Jeep have been around for a long time, since 1941 to be exact, so you kind of know what to expect when you drive one – reliablility, great off-road capability, value for money and good traditional, rugged looks.
Er…wrong. Not anymore. Well, not in the looks department anyway. The Jeep Cherokee has had a radical nose-job and at first sight it looks like design gone mad.
Rugged has been replaced by refined and an entirely new personality. It just doesn’t look like the Jeep we all know and love.
Ok, maybe the old Cherokee was a bit boxy but I liked it because it was masculine and this new incarnation has snubbed its nose to that tradition although I have to admit that I do like those narrow light strips that sit high on the front.
Jeep, now owned by Fiat, say the design is futuristic and you can’t blame them for trying to introduce a bold new look. After all, venturing into unknown territory is something Jeep does extremely well.
Change is invevitable so I tried to convince myself that this new look was was the way forward. You do kind of get used to it although I still think the best view is from the driver’s seat where you can’t see it.
This Cherokee certainly drives much better than it looks. It is as good, if not better, as it has always been when it comes to build quality, assured driving performance and off-road capability.
It has a pleasant and extremely spacious interior, good technology, and all the terrain settings you need for normal highways or more testing environments. The Selec-Terrain system has auto, sport, snow, and sand/mud with a circular dial selector on the centre console.
The cabin is nicely designed with an instrument cluster that is modern and practical and the use of more soft-touch materials instead of tacky hard plastics has given the interior a pleasant feel.
We had the Longitude model of the Cherokee which had very comfortable cloth seats but there was no sat-nav which I find bizarre for a car that prides itself on its offroad capability. It is an optional extra but I still feel that even for the base models a basic sat-nav should come as standard in SUVs. If you want a fully loaded Cherokee go for the top-of-the-range Trailhawk.
Our test vehicle, kindly loaned by Western Motors in Abu Dhabi, had the 3.2 litre V6 engine, although you can also get a Cherokee with a 2.4 litre engine.
The 3.2 litre powerplant has 272bhp and 316nm of torque and puts the power down to the all-wheel-drive system via a nine-speed automatic gearbox which has electronic range select, ensuring that the vehicle is in the optimal gear for the terrain it is in.
It might look more modern and sleek but this is not built for speed. In fact the response from the V6 is a little disappointing and you really have to put your foot down to get any decent acceleration but it is an extremely comfortable vehicle to drive and the handling surprisingly assured. There was no body roll going through corners and the steering was pleasingly precise.
I did not take this vehicle off-road which is where the Cherokee excels but on tarmac it performed more than adequately and if you are looking for something that looks different with loads of space for the kids, and iconic reliability and value for money, then you can’t go far wrong.
As for that nose-job? Well, I remain unconvinced but it did grow on me and, ugly or not, it certainly stands out from the crowd.
As a Jeep, it has lost some of its aggression but one thing you can’t dispute is that this latest Cherokee retains and exceeds the high standards that have given this brand such impressive longevity. It’s future is certainly in good shape.
