in the name of Phillip J. Fry were they thinking? It's certainly striking. Striking, that is, in the manner of a frying pan to the face.
When it first showed its squinty schnozz, the Cherokee generated all kinds of hilarious jests, jeers, and japes. Having seen the thing in the flesh, I actually kinda like it.
I know, I know: maybe it's me who needs the bifocals. Here's the thing though: in the Trailhawk trim, with big burly boots and plenty of plastic cladding, the Cherokee looks like something that could have rolled right off the set of the original Robocop.
It's futuristic and polarizing, and I'm sure you've already got an opinion on it. My Limited Trim tester came with 18-inch polished alloy wheels, and I will say that the more basic versions of the Cherokee can't pull off the scowl quite as well as those with the beefier wheel and tire packages.
Environment
On the inside, the Cherokee benefits from a great deal of parts sharing across the Chrysler lineup. While I've heard other colleagues complain about the odd bit of flimsiness in the plastics and stitching issues here and there, my particular tester didn't seem to have too many foibles. As this is an all-new vehicle, I'd be inclined to watch carefully for any teething issues if you're picking one out among several on the lot.
However, Jeep delayed the launch of their new crossover significantly, focussing on tweaking things based on early reviewer feedback, and this mostly shines through in the Cherokee's interior. It looks good, and the infotainment controls are among the best on the market. It's worth noting, for instance, that both Maserati and Ferrari use similar versions of the Uconnect system, with its big, bright icons, and easyto-use interface.
Compared to others in the class, this Jeep is not quite the utilitarian box the old Cherokee was. It's fine for passenger space, especially as it's equipped with a sliding rear seat, but the overall cargo room is smaller than either an Escape or a CR-V. As a Limited, this tester came fully equipped with leather and the highest grades of interior trim, and was actually a fairly snazzy ride. Both the volumeselling Japanese vehicles in this segment, the CR-V and RAV4, seem to have a greater amount of hard plastics. The Cherokee does look like a little Grand Cherokee from behind the wheel.
Performance
It also drives like one, but not all the time. As mentioned, this crossover sits on a Fiat platform rather than the Grand Cherokee's Mercedes-Benz underpinnings, and it feels it.
Fiat only officially sells one car in this country, the funky little 500, which is available in a number of trims, up to and including the hilarious turbocharged Abarth. The Cherokee is more like the base car, with somewhat numb steering, a ride tuned for comfort rather than speed, and an overall woolly and isolated drive.
That's fine. We already have several crossovers that pretend convincingly to be sportscars, from the Mazda CX-5 to the Ford Escape. Comfort and smoothness are favoured in the Cherokee over corner carving, and thus it'll probably appeal to a broader range of tastes.
However, a little more feel could be wished for, and slightly better behaviour from the nine-speed automatic transmission. You read that right: nine speeds. Wasn't eight supposed to be enough? Is this thing a crossover or a mountain bike? If ideally programmed, the Cherokee's ZF ninespeed auto would be capable of holding the engine in an econ-friendly mode well past 120 kilometres per hour. In these early stages, there's a tendency to shift with abruptness, and maybe a tad too often.
The 3.2-litre V-6 engine can't really be held to blame here. It's not crazy powerful, but does have a worthy 271 horsepower if only a modest 239 foot-pounds of torque. It does feel slightly less grunty than other offerings, particularly the turbocharged EcoBoost offerings from Ford, but it's a durable powerplant, and quite smooth.
Software updates for the nine-speed are probably on the way. The electric power steering and the slight sponginess of the brakes are unlikely to change.
Having said that, the Cherokee is entirely competent, and then there's what happens when you take it even mildly off-road. It's a tank.
Jeep's active drive system has the ability to adapt to nearly any terrain, and the chassis is composed and unstickable even in the non-trail-rated version. The Trailhawk looks the toughest, but this city slicker Limited could quite easily follow a Wrangler down even a difficult trail.
Frankly, I'd almost call the Cherokee's capabilities an unfortunate temptation. On the run to pick up the kids from school? You might take a shortcut right up the side of Grouse. Picking up the groceries? Why not check the back-country for morels instead of shelling out for them? Add in a 2,000 kilogram towing capacity and you've got the makings of a Jeep-serious utility vehicle with relatively smooth and composed road manners. When the going gets rough, the Cherokee proves itself worthy of the seven-hole Jeep grille it wears out front.
Features
Like the Grand Cherokee, this smaller Jeep has an overwhelming amount of tech on tap. The 8.4-inch touchscreen display pairs with a customizable gauge cluster, and voice commands are easy to use.
For safety, available features include the usual blind spot monitoring and lane departure warning, but also extend to automatic cruise control and adaptive high beams. The $1,795 technology package also includes forward collision mitigation and parking assist.
The only drawback to all the goodies available is the way the cost for this compact crossover can shoot up. Equipped with a luxury group including power liftgate, nine-speaker audio, towing package, and a dual-pane sunroof, this tester Cherokee cracked the $43,000 mark. That's quite a bit.
Mind you, it's only the cost of getting a bit wild with the options list. Keep your Cherokee a little less grand and it's competitive with others in the segment. Fuel economy is not necessarily a strong point, with an 11.1 litres/100 kilometres in-city rating and 7.7 l/100 km on the highway. The Cherokee will struggle to hit either figure, and the gap between V-6 and four-cylinder is fairly minimal.
Green light
Excellent off-road capability; well-designed, upscale interior; polarizing styling; available tech.
Stop sign
Numb steering; expensive options; thirsty engine; small cargo capacity.
The checkered flag
Worthy of wearing the Jeep badge.
Competitors
Mazda CX-5 ($22,995): If you're looking for a fun-to-drive crossover, here it is. The CX-5 is as capable as a CR-V or RAV-4, but considerably better to drive, and extremely fuel efficient.
Unfortunately, a 2.5-litre four-cylinder is as big as the powerplant gets here, which makes for modest towing. While it's capable enough off-road, if your cottage is atop a mountain, the Cherokee is better at handling the rough stuff.
Subaru Forester ($25,995): Capable of taking on the Cherokee no matter what the road conditions are like, the Forester is no soft-roader. Available with a 2.0-litre turbocharged engine that brings considerable punch, it's also even quicker on the tarmac.
Inside, however, the Forester just doesn't have the panache of the Cherokee's polished interior and high tech. With the Subaru, you're spending the money on the powertrain, and that's fine, but even the leatherequipped models aren't what you'd call luxurious.
