Jeep Cherokee review

2. Equipment and design

Let’s start with styling. You decide for yourself on that one, obviously, but in the metal it works pretty well. Not unlike the Commander, which the Cherokee most closely resembles with its high stance and big, squared-off shoulders; looking a lot more butch than the old model, in many ways it marks a welcome return to the design language of the smash-hit original.
All very well, but it’s on the inside that Jeep has struggled over the years (the American market is famously uninterested in cabin quality). The Cherokee’s materials certainly don’t feel premium, but by and large they’ve been used more thoughtfully than in the Patriot; it’s still plasticky, but at least acceptably appealing to look at if not always to touch. There’s a two-tone dashboard effect that works reasonably well, and leather seats are standard on a range which includes just one model. You can choose from two overall colour schemes, both of them grey; Pastel Slate is the light option, though it’s Dark Slate that’s likely to get most interest from UK buyers.
Jeep seems to swing between round and square headlamps in a more-or-less decade-long cycle, and this new Cherokee reverts to the same basic look as the original. In Jeep’s words, it ‘takes on the rugged design… but brings it completely up-to-date.’
Big 18-inch tyres come on a funky set of alloys, of course, which point to Jeep’s speccing strategy for this vehicle. Basically, the company has abandoned any attempt to sell non-premium versions; there’s one model, badged Limited, and it’s equivalent to the range-topper in the US line-up. Along with the alloys, you get ESP and traction, hill start assist, all the airbags, electric leather seats with memory, cruise, climate, park assist and rain-sensitive wipers, as well of course as the best trim they can muster both inside and out.
That doesn’t leave stacks of room for options, but they do exist. Metallic or pearlescent paint will cost £400; privacy glass adds £300; a premium stereo including bluetooth and sat-nav comes at a rather hefty £1500; and for £950, you get a full-length electric canvas roof.

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