New Cherokee seeks lost sales
Once responsible for more than 30 per cent of Jeep's sales Down under, the Cherokee is back bigger and better-looking to regain shareJeep's new midsize offroader, the third and latest generation Cherokee has been launched Down Under.
Bigger and more comprehensively equipped than the outgoing KJ Cherokee, the new KK model also benefits from Chrysler's stated aim to improve cabin quality. To this end, the offroader's high, wide and handsome external features hide a cabin with softer touch points and improved plastics, fabrics and finishes.
The new Cherokee gains 45mm in the wheelbase and around 250mm in extra usable interior space. The rear doors are longer for better (but still not perfect) access and there has been a substantial boost in luggage space (over 80mm). Due to the relocation of the spare from the tailgate to a cradle under the rear load area, however, the car is actually 3mm shorter than the model it replaces.
Wider and taller, the new KK model Cherokee also rides on a substantially increased track for better on and offroad handling, claims Jeep. And despite the dimensional growth, the turning circle and turns lock-to-lock have both been reduced -- from 10.8 to 10.4m and 3.8 to 3.4 turns.
Two powertrains are offered in the new generation Cherokee, both featuring automatic transmissions. Jeep's well-known 3.7-litre petrol V6 has been tweaked for the new model and boasts 1kW and 7Nm extra than the KJ model's equivalent at 151kW and 314Nm.
The petrol engine is matched to a four-speed automatic box that has also been upgraded in the model evolution. Economy has improved 0.5L/100km, Jeep says. The vehicle's official combined economy is 11.7L/100km.
Shared with the Wrangler and Dodge Nitro, the Cherokee's turbodiesel is a 2.8-litre common rail direct-injection four-cylinder that is rated at 130kW and a rousing 460Nm. Teamed with a Mercedes-Benz sourced five-speed autobox (that's also used across a number of Jeep's larger offroaders), the turbodiesel out torques the previous generation Cherokee's oiler option by 60Nm!
This doesn't come at the expense of fuel economy, however. The new 2.8 CRD Cherokee is rated at 9.4L/100km in official testing.
The new Cherokee's level of standard safety equipment and driver aids is especially noteworthy. In terms of active safety equipment, the new midsizer wants for little. Antilock brakes with offroad calibration kick things off and traction control, stability control and electronic roll mitigation and tyre pressure monitoring are all standard. Rear park sensors are fitted to all Cherokees but no reversing camera is offered.
Offroad specific driver aids include hill descent control and hill start assist. The former interfaces with the engine management and gearbox electronics to offer a choice of appropriate speeds dependent on gear selection.
The Cherokee's all-wheel-drive system is also new. Dubbed SelecTrac II, the system features normal 2WD (rear), electronic shift-on-the-fly 4WD Auto (high) and a fair dinkum 4WD Lock (low range).
In auto mode drive is apportioned 42:58 with a rearward bias via an electronically-controlled wet multiplate centre coupling. As the term suggests, in low or Lock mode drive is locked 50:50 and the fancy coupling taken out of play. The transfer case features a useful 2.72:1 reduction.
Brake lock differentials are used at both ends of the car. The system uses traction control infrastructure to almost instantaneously apportion drive to the wheels with most traction. The previous generation KJ had a rear limited slip differential.
The new KK Cherokee features a substantially upgraded monocoque chassis/crash structure and features six airbags including side curtain airbags with rollover activation. Seatbelt pretensioners and load limiters are also standard.
Jeep has retained the Sport and Limited trim variants for the new Cherokee, with the former coming in for a substantial upgrade in equipment levels and appearance.
Priced from $39,990 for the petrol V6 version, the Cherokee Sport now features body-coloured wheelarch flares and bumpers for a cleaner look and gets 16-inch alloys standard.
Inside the Sport there's Jeep's YesEssentials fabric seating. Standard equipment includes: climate control air, power windows and mirrors, cruise control and the full complement of safety equipment listed above.
The Cherokee Limited petrol is priced from $45,990 and adds equipment such as a leather interior pack, power and heated front seats,18-inch alloys, a 368 watt Infinity premium audio system with UConnect Bluetooth connectivity and more.
The turbodiesel engine upgrade will set you back a further $4000 on both variants.
Options are restricted to premium paint ($300 -- available on both Sport and Limited) and, on the Limited model only, sunroof ($2000), SkyRider roof ($3000) and MyGig DVD compatible hard disk-based entertainment and satnav system ($3000).
With over 30,000 Cherokees sold in Australia since 1994, the midsized offroader has typically accounted for around 30 per cent of the marque's volume Down Under. In 2006 Australian bought almost 2000 Cherokees, while last year's total was 1500.
With only limited stocks of the outgoing KJ model Cherokee in dealers (Jeep says it wholesaled its last KJ before the end of 2007), the US offroad brand is looking to the new model to hit the ground running and match or better the volumes generated by its predecessors. The new model does not, however, arrive in volumes until April.
Look out for our full launch review soon.
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