Today, we finally got our hands on official information for the 2014 Jeep Cherokee, which says that their latest offering "raises the bar with legendary benchmark capability, world-class on-road dynamics, fuel economy up to 31 mpg,revolutionary Jeep design with world-class craftsmanship inside and out, and an array of advanced safety and technology features."
We like the air of optimism with which Jeep officially debuts their new crossover, and after reading the bits further down in the press release, we began to suspect that there might be substance behind the bold claims.
The new Cherokee, which replaces the Liberty in the US, is an entirely different approach than what we're used to seeing from a Jeep, and while the frontal styling may split opinions (to be kind) the back of the car is not at all bad to look at.
Inside, everything is designed and put together in a very similar manner to the Dodge Dart, a car with which the Cherokee is related to. Both the Cherokee and the Dart, along with the Alfa Romeo Giulietta, share the same basic underpinnings, and all ride on Alfa-sourced Compact U.S. Wide (CUS-wide) platform.
The fact that it is based on a compact hatchback-derived platform promises better handling on road, a comfy ride and ample room inside – base it on a platform from the class below, and the latter can be crossed off the list.
Powering it at launch are two engines: a 2.4-liter MultiAir unit with 184 hp/171 lb-ft (232 Nm) and a 3.2-liter Pentastar V6, with 271 hp and 239 lb-ft (323 Nm), both teamed to a new nine-speed automatic transmission.
The smaller engine can return a claimed 31 mpg US (37 mpg UK or 7.6 lt/100km). This impressive figure is partly due to it being based on a hatchback, and partly because it has the ability to disconnect its rear axle from the prop shaft, becoming front-wheel drive when you don't need 4x4.
The Cherokee is one of many new vehicles to have their conventional analog dials replaced with an LED or LCD display with virtual gauges, and it also has an 8.4-inch touchscreen (5-inch as standard), and the overall ambiance of the interior seems pleasant. It can also park itself, cushion you in the event of a crash with 10 standard airbags, or stop itself to prevent you from having a crash in the first place. So, aside from the downright weird front-end design, it seems that the 2014 Cherokee is a promising package.
By Andrei Nedelea
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