Jeep Cherokee

Launched: Jeep Cherokee

Wheels Magazine
April, 2008

Even the blokes at Chrysler Australia admit the outgoing KJ version of the Jeep Cherokee might have been a mistake, at least when it came to size. Markedly smaller than just about any comparable wagon with off-road ability, it was short on rear legroom and luggage space, and its rounded corners didn't visually fit the rugged mould of a he-man trailblazer.

In Australia, the company sold just over 12,300 examples in seven years, compared with more than 18,000 of the XJ which re-launched the brand in this country back in 1994. This new KK model was designed to fix those packaging and image problems.

With a 45mm longer wheelbase, Jeep claims a huge 250mm more usable interior length. That's largely due to the spare wheel being relocated from the tailgate to under the rear of the vehicle. The tailgate itself now lifts instead of swings, and the window opens separately, revealing a cargo area 84mm longer than before and with a reversible plastic tray on the floor.

And just look at those lines: jacked-up, with bugger-off bumpers, and more right angles and shallower windows than a council housing estate, the Cherokee proclaims that hefty metal is back in vogue in Jeep-land.

The KK features a new platform, which, as before, is a monocoque body strengthened by transverse underfloor beams. The idea is to provide off-road strength, but it's also brought weight: the lightest petrol V6 Sport model is 1935kg, or 106kg more than the equivalent KJ. That's quite a bit for a wagon less than 4.5 metres long.

The 3.7-litre V6 and 2.8-litre turbo-diesel engines are fundamentally carried over, although with revisions. The petrol donk gains one extra kilowatt, seven more Newton metres, and a claimed 0.5L/100km reduction in fuel consumption. The diesel has received a more noteworthy 10kW and 60Nm, taking outputs to 130kW and a grunting 460Nm.

The Cherokee comes with either engine in a Sport or Limited model, with a $4000 premium for the oiler. Prices, then, start at $39,990 for the V6 Sport, and top out at $49,990 for a CRD Limited.

Even then there's the temptation to spend a more, specifically on a sliding canvas roof called a Sky Slider that allows a variety of configurations so either front or rear passengers can bake in the sun or, perhaps, take pot-shots at passing wildebeest. It'll cost you another $3000, as will the entertainment and sat-nav systems.

Or you might want to take the Cherokee off-road, a pastime at which it should excel given short overhangs and a new 4WD system. Included is standard ESP that has three modes for on- and off-road use, as well as hill descent control.

Jeep orchestrated a demo drive on Queensland's Fraser Island, where the Cherokee bumped and thumped over tree roots inland, but bogged on the beach thanks to road tyres on road pressures. Weirder problems surfaced when virtually every vehicle had its plastic undertray - a hefty moulded panel some one metre square - scraped off on the central ridge of the tracks. Something customers would be loath to pay for if the part needed replacing.

The V6 works well enough with the standard four-speed auto; it's vocal, but seems to have the torque for decent performance. The diesel is noisier again, but has some serious bottom-end grunt crucial in a vehicle of this weight, and no doubt works for towing. A wider track, relatively short wheelbase and direct steering make on-road handling quite enjoyable, but more tarmac experience is needed to verify that.

So the new Cherokee is a rugged-looking wagon that should take a beating off-road or on, which will make it attractive to campers or particularly destructive families. Refinement and style aren't strong points, whereas the opposition is getting increasingly more sophisticated. But then maybe Jeep hopes to reach customers who prefer their 4WDs tough instead of tame.

More research
Jeep Cherokee KK Sport and Limited -- Carsales Network launch review: here
Jeep Cherokee Sport 3.7 -- Carsales Network road test: here

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