The Cherokee is back?

[Harmgrissom]

I love my 96 XJ - its my trail beater and my DD. I love it and its brought me a lot of joy, but admittedly my commute is 60 miles round trip every day - 5 days a week. The gas is killing me and frankly it makes it less enjoyable to plan to hit the trails. Its no fun. And frankly this looks like the new Grand Cherokke which I admittedly have been drooling over. Now I'm not talking the baby huey stock model - but that Trailhawk edition - thats not bad at all. The approach and departure angles are good and I like that it has a locker. I hated the initial pictures with the low front end shroud - I knew if I got one I'd end up tearing it off on a trail.

In Arizona I'm dry enough year round that I rarely NEED 4WD, so something like this, with good clearance isn't a bad choice frankly. I'm honestly very interested in stepping up to the plate once they're available - of course I want to know about pricing.

 

[Idahoan]

I'm praying that the 4x4 gods make anyone involved, genitals, burst into flames. Hopefully the fire will spread to the Compass too.

 

[The Swiss]

Saw today the new Cherokee in person; looks a lot better in reality than on the pics, especially as Trailhawk without the chrome trim around the grill. Was a positive surprise.

 

[Sojourn]

2014 Jeep Cherokee price to start at $23,990

http://www.autoweek.com/article/20130610/CARNEWS/130619990

 

[haven]

The TrailHawk 4x4 will start at $29,495. That's only a few thousand short of the Wrangler Rubicon.

http://www.autoblog.com/2013/06/10/2014-jeep-cherokee-starting-price-set-at-22-995

The standard engine for the Cherokee is the 2.4L four cylinder Tigershark, also used in the Dodge Dart. The engine provides 184 horsepower and 171 lb.-ft. of torque. The optional engine is a new 3.2L V6 that is closely related to the 3.6L in the Wrangler. The 3.2L V6 makes 271 horsepower and 239 lb.-ft. of torque. All Cherokees come with a 9 speed automatic transmission.

From the Jeep press release today, Trailhawk features include

"off-road front and rear fascias,
off-road wheel flares,
red tow hooks,
skid plates,
off-road suspension,
one-inch increased ride height,
heavy-duty engine cooling
auxiliary transmission oil cooler,
Jeep Active Drive Lock 4x4 system with low range and locking rear axle,
Selec-Terrain drive mode selector,
Selec-Speed Control with Hill-ascent Control and Hill-descent Control,
new 17-inch polished aluminum wheels with black painted pockets and OWL all-terrain tires,
full-size spare tire,
unique cloth and leather interior,
7-inch full-color, thin-film transistor, reconfigurable instrument cluster,
8.4-inch touchscreen radio,
SiriusXM Radio,
USB in instrument panel media center,
cargo net,
all-weather slush floor mats.

Trailhawk has decent approach (29.8 degrees) and departure (32.1 degrees) angles
Running ground clearance is 8.7 inches."

 

[GetOutThere]

I'll reserve judgement until I drive one, and see some capability videos.

I made the mistake of pre-judging the LR4, and few vehicles have impressed me as much.

Unfortunately I do still think this iteration of the Cherokee is ugly as hell...

 

[JDAY]

Hate to admit it, I kinda like the looks of that Trailhawk.

 

[ngrover]

The new Cherokee looks awful! I guess that narrows the "real Jeep" line down to the Wrangler.

The XJ was cool stock (looks and performance), but what really made it cool was that it was reliable, basic to work on, and easy to modify. I'm just guessing, but I don't think this new breed of overland vehicle (if that is what we are talking about) is going to provide that same kind of experience. I hope I'm proven wrong. Maybe in 20 years there will be 3 million used 2014+ Cherokees to pick from and kids will be off-roading the snot out of them while only having to carry spare electronic traction control modules from pick'n pull.

How will people look back upon the new Cherokee?

When people think of the XJ, they often think of this:

 

[haven]

Cherokee on rubicon trail

Chrysler wasted no time taking the 2014 Cherokee to the Rubicon Trail. Initial reports say the new Cherokee successfully negotiated the trail without winch assist. Photos from the trip show the Cherokee lacks wheel articulation, a feature it has in common with many modern 4x4s.

Photos from the trip here. A video of the trip is in production.

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151948897888765.1073741833.143647533764&type=3

 

[docwatson]

For those who hate this Cherokee, what should the new Cherokee have looked liked? There seems to be a lot of people finding problems, but not offering solutions. I think this is exactly what Jeep needed to make and will sell tons of them. The 4dr Wrangler took the Cherokee's spot in the Jeep line up, so Jeep made it something vastly different. Jeep needed a capable crossover to compete with the Rav4, CR-V, and Escape. The KL Cherokee is it. I think if internet forums existed when the SJ Cherokee became the XJ Cherokee, people would have ragged on the compact SUV, with a coil spring suspension and 2.5L 4 cylinder.

 

[CYi5]

Saw six of these at a gas station in Vegas yesterday, all with Michigan manufacturer plates. I have nothing to add besides they look very slip stream for highway cruising. Size was comparable to a 2014 Rav4 and 2014 Volvo XC60 that were also in the posse.

 

[haven]

Jeep knows very well that the company has a strong brand identity and following for the Wrangler. However, if they only sold 12 to 15,000 vehicles a month (the typical Wrangler monthly sales), the company would go out of business. So they worked hard on the upscale Grand Cherokee, and now sell about 12,000 GCs a month.

The GC holds down Jeep's position in the high end of the all-weather family transport spectrum. The Liberty was supposed to compete in the lower end of the same spectrum, but failed to attract a strong following. So Jeep went back to the drawing board to better compete with vehicles like the Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, Ford Escape, and Subaru Forester and Outback.

Result: the new Cherokee. It's lighter and more aerodynamic than the Liberty, with front wheel drive, AWD optional, and an independent front and rear suspension for a better highway ride. With a 9 speed automatic trans, the Cherokee haus EPA mpg ratings as good as any competitor in the segment. Love it or hate it, the Cherokee's styling is distinctive, which is important in this segment.

jeep thinks the Cherokee will out-sell the Wrangler worldwide, to the tune of 250,000 units. That would be great news, since it would allow Jeep to keep the Wrangler as an old-school, hard core off-road machine everyone enjoys.

 

[haven]

Edmunds.com created a Photoshop image of this Cherokee concept, sort of an Access Cab model

The photo was part of an article titled "10 vehicles that should never be made." In my opinion, this might appeal to young drivers looking for something a little more free spirited than the typical inexpensive SUV. If it could be priced the same as an entry level Tacoma, it might work.

What's your view? Is there enough of a market for this "lifestyle" Jeep? Would it affect entry level Wrangler sales?

Here's the link to the article http://www.edmunds.com/car-reviews/features/10-cars-that-should-never-be-made.html

 

[GetOutThere]

Edmunds.com created a Photoshop image of this Cherokee concept, sort of an Access Cab model

The photo was part of an article titled "10 vehicles that should never be made." In my opinion, this might appeal to young drivers looking for something a little more free spirited than the typical inexpensive SUV. If it could be priced the same as an entry level Tacoma, it might work.

What's your view? Is there enough of a market for this "lifestyle" Jeep? Would it affect entry level Wrangler sales?

Here's the link to the article http://www.edmunds.com/car-reviews/features/10-cars-that-should-never-be-made.html

I think that article was tripe...

And I think the lack of utility in such a model would force it to be at a price point that is lower than Jeep would be willing to go.

 

[DaveInDenver]

Am I the only who thought the XJ was itself a stretch of what is a Cherokee, the SJ?