Born into controversy
We’re behind the wheel of the 2014 Jeep Cherokee and its
nose is pointed at the sky. As we crawl up a stair-step climb on the Hell’s
Revenge trail outside of Moab, Utah, the Cherokee hesitates briefly as one rear
wheel loses contact with terra firma. But then the locked rear differential
does its thing, and we lurch forward. The hood teeter-totters down, the red-rock
trail again comes into view, and eventually the Cherokee walks itself down the
steep slope at 0.6 mph.
We’re behind the
wheel of the 2014 Jeep Cherokee and its nose is pointed at the sky
When the all-new 2014 Cherokee was announced, Jeep
traditionalists were up in arms over this car-based crossover with its
transverse engine and front-wheel drive, even if an all-wheel-drive system is
available. So here we are in Moab, where Jeep executives want to demonstrate to
us that the Cherokee can take you someplace other than the parking lot at
Target.
We’re driving the Jeep Cherokee Trail-hawk, the most
trail-ready of the Cherokee variants. It has a taller ride height, better
approach and departure angles, and skid plates. It also has Active Drive Lock,
a four-wheel-drive system meant for off-roading that incorporates a locking
rear differential. Meanwhile, the Cherokee Latitude, Cherokee Limited, and
Cherokee Sport can come with Active Drive I (a.k.a. simple, fuel-efficient
four-wheel drive, if you prefer), which enables you to engage different driving
modes for different degrees of traction (including sport mode) and allows the
rear wheels to be disengaged for better fuel mileage. The Latitude and Limited
models can be upgraded to Active Drive II, which adds a two-speed transfer case
so you can creep along in low range while off-roading.
The Cherokee
interior borrows much from the Grand Cherokee. Sadly, the same can’t be
said of the exterior.
The Cherokee’s 2.4-liter Tigershark four-cylinder engine
makes 184 hp and 171 lb-ft of torque, but it’s overtaxed in this 4000-pound
crossover. We prefer the 3.2-liter Pentastar V-6 and its 271 hp and 239 lb-ft.
Both engines match up with a nine-speed automatic transmission, and you’ll
discover that the very tall ratios – the top four are overdrive gears – are meant
to make mpg, not mph. (EPA ratings aren’t yet available.)
The Cherokee sits on a wheelbase about as long as that of
the discontinued Liberty, but its body is longer, lower, and wider, and it has
even more rear-seat legroom than the Grand Cherokee. The exterior design has a
few Jeep cues in the grille and wheel arches, but the flat surfaces of Jeep’s
traditional form language have gone missing, leaving the Cherokee with the
generic look of a modern crossover.
The Cherokee’s
fuel efficiency and passenger comfort are expected to help it double the
Liberty’s sales volume
On Moab’s infamous Hell’s Revenge trail, the new Cherokee
did show us that it can do real Jeep things, car-based crossover or not.
Although Jeep traditionalists might be scandalized, the Cherokee’s fuel
efficiency and passenger comfort are expected to help it double the Liberty’s
sales volume. That means an even healthier bottom line for the division and its
storied Jeep Wrangler, which is what everyone wants, including us.
