Topic: 2014 Jeep Cherokee To Start At $23,495 In Canada

[Autos_Editor]

Four trims available - Sport, North, Limited, and Trailhawk - with 3.2L Pentastar V6 making debut in first Chrysler vehicle.

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[Snowman]

Yikes, A Juke and an Aztec met in a bar and got all hammered up. 

[EV Dan]

It doesn't say how much the V6 option is and whether the 9spd auto comes with both engines. As for the looks, you know how when a celebrity loses a bet and goes to Letterman show wearing a bath robe. Makes me wonder if that happened to one of Fiat's bosses 

[OliverD]

"It’s also the first Cherokee to not be a body-on-frame affair, instead riding on the Compact U.S. Wide architecture used by the Dodge Dart and a number of Fiats."

Uhhh...excuse me? The 1984-2001 Cherokee was unibody. Everyone knows that. Except, I guess, the author.

[Snowman]

Im taking bets on how long it'll take them to realize they need to do an emergency design refresh (a la Honda Civic...)

Lets not forget the Subaru B9 

[johngenx]

[Arthur Dent]

Might be the first ever vehicle to look better with one of those fabric front bras.

[Fobroader]

[Northernridge]

But will it sell? It's pretty cheap and the Cherokee nameplate has some history...and Chrysler has the ability (sometimes) to sell sorry-ass vehicles (200).

[Sir Osis of Liver]

The more I see it, and the more whining I hear from people pining for the piece of junk XJ, the better I like it. 

[redman]

I'm going to assume that this does not effect the Grand Cherokee ?

Jeep is becoming more of a marketed brand name and getting away from it's off road body on frame roots.

I don't think this is a good strategy unless Jeep has a sub group that states off road approved or alike.

Hard to create a brand yet so easy to dismantle it's core for a short term quest sales.

[Fobroader]

I'm going to assume that this does not effect the Grand Cherokee ?

Jeep is becoming more of a marketed brand name and getting away from it's off road body on frame roots.

I don't think this is a good strategy unless Jeep has a sub group that states off road approved or alike.

Hard to create a brand yet so easy to dismantle it's core in the short term quest for sales.

If they ever mess around with the Wrangler, the Chry Co and Fiat headquarters will burn.....There are already a group of diehard fans that this vehicle has turned against Jeep, which is sad, because theyve bought a lot of new Jeeps over the years. Lifted, AWD Dart does not make a Jeep....ever. They embarassed themselves with the Liberty, then the Compass/Patriot sister and now this thing.....and which is one of their best selling vehicles, the body on frame, rough riding Wrangler.

[Sir Osis of Liver]

The only body on frame Jeep for quite some time has been the Wrangler.

The Grand Cherokee remains the same. This replaces the Liberty.

With more HP, 9 speed transmission, high and low range, stiffer body and more ground clearance, this is going to be better off-road right out of the box than the old XJ Cherokee. The people doing the most whining are the ones that bought used Cherokees and modified them. That doesn't really help Chrysler much.

Jeep guys always whine about new products. When the XJ Cherokee was first introduced they hated it because of the unibody and the small size and the fact that the French (Renault) did much of the engineering. When the YJ came out they hated it because of the square headlights and slanted grill. When the TJ came out they hated it because of the switch to coil springs and the engines. And so it goes.

[Fobroader]

This is a Dart on steroids....youve effectively taken away what Jeep has been all about for years, modifying the vehicle to your own taste. The car suspension on this thing will be weak and very expensive to modify, a lot easier to take an 8.8 out of an Explorer, weld on your spring pads, shock mounts and upgrade the rear axle on an XJ. This thing...bwahahaha....lets wait and see what the sales are like....by initial opinion, this thing will get redesigned within the first year of production.

[Sir Osis of Liver]

This is a Dart on steroids....youve effectively taken away what Jeep has been all about for years, modifying the vehicle to your own taste. The car suspension on this thing will be weak and very expensive to modify, a lot easier to take an 8.8 out of an Explorer, weld on your spring pads, shock mounts and upgrade the rear axle on an XJ. This thing...bwahahaha....lets wait and see what the sales are like....by initial opinion, this thing will get redesigned within the first year of production.

The guys doing that kind of modification weren't typically buy it new. The people who are buying new vehicles want a decent ride and decent fuel economy.
The Explorer is a good case in point. It is currently seeing sales it hasn't seen since its heyday, now that it's car based.

If you want a Jeep to modify, there's the Wrangler.

A unibody is a unibody. The XJ was a unibody, so is this. There isn't anything in particular about that that would make it less capable.

[aaronk]

This is a Dart on steroids....youve effectively taken away what Jeep has been all about for years, modifying the vehicle to your own taste. The car suspension on this thing will be weak and very expensive to modify, a lot easier to take an 8.8 out of an Explorer, weld on your spring pads, shock mounts and upgrade the rear axle on an XJ. This thing...bwahahaha....lets wait and see what the sales are like....by initial opinion, this thing will get redesigned within the first year of production.

I was going to say it but you beat me to it - a lifted Dodge Dart with a Cherokee name? Shameful, and utterly destructive to the once esteemed "Cherokee" brand. That label used to carry some weight with enthusiasts, in the late-90's it was a cheap and tough little SUV that could go almost anywhere and was easily (and frequently) modified. I guess the target group who wants a capable vehicle has moved to pickups as it seems the 'authentic SUV' segment is quickly disappearing. There are very few body-on-frame smallish SUV's left, the XTerra being one of the only options that I can think of.

Dear Nissan, you've already ruined the Pathfinder, pretty please don't screw up the XTerra with the next version and make it into yet another mini-van with 4 doors and plastic skid plates!

[Sir Osis of Liver]

This thing is guanteed to have a much more rigid body than the old XJ. So what else is missing? 8.7 inches of ground clearance is pretty good and better than the stock XJ. The engine is a hell of a lot more powerful, and backed by a 9 speed and a two speed planetary gearset for high and low ranges. It's got four wheel independent suspension like every other modern off roader but for relics like the Wrangler and G-class.

[johngenx]

I agree it has the tech goods.  I just think it's ugly.

[Sir Osis of Liver]

Jeep is adapting to the market.

Nissan is probably getting the same message from Xterra sales. Most people aren't interested in getting beat up in day to day driving.

[Sir Osis of Liver]

I agree it has the tech goods.  I just think it's ugly.

It's certainly polarizing. I'm reserving judgement until I see it in the tin. My first reaction wasn't exactly positive though.