Stylish SUV from the 90s Jeep Cherokee changes its image again

We must admit that Jeep has gone crazy with this incarnation of the Cherokee - opinions on the appearance of this car are extreme. Some openly laugh at the designers, others are delighted. Beauty is relative, and these kinds of reactions occur when a model undergoes a revolution rather than an evolution. However car - it's not just about appearance.

What does the new Jeep Cherokee WK2 have to offer?

Jeep has never been so polite and seductive. After all, Jeep is a legendary car, and the models of this brand are considered the quintessence of SUVs, that is, rough, but at the same time highly efficient models in difficult conditions. The owners of the legend know firsthand what their car is capable of (many at the same time dream of supplementing reliability with at least a little more efficiency). And the appearance on this wish list was important, and at the same time third-rate.



Until Jeep management paid a little more attention to this issue, to attract someone new to their showrooms. Someone who, of course, had heard of the brand, but at the same time did not dream of a sophisticated car, but counted on off-road capabilities of an almost frightening nature. The Cherokee image revolution was aimed at encouraging all SUV lovers to take an interest in Jeep with renewed vigor.



Thankfully, the Cherokee's redesigned appearance doesn't go hand in hand with degrading off-road performance like the Chevrolet trail blazer. Here everything is just the opposite.

The front of the car is perhaps the most extravagant element of the exterior. The heavily curved hood transforms into a seven-way grille, an element so characteristic of the Jeep brand. LED lights on top are used as running lights. Elongated xenon headlights perfectly disperse the darkness of the night.

The bumper at the top is painted in body color - the lower part, which houses the halogen headlights, is made of black unpainted plastic. It is this color contrast that slightly distorts the proportions of the front of the Cherokee - hence there are critical remarks about the appearance of the car. This unpainted plastic surrounds the entire SUV in a circle. But such a solution gives the owner a guarantee that when driving through mud, he will not damage the paintwork on the bottom of the body. The fins at the top of the door and the window line certainly livened up the car's profile.



But the rear door with high-mounted headlights and a large sheet of metal immediately causes outrage. This side is very similar to the Korean Kia Sportage. We certainly did not intend to make fun of Jeep designers, but such a decision seriously hurts the brand's reputation. Sportage has been on the market for many years, and the guys can leave stories about accidents for their families.

His Majesty Interior

That's how you want to talk about the inner chambers of the Cherokee. When you look at it from the outside. Of course, this phantasmagoria is designed to emphasize the spaciousness and comfort of the cabin. He finally got the third row - seven can go! We must pay tribute - here, compared with the previous generation of the model, cardinal changes have taken place.



No cheap plastic, no angular design - welcome to the elite echelon of the automotive industry for real cowboys!

The choice of materials, the quality of their installation, as for the off-road segment, are at a very high level. This is not a premium class, of course, and, sitting inside, it seems that the manufacturer is tired of the exterior and internal combustion engines, and did not bother much inside. Plastics are mostly soft and pleasant to the touch, and the leather upholstery of the model's seats is real Nappa. But sometimes it doesn't look good.



A wide range of steering and seat adjustments allows you to perfectly fit the driver's seat to individual preferences. The seats are wide and very comfortable - although the side support is not their strong point, this cannot be considered a disadvantage for an SUV.
The only thing you can complain about with a stretch is the multimedia screen on the central panel, which is not set at the best angle to the driver. Such an oversight threatens to lose readability on sunny days.



Yes, the frankly useless presence of the hatch is also annoying, or rather the noise that it causes at speed. Acoustic discomfort monotonously pursues those sitting inside already at 60 km / h. As you understand, with a set of speed, it only grows.

No one else has this transmission!

Jeep has done a decent job with all-wheel drive systems. Although the cheapest Cherokee is offered only with a front driven axle, the company makes it possible to equip the car with one of three 4x4 systems for sophisticated buyers. The first level of off-road resistance was the Jeep Active Drive I. A single-stage power transfer module is installed here. Optimization of torque distribution occurs due to hardware traction control, which is responsible for braking specific wheels. The 4x4 drive is engaged by a wet clutch located in the rear differential housing.



The more advanced Jeep Active Drive II system controls torque distribution to both axles using a two-stage off-road geared PTU. The 4WD Low mode used here allows you to lock the front and rear axles to increase the power available to the wheels at low speeds. This greatly improves the ability to climb hills and cross country. The programmable Selec-Terrain module adjusts the off-road traction in four modes:

• ✅ AUTO. Normal driving style
  
• ✅ SNOW. Starts in second gear, torque split 60:40 (front/rear)
  
• ✅ SPORT. Distributes torque along the axes in a ratio of 40:60
  
• ✅ SAND/MUD. Long gears, box braking effect
  

Jeep Active Drive II Lock is the third most flawless transmission system. It combines all the components of the previous package, a locking rear differential and ultra-Selec-Terrain: Rock mode. This is the basic standard for the most off-road configuration of the Trailhawk.
Traction

Under the hood of the Cherokee is a 1956 cc diesel Multijet II. cm, which is offered in two power options - 140 liters. With. (350 N * m) and 170 l. With. (350 N*m).

There is a variation with a petrol V6 Pentastar. Here the volumes are more decent: 3239 cubic meters. cm give 272 liters. With. And a torque of 315 N * m. For a weaker version of the diesel engine, a two-disk 6-speed manual is provided, while the V6 petrol and powerful diesel are packed in a compartment with a nine-speed automatic. This number of pairs gives smoother operation, but in terms of response speed, the solution cannot be compared to a dual clutch gearbox.



Already at idle, the engine roars rather aggressively into the cabin with its roar - measurements showed noise at the level of 49,6 dB. Fortunately, when accelerating to 90 km / h (70,2 dB), this parameter does not differ much from what competitors offer. Despite its loudness, the Multijet II powertrain is characterized by great elasticity (maximum torque is already available at 1750 rpm) and moderate fuel consumption



We will not even stutter about six-liter units. These engines are capable of real miracles!



The suspension of the car perfectly fulfills the disadvantages of asphalt of any complexity. Many people like such a springy and not rigid suspension. But you will have to forget about high-speed maneuvering here if you are not a fan of entering turns on two wheels. The excessively high center of gravity gives the Cherokee decent body roll even at low speeds. But we must pay tribute to the accuracy of control. The jeep follows the path like it is on rails, the steering wheel is very informative and obedient to the slightest movement of the steering wheel.



If you are interested in the Jeep Cherokee specifically as an SUV, be prepared to roll out a tidy sum for it (we are talking about a new car). Complete set Trailhawk with a motor of 286 liters. With. will cost at least 5,5 million rubles. All-wheel drive monster with a 6,2 liter engine and a power of 710 hp. With. will cost already under 11 million rubles. There is a maximum package of active assistants and impressive torque. But this is exactly the car that can effortlessly pull a stalled KAMAZ out of the mud, and no one even thought to talk about getting stuck on it somewhere. One thing does not please - everything will not reach Russia in any way!