Driving Review: 2014 Jeep Cherokee
The way a car looks is probably one of the most important factors that will determine whether someone will purchase it or not. Not that it should be. But you have to admit that you wouldn’t even consider buying a car that you hate the look of. To some, the new Jeep Cherokee may not be the most handsome of cars on the market but hey, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, right? And weren’t you taught to never judge a book by its covers?
Before I even arrived at the launch in George I had people on social media commenting on how ugly they think the new Cherokee is. I had my reservations but seeing it in the metal changed my opinion immediately. Ok, to be fair, I can’t say I love the rear. It looks a little generic to me. But I quite like the aggressive front, and at night it looks almost mean. Looks are such a subjective thing that it isn’t really fair to even comment on them, but when a car such as the Cherokee comes along, you almost have to mention the white elephant in the room and let everyone decide for themselves.
Step inside and any negative thoughts you had about the exterior will disappear. The old one-dimensional grey cabin is now fresh, sophisticated and pleasing. Interior designer, Klaus Busse, took inspiration from places such as Iceland, Morocco, Kilimanjaro and Mt. Vesuvius which resulted in colour schemes that define contrasting colors and cross-stitching. The Cherokee comes in a choice of three trim levels: Longitude, Limited and Trailhawk. The Longitude comes standard with cloth seats, dual-zone climate control, an Alpine sound system with nine speakers, USB, SD card and Aux ports, Bluetooth, cruise control, and a multifunction steering wheel. The Trailhawk adds cloth/Nappa leather seats, red interior accent stitching, front and rear park assist, Selec-speed control and hill descent control, rear camera and Selec-Terrain traction system with additional rock mode. The Trailhawk is the model for the real off-road enthusiasts.
The engine range consists of the new 3,2l V6 Pentstar petrol engine and the 2,4l Tigershark MultiAir L4. Both engines are mated to the all-new nine-speed automatic transmission. I took the 3,2l for a drive on the first day and we even hit a bit of gravel. The Cherokee never lost it’s footing and I pushed it to the limits trying to find fault. But the second the car starts to lose traction the AWD (on this Limited AWD model) kicks in and the Cherokee is planted to the road. It can give one an unnerving amount of confidence when traversing on gravel (my poor passenger experienced this).
On the road the ride is smooth and I can imagine a family happily owning this car not only for everyday use but also for those holiday breaks on the open road. It’s comfortable and there is enough power (200kW and 315 N.m on the 3,2L) to make over taking simple.
The only downfall may be the price. I am not sure I would want to spend up to R607 990 for a midsize SUV but then again you are paying for the 4WD Trailhawk model. The 2,4 Longitude FWD will set you back R479 990 which is still a bit steep for me.
With that said, if you are looking for a mid-size SUV you need to consider this new Cherokee. Once you drive it the price may be very much justified. Plus you will always have something to talk about, even if it is a debate about the styling.