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"  On-Sale Date: Fall 2013 Base Price: $23,990 to $28,985 Competitors: Toyota RAV4, Ford Escape, Honda CR-V, Hyundai Tucson Powertrains: 2.4-liter I-4, 184 hp, 171 lb-ft; 3.2-liter V-6, 271 hp, 239 lb-ft; nine-speed automatic, FWD, 4WD EPA Fuel Economy (city/hwy): 21/28 (2.4-liter I-4), 19/27 (3.2-liter V-6) What&amp;#039;s New: The original downsized Cherokee (code name XJ) was one of the most beloved Jeeps ever. That little Cherokee was not only successful as a mainstream SUV (produced for an incredible 17 years), but its chassis was simple, honest, and very capable off-road. For 2014 the Cherokee nameplate is back, this time attached to a crossover wrapped in wildly progressive bodywork. Is this Cherokee (code name KL) worthy of the famous moniker? Beneath that radical sheet metal is a reinforced version of Fiat and Chrysler&amp;#039;s Compact U.S.-Wide (CUSW) architecture, similar to the Dodge Dart. And that means up front there&amp;#039;s a MacPherson strut suspension with 6.7 inches of wheel travel and a multilink arrangement mounted on an isolated subframe in the rear with 7.8 inches of travel. Using a car-based platform is meant to shave pounds and up fuel economy. But the Cherokee is still no lightweight. The heaviest V-6 models (4100 pounds) are within 200 pounds of the old Liberty. A 184-hp 2.4-liter four-cylinder (also used in the Dart) is standard and has the potential to yield 31 mpg on the highway, according to Jeep. An optional 271-hp 3.2-liter V-6 is essentially a smaller, transversely mounted version of the 3.6-liter Pentastar used throughout Chrysler&amp;#039;s brands. Both are paired to a new nine-speed automatic, the first such transmission in a passenger car. If the goal is to use your Cherokee as a suburban family hauler, the four-cylinder is fine. But the V-6 models can tow 4500 pounds.  If you want a Jeep but don&amp;#039;t need any sort of traction-enhancing technology, then front-wheel drive is available with both engines. Active Drive I, the next level up, is strictly a single-speed all-wheel-drive system, ideal for snowy driving. Active Drive II offers a real low-range ratio for more serious 4WD trails (2.92:1 gearing mounted in front and rear planetary units next to the differentials) as well as a neutral position for those that flat tow their vehicles behind motorhomes. There&amp;#039;s a rear axle disconnect system on all 4WD Cherokees that allows it to default to front drive until torque is needed to that rear axle\u2014saving fuel during most on-road driving. For those that yearn for, well, Jeep-like dirt performance, the Active Drive Lock system comes on the Trailhawk package. This system provides a real mechanical locking rear differential. All of this off-road and on-road functionality is controlled via the Selec-Terrain knob, just as in the Grand Cherokee.  On the inside the Cherokee is much more modern and comfortable than the plasticky Liberty that came before. There are soft touch materials and pads any place your hand or elbow falls, and a big (optional) 8.4-inch touch screen up in front for easy navigation. Even if you don&amp;#039;t opt for the big screen, there&amp;#039;s a tastefully designed LCD screen between the gauges that displays information including fuel economy, off-road modes, and even adaptive cruise control if so equipped. The center console area showcases smart packaging, including a specific cradle for your phone. The rear seats offer a slide function so there&amp;#039;s plenty of room for adults when you need it\u2014and room for lots of gear when you don&amp;#039;t. Tech Tidbit: The Cherokee is the first Chrysler Group vehicle to embed the new Qi (pronounced &amp;quot;chee&amp;quot;) standard of inductive charging system for cellphones. The wireless charging pad is optional and simple to use. Just place a Qi-ready phone (or one with an adapter) on the pad in the center console. Once the LED light turns red and then flashes green\u2014you&amp;#039;re charging. It&amp;#039;s a smart option and helps free up plug space for other phones or devices. Driving Character: The Cherokee&amp;#039;s personality is more dependent on the drivetrain and option packages than perhaps any Jeep before. Since we were in Moab, Utah, Jeep made sure the majority of the rigs on hand were Trailhawk-spec. But we did have a chance to sample a Limited on the pavement for a few miles. The Cherokee Limited is light on its feet and easy to drive quickly on a rough and twisty road. The chassis seems to be calibrated more for flat handling than a cushy ride. The steering is light at low speed but the effort ramps up nicely as speed increases. The four-cylinder is certainly adequate, but the V-6 is downright fun.  The nine-speed really quiets the engine\u2014at 60 mph, the Cherokee&amp;#039;s V-6 loafs along at less than 1500 rpm. However, step hard on the throttle and there&amp;#039;s sometimes a delay waiting for the transmission to downshift as well as a bit of hunting for the right gear. To be fair, these were preproduction Jeeps and the engineering team was still working on transmission calibration. Clicking the Selec-Terrain knob over to Sport certainly improves the situation with a more aggressive shift mapping as well as better throttle response, a looser ESC intervention map, and increased torque biasing from the all-wheel drive system. And in Manual mode the nine-speed will hold a gear without upshifting. Cool.  The Limited is tame compared with the Trailhawk. The Trailhawk package comes with a 1-inch taller suspension, skid plating, a locking rear differential, and 8.7-inches of ground clearance thanks to beefy 245/65R17 tires. Slide behind the wheel of the Trailhawk, and it&amp;#039;s clear the ride comfort of the Limited is noticeably smoother. You really hear those tires whump over the bumps. The steering feels a tad heavier too. If you never go off-road, this might be a little too aggressive for the daily grind. And with all the heavy gear of the Trailhawk package, the V-6 is almost mandatory in hilly terrain.  On Moab&amp;#039;s slickrock trails, the &amp;#039;Hawk is probably the most capable Jeep in the family\u2014aside from the Wrangler, of course. That&amp;#039;s surprising considering the Cherokee&amp;#039;s car-based roots. It&amp;#039;s the mechanical locking rear differential that makes it work so well, delivering equal torque to both rear wheels and taking some of the burden off the brake-based traction control system. Although we spent most of the day with the Selec-Terrain system in Rock mode, we did find a sandy wash or two to play around in. Click over to Sand mode and the system allows quite a lot of wheel slip before traction control kicks in and works brilliantly. Forget the rocks\u2014roosting it is way more fun.  Favorite Detail: The Cherokee&amp;#039;s design drew quite a bit of heat from critics when it was unveiled earlier this year. Yes, the grille and headlamp arrangement is a little funky. But in Trailhawk guise, which blacks out all the brightwork and adds a tougher stance, the look is much more palatable. Driver&amp;#039;s Grievance: The new Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk has proven it can hang with much more macho wagons when the roads turn to dirt. But the problem with using a front-drive platform is that it necessitates a long dash. And that makes visibility terrible when you are driving on a trail. The fast angle of the windshield doesn&amp;#039;t help either. There&amp;#039;s a reason the original CJs, as well as the Wranglers of today, use an upright windshield and a short dash.  Bottom Line: Purists will find plenty to criticize about the new Cherokee. This is not a typical square-jawed, slab-sided Jeep. Engineers have spent a lot of time to make sure that the Cherokee, at least in Trailhawk guise, performs like a real Jeep. But the Trailhawk you want is not inexpensive\u2014the package starts at $29,495, and the loaded V-6 we drove would run you $38,660. You could plunk your cash down on the larger, more luxurious Grand Cherokee Laredo 4x4 ($37,795) for essentially the same money. A lesser-grade Cherokee is a better deal for sure, but it&amp;#039;s also a lesser Cherokee. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/reviews/a9345/we-drive-the-2014-jeep-cherokee-15807683/>