On the road: FOR a long time America has given us cars that Americans want to drive. The problem with that apparent intransigence is that, to coin a phrase from across the pond, Europe is a completely different ball game.
In the UK, at least, we don’t have endless straight roads, a climate you can put your mortgage on or an indifference to quality.
No, we have winding roads littered with potholes, four seasons in one day and a liking for things that don’t fall off in your hand.
The merger between Chrysler and Fiat has clearly had an influence in the design studio and this latest Cherokee is the first that I can genuinely say I have enjoyed both sitting in and driving.
It’s not perfect, but it’s light years from what has passed through its quality control department before.
It retains Jeep’s distinctive looks with its imposing grille, but the edges have been smoothed off.
The 2.0 litre diesel engine is mated to a six-speed manual gearbox and is more than capable of moving its considerable heft. The ride is loaded towards the comfortable, which might not suit those looking for engaging motoring, but more than suited my brood.
On the inside: AGAIN this is another area that has seen a vast improvement. No longer just a sea of bland plastic, plenty of thought has gone into the layout and materials used. Bronze inserts break up the design and buttons have been kept to a minimum. Admittedly the infotainment system is not the most intuitive, but after a few days I was able to work my way around it.
The driver’s seating position is well appointed and there’s plenty of glass from which to get a clear view of both what is ahead and what is behind.
What do you get: THERE are four levels of trim to choose from and no one should feel disappointed by what’s on offer Our car came with brake stability control, hill start assist, off road suspension, Jeep’s Select-Terrain system, Jeep Active Drive, speed sensitive power locks, rain sensitive wipers, and keyless entry and start. In addition there were parking aids, such as rear camera and sensors and fold away mirrors. Inside, there was a wireless charging pad, stop-start system, electronic parking brake, cruise control, powered boot, Alpine stereo system with nine speakers, instrument cluster with 7ins colour display, Uconnect media centre, heated front seats and ambient LED lighting.
Options included special paint and a full panoramic sunroof.
How practical is it: THE Cherokee has a 591-litre boot, which increases to 714 with the seats slid forward or 1,267 litres with them folded flat. The front seat also folds flat if you want to load lengthier items. There are plenty of areas to store your valuables or in my case your kids’ toys. With the little ones in the back there were little or no complaints about space, but I took my wife and her girlfriends to the races and they drew lots to sit in the middle seat.
Running costs: JEEP state the MultiJet engine is one of the cleanest in its class. It should be capable of returning more than 50mpg on the combined cycle. CO2 emissions are 147g/km.
Verdict: A VAST improvement and worth considering if you want something different to the norm.
Alternatives: BMW X3, Audi Q5
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