What they said when the Jeep Cherokee was new… (Sep 4 2001)
THEIR brand is as American as blueberry pie, but engineers at Jeep have had to think global in order to keep up with the increasingly intense competition in the four by four market.
Jeep's off-road reputation is rivalled only by that of Britain's Land Rover. If you want to go mud-plugging or climb the side of the nearest mountain, you couldn't ask for a better vehicle than a Jeep Cherokee.
But the proportion of four by four drivers who buy their vehicles with the intention of ever taking them off road is diminishing daily. Today's all wheel drive vehicles are more likely to be bought for the school run or as a motoring fashion accessory.
And that's led to a proliferation of fashionable four-by-fours which might look really dinky on the drive and ab fab in front of the wine bar, but which couldn't cut it crossing anything much higher than a kerb.
OK, so that's a bit of an exaggeration. Cars like the Land Rover Freelander, Toyota RAV4 and Honda CRV do have limited off road capability - they'll tackle light to medium rough with ease, but their makers are quick to point out that it would not be wise to attempt anything much more taxing.
But it's vehicles like these which now dominate the four-by-four sales charts. And they do so because they offer the long distance comfort, on-road performance and manners, refinement, ease of control and practicality of a family car.
For companies like Jeep, which has built its reputation building cars capable of crossing the Rockies for 60 years, the rise and rise of the fashion four by four must have been particularly galling. "Soft roaders" is how the American company's execs refer to them.
But when the time came to design a new Cherokee they bit the silver bullet and decided that if they couldn't beat 'em they'd darn well better join the global trend to more adaptable, family-friendly four by fours.
And with the latest Cherokee, Jeep has done that and more.
It's the first Jeep since the 60s with independent front suspension - a system adopted to ensure that the new Cherokee could match its rivals in terms of on road performance. But the engineers didn't want to compromise the car's off-road abilities, so they adopted a sturdier system that those used by competitors using bigger and stronger parts.
"We needed to ensure that we didn't lose any of our off-road ability," says Jeep's international product planning chief Stan Synowiec.
So at the back, the Cherokee maintains a solid axle suspended on three links and coil springs for maximum articulation in severe off road situations. The Cherokee's suspension system has an impressive 20 inches of travel.
And a low ratio transfer box was also retained enabling Cherokee drivers to opt for two wheel drive, normal all wheel drive or low ratio four wheel drive for when the going gets really rough.
And after trying the new Cherokee over a course described by off-road experts as worse, in parts, than the legendary American Rubicon Trail, we can verify that the latest Cherokee is no soft-roader.
From axle deep rutted mud tracks, through peat bogs and rock-strewn river beds to a heart-stopping, eighty yard, one in three drop over treacherously slippery boulders, the Cherokee took the worst we could throw at it and came out laughing at the opposition.
On the road, too, Jeep appears to have largely achieved its objectives. We thought that wind noise at higher speeds was excessive, but otherwise the five door Cherokee is a comfortable, spacious and well-equipped family cruiser. With its new 3.7 litre petrol engine - 2.4 petrol and 2.5 common rail turbodiesel will also be available - our test vehicle had the legs to keep up with fast moving motorway traffic and plenty of mid-range urge for safe overtaking on single lane roads. The four speed auto transmission fitted as standard with this engine provides seamless changes in most situations, but the kickdown while impressive, operated somewhat jerkily.
Ride and handling are as good as you'll get in this market place - not quite as good a family car, but not far off. The Cherokee is the first Jeep to come with rack and pinion steering and that shows in improved steering feel and precision.
The roomy, well trimmed cabin offers plenty of leg , shoulder and head room both front and rear and there's even room in the boot for a couple of medium sized suitcases with the rear seats in position.
Two versions of the Cherokee will be available in Britain - Sport and Limited - and both come with generous equipment levels. Standard fittings include ABS, alloy wheels, twin front airbags, opening rear hatch window, air con, central locking, powered windows front and rear and a single CD player. The Limited model adds side curtain airbags, a cargo area cover, trip computer, cruise control and power adjustable front seats.
Diesel and 3.7 litre V6 versions will be on sale from next month with prices starting at £20,195 for the 2.5CRD Sport and rising to £23,145 for the 3.7V6 Limited. It will be next January before the entry level, 2.4 litre petrol versions arrive, priced from £17,995.
Jeep executives in Britain have few delusions as to the task ahead. They know they do not have a realistic chance of knocking the Land Rover Freelander off its perch as Britain's top-selling four-by-four, and aim to sell a modest 5,000 Jeep Cherokees in a full year.
But they revel in the knowledge that they have succeeded in creating a vehicle which can pretty much match the Freelander's High Street performance and appeal and outclass it in the great outdoors.
Says Steve Grey, Jeep's UK marketing chief: "Our objective was to offer a better product for on or just below the price of the Freelander.
"We have to operate in a world of soft-roaders, but as far as we are concerned a Jeep has to go off-road and go off-road properly." And that, it most certainly does.
Words: David Whinyates
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