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Jeep Cherokee: The Wrong Front Cover
JEEP CHEROKEE
THE WRONG FRONT COVER
Words: Marco Mancino
Photography: Ron Morgenstein
They say you should not judge a book by its cover, but every time I’m in the library, those thousands pages bricks with high-sounding titles they want to taste challenging but that in the end are worst than broccoli have never attracted me. Usually, since I no longer have a lot of free time to sit on the terrace and browse the pages of a good novel, I am often tempted by those best seller written ten hands, that you also find at your nearest service station. The new Jeep Cherokee is exactly like the first case, since under a cover that has been completely renovated in 2014, houses a Jeep that has never been so close to being an SUV, and able to come to an agreement the need to climb the sidewalk in front of your children’s school as the path leading to your mountain chalet.
Impossible not to notice why its front is so controversial, but surpassed the astonishment due to nothing short of a bold design, the Cherokee comes with generous dimensions (4.6 meters in length and 1.8 in width) that can accommodate five people and luggage useful for a trip in search of a good adventure. This very edition, which celebrates 75 years of Jeep, blinks an eye to every must have needed for today’s life, such as smartphone connectivity, parking sensors, rearview camera, satellite navigation and a whole host of devices that make it easier and above all safe while driving, manageable thanks to the new 8.4-inch touch display. Once I get on board I am greeted by comfortable leather seats which offer a very high sit constantly reminding that you’re behind the wheel of something bulky. The transmission is a 9-speed automatic and despite being a little ‘spongy, does its job well – and it is always possible to use it manually with the same lever. But if the Cherokee shocks (yes, a bit) in terms of design, it is still able to leave no doubt about its off-road capabilities, also thanks to the good ground clearance and the four-wheel drive layout always able to pull you out of trouble. For those wishing to venture into difficult terrains, there are low range gears, but talkin’ about the most use the average user will have, there will be no need to move the gear knob and simply manage the gas pedal. That’s it.
Speaking of on-road drivability, the 2.2 turbodiesel under test delivers 200hp and has a good torque of 440Nm, which coupled to a weight that remains under two tons, gives an outstanding elasticity. The engine is not too noisy and the feeling you get is that it is much better finished than the cheaper Renegade. The chassis of the Giulietta has been revised and you would never imagine to drive a pseudo-cousin of the aforementioned Alfa – then I found the steering a bit unresponsive, especially when you increase the pace. Even fuel consumption has not satisfied me one hundred percent, and I had to put hand on the wallet more than I thought, but probably the overall size and the permanent all-wheel drive are paid in these terms. At the end of the two weeks of testing, my opinion can only be positive, but if I lingered at the cover and then to its appearance (which, however, after a few days is completely assimilated) I never got to find out that in fact the new Cherokee is more than a worthy successor to the model it replaces.
JEEP CHEROKEE (2014-)
Layout – front-engined, all-wheel-drive
Engine – 4 cylinder 2.184cc – turbo
Transmission – 9-speed automatic gearbox
Power – 200 hp @ 3.500rpm
440 Nm @ 2.500rpm
Weight – 1.878 kg
Acceleration – 8,5 sec.
Top Speed – 204 kph
Price – from € 51.250
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