The Cherokee is back?

[SouthPawXJ]

wow, I'm so astounded by this statement I'm having trouble to stopping laughing.

The KJ is not even remotely as capable as an XJ, here are the numbers to show it:

Minimum Ground Clearance= 7.8" - Liberty / 10.6" Cherokee
Towing capacity= 2000lbs - Liberty / 5000lbs Cherokee
Curb Weight= 3692lbs Liberty / 3297 Cherokee
Cargo Room= 29 cubic feet - Liberty / 69 cubic Feet - Cherokee
Turning Radius= 35.9ft - Liberty / 35.7ft - Cherokee
Front Leg Room= 40.8" - Liberty / 41.4in" - Cherokee

And gas EPA gas mileage estimates were the same for both trucks so the liberty lost all the ability and didn't even get better mileage!

Fiat needs to stop and look at these numbers, if the new truck cant match them, they should go back to the drawing board or consider calling it a patriot or Compass

Where did you get your data?

The Ground Clearance on the Liberty was 7.8", but the XJ was only 8.1" according to Edmunds.

The Liberty could tow as much as the Cherokee (5000 vs 5000). Just like the XJ, you had to be properly equipped to tow that much. (Most XJs would only tow 2000 lb safely) Source: I own a KJ equipped to tow that much (it could tow that much with the 3.7L too).

The Curb Weight is correct mostly, although the KJ could get darn close to 4000 lb quickly.

The Cargo Room is dubious. The one for the Libby is with the rear seats up, and the one for the XJ is with the rear seats down. Hmm... the 2002 Liberty KJ has a measured cargo capacity of 68.7 cu. ft with the seats folded according to Edmunds. With the rear seats up, the XJ wins on the cargo space handily. The XJ's space is more usable too (longer and lower) than the KJ. The KJ's advantage is fitting tall things, but that's it.

From experience owning both, the Liberty's turning radius seems superior, even if the dimensions don't show it that way. Liberty's turning radius: 17.9', XJs: 17.9' according to Cars.com.

Your front leg room dimensions are correct.

 

[Silvanus]

say good bye to the future of offroading, how long before jeep makes the front of the wrangler IFS, everyone else already made the switch, they need to take a look at the history books and remember where they came from and take a look at the numerous jeep forums out there to see the following the XJ, ZJ, WJ, etc all have, bring back the solid axle, and that goes to ford, chevy and dodge as well

i'd love to see a company come out with a bare bones, no luxury, bullet proof 4x4, problem is it would probably expensive as heck because they would market it as the best in off road, we need something the average college kid can afford and can wheel every weekend and drive to class everyday right out of the box

I can't agree more! And after all of the Wall Street turmoil,bailouts and other GREED for prophet scams. Our own manufacturers are still forgetting those who are carrying this land. This abomination will also be quite expensive to repair and lets not forget the recall factor, there should be quite a few!! True is it's a crossover for sure, built for office types who go from one outdoor fad to the next, As for the future, the future is IN the past!!!
Jeep should build one for true utility, can't you feel the excitement and sense of adventure with these new POSH jeeps!!!

 

[TheSweetness]

Locking rear diff a surprise

And potentially an electronically-controlled center diff lock. Color me impressed:

Jeep Active Drive II

Available on the Cherokee Sport, Latitude and Limited models, Jeep Active Drive II includes a two-speed PTU with torque management and low range. 4-Low mode locks the front and rear drive shafts for low-speed power or towing. Low range provides a 2.92:1 gear reduction. The gear reduction allows for enhanced climbing ability as well outstanding crawl ratios for severe off-road conditions. The 2014 Jeep Cherokee with Jeep Active Drive II gives the off-road adventurer a ride height that is increased by an inch, a crawl ratio of 56:1 when powered by the 2.4-liter MultiAir2 Tigershark I-4 engine, and 47.8:1 when powered by the new 3.2-liter Pentastar V-6 engine – up to a 90-percent improvement versus the outgoing model.

Jeep Active Drive Lock

Jeep Active Drive Lock includes all the features of Jeep Active Drive II and adds a locking rear differential for superior low-speed power for severe off-road conditions. Jeep Active Drive Lock is standard on all Trailhawk models. All 4x4 systems feature the Jeep brand's renowned Selec-Terrain traction control system, which allows the driver to choose the on- and off-road setting for optimum performance. Five customized settings are offered: Auto, Snow, Sport, Sand/Mud and Rock. Through the use of algorithms that enable unsurpassed control and capability, Selec-Terrain electronically coordinates and optimizes up to 12 systems on any terrain providing enhanced vehicle control including: drivetrain control module, electronic brake controller, electronic stability control (ESC), transmission controller, powertrain controller and Selec-Speed Control (Hill-ascent and Hilldescent Control).
.

Press release in link:

http://www.autoblog.com/2013/03/27/2014-jeep-cherokee-new-york-2013/

 

[m(a)ce]

From Jalopnik - 6 Ways the 2014 Cherokee is better than the XJ (and some fair discussion after the article).

Sadly the looks don't say Cherokee to me at all.

I'm glad to see low range & a rear locker option. Is this a hardcore Jeep? No but probably a solid DD and better than average soft-roader.

Apart from giving the Jeep lineup more MPGs its also going to (hopefully) provide more US jobs.

Autoblog says Jeep is gunning to build 250,000 Cherokees a year and hire 1100 new employees for the Toledo plant.

I can get use to the looks if it means that many jobs.

 

[G jeep]

2008 is a KK and you cherry picked your #'s I have both. Stock the KK is better.

wow, I'm so astounded by this statement I'm having trouble to stopping laughing.

The KJ is not even remotely as capable as an XJ, here are the numbers to show it:

Minimum Ground Clearance= 7.8" - Liberty / 10.6" Cherokee
Towing capacity= 2000lbs - Liberty / 5000lbs Cherokee
Curb Weight= 3692lbs Liberty / 3297 Cherokee
Cargo Room= 29 cubic feet - Liberty / 69 cubic Feet - Cherokee
Turning Radius= 35.9ft - Liberty / 35.7ft - Cherokee
Front Leg Room= 40.8" - Liberty / 41.4in" - Cherokee

And gas EPA gas mileage estimates were the same for both trucks so the liberty lost all the ability and didn't even get better mileage!

Fiat needs to stop and look at these numbers, if the new truck cant match them, they should go back to the drawing board or consider calling it a patriot or Compass

 

[Chi-Town]

Actually I got them from the jeep sales brochures, so I took them as true.

Numbers aside a fwd based platform doesn't impress me.

 

[Sojourn]

http://host4video.com/nyias13/jeep/

 

[Sojourn]

It will be interesting if this video from the New York Auto show changes any opinions of the new KL.

 

[Silvanus]

It will be interesting if this video from the New York Auto show changes any opinions of the new KL.

NO! JEEP=Landrover

 

[ihatemybike]

First impressions, I thought the new Cherokee was ugly, but somehow the Trailhawk version doesn't look that bad. I'll probably sneak in a test drive when they hit the dealer lots.

 

[Quinn]

i'd love to see a company come out with a bare bones, no luxury, bullet proof 4x4, problem is it would probably expensive as heck because they would market it as the best in off road, we need something the average college kid can afford and can wheel every weekend and drive to class everyday right out of the box

Jeep already makes this vehicle. It's called a Wrangler.

 

[Quinn]

I own an XJ Cherokee. It's been my DD and camping vehicle for the past 6 years. I was looking forward to seeing the newest Cherokee.

I attended the NYIAS on press preview day and was able to check out the new Cherokee. In person, the front doesn't look nearly as bad. Also the "Trailhawk" trim level gets rid of the chrome, which makes a big improvement. Is it still ugly? Yes, there's no denying that.

This will absolutely be as capable as a stock XJ cherokee. It has good approach & departure angles. It has solid recovery points front/rear. It has skid plates. It has a 56:1 crawl ratio. My XJ with a manual trans and 4.10's in the axles doesn't even touch that! It has a rear diff locker; that alone is HUGE for those who will be using this on the trails.

You want a body on frame, solid axle truck that can handle 35's and crawl the toughest trails in North America? Guess what, Jeep already makes that vehicle and it's called the Wranlger Rubicon. And now it even comes in 2 wheelbases for those who want to carry more stuff.

You want a vehicle that would make a great camping/overland vehicle & daily driver that gets 30mpg on the highway, yet can still tackle some challenging terrain? That's what the new Cherokee is.

 

[Chi-Town]

the Trailhawk's approach and departure angles are better than a base XJ, I would like to see the numbers on a Up-Country XJ.

a 56:1 crawl ratio is handy.. if you're running 35" tires otherwise you'll run out of RPM to keep the momentum up with small tires.

How much towing capacity do you think the mini-van based drive train will take compared to an XJ?

 

[Quinn]

a 56:1 crawl ratio is handy.. if you're running 35" tires otherwise you'll run out of RPM to keep the momentum up with small tires.

Simply shift into second or third gear if you need momentum and more wheelspin.

How much towing capacity do you think the mini-van based drive train will take compared to an XJ?

With 270hp and a 9 speed transmission, this will tow much better than an XJ.

 

[Silvanus]

Well Jeep is making very capable cars for sure