   2014 Jeep Cherokee North 4×4 V6. Click image to enlarge |
Originally published on February 7, 2014
Review and photos by Jonathan Yarkony
In all the hyperbole regarding the Jeep Cherokee’s adventurous styling exercise and resurrection of a revered nameplate, I can only hope that we do not lose sight of just how good this car is. As far as I’m concerned, this is the car that turns the corner for Fiat Chrysler Automobiles in North America, and makes me expect great things from the upcoming 200 mid-size sedan. Between those two, you are looking at two of the three biggest pieces of the puzzle for Chrysler’s North American sales juggernaut, the third being the undeniably good Ram 1500. Pickup trucks, mid-size sedans and small SUVs are the biggest growth drivers in our current market, although luxury vehicles are also obviously huge profit drivers, so unleashing the Maserati Ghibli in our currently booming auto market is another well-timed release.
But back to just how good the Jeep Cherokee is. First, the engine. The automotive press has been singing the praises of Chrysler’s Pentastar 3.6L V6 for years now, winning a Ward’s 10 Best Engine award three consecutive years. The Pentastar line is now downsized to 3.2 litres in displacement to serve in Chrysler’s smaller products, starting with this 2014 Jeep Cherokee. Like the larger 3.6L V6, the aluminum-block 3.2 forgoes direct injection in favour of port injection with variable valve timing, piston cooling jets and innovative individual exhaust manifold runners for each cylinder that are built right into the aluminum cylinder heads. This provides cooling benefits that allow the engine to operate more efficiently without the cost and complexity of direct injection. Unique to the 3.2 is an oil pump that will stay in efficiency mode for longer, and a higher compression ratio (10.7:1 vs the 3.6’s 10.2:1) that boosts power delivery while maintaining efficiency.
Between the smaller size of the engine, a new nine-speed automatic transmission, and a rear-axle disconnect, this new-school Jeep achieves 12.4/8.7/10.7 in EPA city/highway/combined fuel consumption estimates (19/27/22 mpg). It actually achieves better highway rating than Jeep’s four-cylinder Compass (10.2 L/100 km or 23 mpg, also in 4WD trim) if not better city and combined (11.8/11.2 L/100 km or 20/21 mpg).
Compared to one of the few remaining V6 compact SUV competitors, the Cherokee falls a bit short. The Mitsubishi Outlander earns 11.8/8.4/10.2 L/100 km city/hwy/combined (20/28/23 mpg), and doesn’t hold a candle to Subaru’s 2.0L turbo at 10.2/8.4/9.4 L/100 km (23/28/25 mpg). Interesting fact: the weight of the Cherokee is 1,862 kg (4,106 lb) in 4×4 V6 trim – this by the way, is more than 200 kilos heavier than a fully loaded RAV4 or CR-V, and almost 200 more than the Forester 2.0XT.
  2014 Jeep Cherokee North 4×4 V6. Click image to enlarge |
In my week with the Cherokee, I managed 11.9 L/100 km in deep snow, plodding commutes, sub-zero temperatures and some unavoidable idling. We’ll aim to set up a comparison that will give us a better realistic expectation versus an equivalent competitor. In the meantime, expect the front-wheel-drive 2.4L four-cylinder to deliver the greatest efficiency, EPA rated at 10.7/7.6/9.4 L/100 km (22/31/25 mpg).
But it’s not all about efficiency, and on the power and refinement side of the powertrain equation, the 3.2L Pentastar delivers smooth, even power, with a flat, generous torque curve, maxing out at 239 lb-ft at 4,400 rpm, but plenty down low thanks to all the engine innovations and the automatic all-wheel-drive delivering the power to the snow-, slush- and ice-covered pavement. The refinement is a treat, especially compared to competitors’ direct-injection turbos. However, the sheer multitude of ratios may result in a preponderance of gear changes, sometimes seeming like a CVT winding up through the rev band, perhaps looking for that peak 271 horsepower at 6,500 rpm. Because of the slow commuting in bad weather, we experienced a lot of shifting at speeds between 40 and 80 km/h with a lot of accelerating and decelerating to match the flow of traffic. Any transmission would have had to shift frequently, but the more gears, the more shifting.
   2014 Jeep Cherokee North 4×4 V6. Click image to enlarge |
Away from the confines of suburban commuting, the Jeep Cherokee was able to put those quick gear changes to use bringing the little truck up to speed quickly, but what impressed me most was the ride quality. I found it balanced the comfort and stability perfectly for my tastes in a small SUV. There was no harsh, jittery bouncing around as we’ve experienced in the Toyota RAV4 or VW Tiguan, nor did it wallow and roll like the Outlander or Kia Sorento. It seemed to fall into the category with the Mazda CX-5 and Honda CR-V, which provides reassuring control in turns, sufficient compliance on rough surfaces, and never seems to get thrown out of sorts even in tough conditions.
Speaking of tough conditions, although the weather was severe during the week we had it, the basic Active Drive I AWD system with a single-speed transfer case and fully automatic operation was entirely sufficient. It can also be set to Snow, Sport or Sand/Mud settings using the Selec-Terrain knob just ahead of the shifter. We used the Snow setting occasionally, though never out of necessity (Auto seemed to handle everything just fine). We even tried out Sport on a couple of occasions, but we weren’t exactly running the Baja 1000, so it didn’t really seem to offer any great improvement when the environment is the weekday commute or a milk-run to the grocery store, so that will have to wait for a proper adventure, as will making use of its articulation prowess.
For those who plan to use their Jeep for legitimate off-roading excursions, the Active Drive II 4WD system is available in any trim, offering a 4-Low mode that locks front and rear drive shafts, increased ride height and low 2.92:1 gear ratio. There is also a Jeep Active Lock 4×4 system standard on Trailhawk models that add a locking rear diff and other off-roading-specific components that helped Jacob get over his fear of driving up a cliff.
Our Cherokee was the popular North Edition, a mid-level trim starting at $26,495 between the base $23,495 Sport and top $29,995 Limited. The 4×4 system is a $2,200 price hike over FWD models in any trim. The V6 engine is a $1,300 upgrade on the North Edition (as it is in any trim), and our tester was dressed up with various options to the tune of $34,995 once you account for the A/C Tax and $1,695 Destination charge.
At that price point, the North Edition seems luxurious as any small SUV needs to be, with a large 8.4-inch touchscreen interface that is simple, easy to operate, and visually pleasing. It deftly balances the clean layout that touchscreens allow by embedding functions like seat and steering wheel heaters (seat and steering wheel heaters! Nice.) as pop-ups on screen when you first start up, then nested along the bottom of the screen along with main menus for audio, nav, phone and vehicle settings. The Cherokee still offers hard buttons for the dual-zone climate control and stereo volume and scrolling through stations or playlists. Best of both worlds, indeed.
  2014 Jeep Cherokee North 4×4 V6. Click image to enlarge |
One feature lacking in this fairly well equipped model was leather seating, though the steering wheel and shifter were leather-wrapped; leather is available only in the Limited trim. The alternative we experienced was a two-tone grey inserts on black fabric, both of which felt durable and looked nice in our eyes, complementing the other high-quality, soft-touch materials throughout the interior, a significant improvement over the Patriot and Compass twins, and solidly amid class leaders.
However, one area that the Cherokee trails class leaders is interior space. Cargo space is 702 L with rear seats in place and 1,554 L with seats folded, which lags behind several competitors that hover around 1,000 L with seats up and 2,000 L with seats down (RAV4, CR-V, Forester, CX-5). Additionally, the space is not wide, so I had difficulty packing in the hockey bag and stroller. On the plus side, there is a hidden cargo organizer tray under the floor, a neat side pocket with a removable bar that can handle bag hooks (and seemed plenty sturdy) and even a cargo net.
   2014 Jeep Cherokee North 4×4 V6. Click image to enlarge |
The back seat was passable for legroom (it’s actually a leader in this respect) and headroom, child seat installation was a simple affair, although our rear-facing seat encroached on front passenger space. But it’s a narrow back seat, and was a painful struggle for my wife to fit between the child seats – only the RAV4 measures narrower amongst the aforementioned competitors, and it had the same problem as we discovered in our RAV4 vs CR-V Comparison Test.
   2014 Jeep Cherokee North 4×4 V6. Click image to enlarge |
Of course, no Cherokee review is complete without weighing in on its unique design. The interior seems downright conventional next to the headlight slashes and Jeep’s iconic grille slots wrapping over top of the hood. In profile and from the back the Cherokee starts to blend with other popular, swoopy modern crossovers. While I’ve not yet come around completely, I will offer my compliments to Jeep designers that have embraced the notion that headlights no longer need clusters but can be reinvented as novel styling elements, and that new designs can emanate from aerodynamic principles rather than trying to improve the airflow around the flying bricks of yesteryear. There’s still a ways to go, but the Cherokee moves forward in smart ways that many will appreciate, and I’d take this over a Compass any day.
|
Related Articles: Manufacturer’s Website: Photo Gallery: |
Aside from the limited space, our week with the Cherokee showed its prowess as a suburban runabout and workday commuter, which is likely to be a far more common application than the adventurous lifestyle Jeep advertises. It’s an entirely livable and enjoyable vehicle without the sacrifices of the Wrangler’s hard-core mission, and a vast improvement over the Liberty and the entry level Patriot and Compass. The 2014 Jeep Cherokee is a highly competitive entry in the growth-leading compact SUV segment thanks to its excellent driving dynamics, modern and user-friendly interior, and refined modern powertrains backed by Jeep’s stellar reputation for performance in any conditions.
Pricing: 2014 Jeep Cherokee North 4×4 V6
Base Price (Sport): $23,495
Base Price (North 4×4): $28,695
Options: 3.2L V6 engine – $1,300; Cold Weather Group – $695; Comfort Convenience group – $1,295; Deep Cherry Red Crystal Pearl Coat – $225; Uconnect 8.4 – $625; Parkview back-up camera – $325
A/C Tax: $100
Destination: $1,695
Price as tested: $34,995
Crash Test Results:
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS)
