Jeep Cherokee

Calling the latest KL Cherokee a great improvement by Jeep standards isn't damning it with faint praise. But we're headed in that direction. The previous KK was an ordinary bit of gear, so it makes sense that its replacement retains little apart from the name.

Appropriately, in these days of crossovers and soft-roaders, the fourth generation eschews a body-on-frame chassis for the new Fiat Chrysler CUS-wide (Compact US) monocoque architecture that can trace its origins back to the Alfa Romeo Giulietta and Dodge Dart.

That’s combined with a new family of drivetrains beginning with the Tigershark 2.4-litre four, progressing through the 3.2-litre V6 Pentastar and topping out (price-wise) with a 2.0-litre Fiat turbo-diesel. All of them are tied to a nine-speed automatic that more than doubles the old Cherokee’s cog count and helps slash fuel consumption. In the base model Sport, only the front wheels are driven, while the Trailhawk is the only ‘trail-rated’ model.

The result of this shift of focus is a more refined and car-like driving experience. There are price rises, but also a lot more equipment.

For the most part, the Cherokee steers, brakes and grips with some capability, although the level of competence of each of those characteristics varies across the five-model range: the electric-assist steering rack displays old-fashioned load-up when challenged by the demanding You Yangs durability course; the brake pressure varies from weak to wildly over-servoed and the cornering ability goes from quite composed to the laughably low for the cone-scattering Trailhawk on its Yokohama Geolandar rubber. Because of the heavy rain that saturated the venue, the gravel road section was out of bounds, so there was no chance for the Trailhawk to perhaps balance that ledger.

There was a broad spread of views about the drivetrains: some liked the Tigershark, some didn't (“fizzy” was one description and “shallow” another); the V6 was pretty much glossed over, with more admiration expressed for the diesel. The new auto doesn’t seem that modern, inclined to hunt and kick down with some rudeness, and throttle response was deemed to be too sharp.

More consistent was the praise for the quietness of the cabin and the significant step up in refinement and space. Apart from the awful urethane-trimmed steering wheel in the Sport, materials gain a big tick, too.

Perhaps this is the KL Cherokee’s most significant improvement. Certainly the inside gained more praise among the judges than the controversial nose and unusual tail grafted onto an otherwise orthodox body.

Disconnection
CHEROKEE offers three 4x4 systems with one-speed or two-speed power transfer units: Jeep Active Drive I, II and Active Lock. In a claimed industry first, the 4x4 system disconnects the rear axle to reduce energy loss and improve fuel efficiency when not required.

BODY
Type 5-door wagon, 5 seats
Boot capacity 700 litres
Weight 1738-1862kg

DRIVETRAIN
Layout front engine (east-west), FWD/AWD
Engines 2360cc 4cyl (130kW/229Nm); 3239cc V6 (200kW/316Nm); 1956cc 4cyl turbo-diesel (125kW/350Nm)
Transmission 9-speed automatic

CHASSIS
Tyres 225/60R17 – 225/55R18
ADR81 fuel consumption 5.8-10.0L/100km
Greenhouse emissions 154-232g/km
Collision mitigation n/a
Crash rating 5-star (ANCAP)
Prices $33,500 – $49,000