A Big Step Forward
by David Finlay (08 Aug 08)

For a while there, Jeep seemed determined to remove as much butchness as it could from the design of its vehicles, and it didn't go down well. Market research made it clear that Jeep buyers wanted as much butchness as they could get, leading the company to go for a distinctly four-square style with the Commander introduced in 2006.

The same process has now been applied to the Cherokee. The new version is full of straight lines and sharply-defined corners. One thing you can't say about this car, which to some extent you could about the previous Cherokee, is that it looks sissy.

But it's not just about appearances. I last drove a Cherokee three years ago, and at the time I thought Jeep had lost its way with what had once been its most important model. In particular, I was very disappointed in its off-road behaviour, having had the willies scared out of me as I plunged down a steep, muddy slope with the feeling that neither I nor the car was truly in control.

Well, let me tell you, things have changed a lot since then. On the press launch of the new Cherokee I drove through rivers, bounced through ruts, inched up dizzyingly steep hills (stopping and restarting to confirm the brilliance of the Hill Start Assist system) and crept down the other side unbelievably slowly and with absolute confidence.

What's more, I did all this while towing a caravan! Not my idea - it was the result of a moment of whimsicality in the Jeep press office, and it felt like I'd stumbled into a Goon Show script, but what an experience. Okay, no customer of sound mind will attempt anything like this, and it didn't do the caravan much good (fortunately it was just a cheapo, bought in the full expectation that it would be thrown away once the event was over). All the same, it demonstrated very effectively just how good the Cherokee can be when you take it off-road.

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