Jeep Cherokee 2.0 Crd [170] Limited 5Dr Auto Diesel Station Wagon

Ten Second Review

The Cherokee hauls itself into the here and now with a radical change of focus. Slicker, prettier and with a new-found commitment to interior quality and drivetrain efficiency, welcome to the brave new world of Jeep.

Background

You think you know the Jeep Cherokee, right? It's that square, fairly unsophisticated thing that you have to make all kinds of justifications for when your friends look a bit puzzled and ask you why you didn't buy a Land Rover Freelander. After which they start wondering if you're about to buy yourself a shotgun rack, a bowling ball and a barbecue to cook squirrels on. The old Cherokee was always a bit of an unreconstructed redneck, but big-hearted, honest fun nevertheless. The SUV marketplace changes quickly though and those that can't adapt tend to die. The Cherokee's shtick wasn't really cutting it and sales were haemorrhaging. The result is a radical reimagining of the Cherokee. Get a good look around the latest car and it's almost as if Jeep has skipped a couple of generations in development. The good old boys with webbed feet and banjos aren't going to like this one bit. In contrast, those accustomed to a little more sophistication need to give it some serious attention.

Driving Experience

Jeep certainly isn't going particularly large on engine choices. Buyers are limited to a 2.0-litre Multijet diesel, developed by Fiat. The upside of that is that in 170PS guise, it's a really good engine and seems a good fit for the Cherokee's size and weight. Torque is rated at a healthy 350Nm at just 1,500rpm. Alternatively you can choose a detuned 140PS version of this same powerplant with a six-speed manual box. You shouldn't though. The reason why is that the more powerful engine is mated to a nine-speed automatic transmission, the first of its type in an SUV. And quite a piece of engineering it is. It offers an extremely wide gear ratio range for optimised acceleration, reduced emissions and improved fuel efficiency. The transmission has also been optimised to deliver aggressive launches and smooth power delivery at highway speeds. There are also two very different all-wheel drive systems. 'Jeep Active Drive I' is a fully automatic 'fire and forget' setup that doesn't need any intervention. Those that prefer a bit more involvement will be drawn to the 'Jeep Active Drive II' chassis that gets a two speed power transfer unit, which includes torque management and low range gears to lock the front and rear drive shafts for low speed grunt. Four-wheel drive models get rear-axle disconnect, which improves efficiency by switching to two-wheel drive when all-wheel drive isn't required. A budget two-wheel drive 140 model is also offered.

Design and Build

That front end is sure to divide opinion. For what it's worth, I think it looks great and shows that Jeep can retain elements of the traditional, such as the seven-slot grille, but give it a new twist with some thoroughly modern headlights and a more purposeful stance than ever before. At the side, you'll spot the traditional trapezoid wheel arch shape, married to a low, sleek glasshouse. LED tail lights that seem to take a bite out of the rear window glass and a curvaceous tailgate catch the eye at the back. As an option, buyers can also have a CommandView dual-pane power sunroof which extends from the windscreen to the rear of the vehicle. Cherokee interiors always used to be tough but uninspiring. Nowadays, dull colour schemes, cheap plastics and poor ergonomics just won't wash in a market where even the cheapest Korean SUVs feature soft-touch plastics, serious budget spent on all the touch-points in the cabin and demonstrate a laudable attention to detail. Therefore the Cherokee has had to shape up. The centre stack bezel is inspired by the outline of the front grille of the 1940s Willys Jeep. A vinyl-wrapped, stitched instrument panel brow is standard on all models and the stitching carries over to the centre console armrest and front door armrests. The seats are available with a memory adjustable mechanism and heated/ventilated features for the front pair. The 60/40 split second-row seats adjust fore and aft for increased passenger leg room and cargo versatility. A top storage tray is located above the centre stack on top of the instrument panel and the front-passenger seat folds flat and offers hidden storage by flipping up the passenger seat cushion.

Market and Model

Prices start at just over £25,000 for the 2.0-litre Longitude 140 6-speed variant, rising to just over £35,000 for the top 2.0-litre Limited 170 Automatic 4x4 model. All versions get 17 alloy wheels, LED tail lights, dual zone climate control, Bluetooth, a DAB radio, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and rear parking assist. Standard safety features on the Cherokee consist of seven standard airbags (front seats multistage air bags, side bags, window bags, driver side knee air bag), Electronic Stability Control with rollover mitigation and anti-lock brakes with off-road calibration. There are also some advanced options like Forward Collision Warning-Plus, ParkSense Parallel and Perpendicular Park Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control-Plus, Lane Departure Warning-Plus, Blind Spot Monitoring and Rear Cross Path Detection. The Cherokee did enough to earn the 'best in class' designation from Euro NCAP in the Small Off-road 4X4 category in 2013.

Cost of Ownership

Jeep has worked hard to improve the efficiency of the latest Cherokee. As well as improving the efficiency over its brick-like forebear, the nine-speed transmission offers a contribution to lowering frictional losses. With fewer open shift elements in the gearbox, drag losses due to multiple parts rotating relative to one another are reduced, improving fuel efficiency. The MultiJet common rail injection system's engine management, also optimises economy, introducing tiny quantities of fuel with the main injection cycle. The 2.0-litre turbo diesel engine also incorporates "Stop/Start" technology that improves fuel efficiency and reduces CO2 emissions. Drivers can deactivate this via a button on the dashboard and an icon displays in the instrument panel to indicate the Stop/Start status. The rear axle disconnect feature is a first for compact SUV, helping further improve fuel efficiency

Front/rear floor mats, Rear wiper, ABS, Electric power steering, Power folding multi function door mirrors, Radio / CD with remote controls, Body colour bumpers, Front fog lights, Dual zone electronic climate control + humidity sensor...