After much eager anticipation the all-new 2014 Jeep Cherokee has arrived at Granger Motors and we have now had an opportunity to get behind the wheel. After some unexpected delays, Jeep wanted to assure that the Cherokee was absolutely perfect when it hit dealership showrooms and we can now confidently say, it was worth the wait.
2014 Jeep Cherokee – What’s new?
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Well, pretty much everything, since the Jeep Cherokee is an all-new model. There are a couple of major highlights with the all-new Jeep though and it starts with the all-new Pentastar 3.2L V6 engine. Introduce in 2011, the 3.6 Liter Pentastar V6 was set to replace all of the existing v6 engines at the time. The engine was a resounding success being named to Ward’s list of Top 10 Engines ever since its introduction. the 3.2L is built on the same platform, but is a smaller engine that should add more economy without sacrificing power. 271 horsepower and 239 lb-ft. of torque are extremely impressive and power the new Cherokee with the 3.2L under the hood. There is also an optional 2.4L engine for those who really want to maximize fuel economy.
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Jeep Cherokee Nine-Speed Transmission
The second revolutionary piece in the all-new Cherokee is the class-exclusive nine-speed automatic transmission. The main cause for the delay of the arrival of the Cherokee into dealer showrooms was nailing the tuning on the nine-speed transmission. After sitting behind the wheel of the 2014 Jeep Cherokee I can reassure you that the wait was worth it. The Cherokee has power whenever you need it with the nine-speed transmission quickly choosing the exact gearing needed depending on how much pressure you apply to the skinny pedal. The responsiveness is right now and the shifts between gears are quick and confident. When you run it through the gears from a stop you would not realize that the transmission has nine gears as the computer selects the most appropriate gear needed, not necessarily the next gear in-line. This seamless transition provides for an excellent driving experience and provides excellent power as well as above average fuel economy.
The Current Limited Jeep Cherokee that Granger Motors has in their inventory is equipped with front-wheel drive, the 3.2L V6 and achieves 21 MPG city and 28 MPG on the highway, a huge improvement from the outgoing Jeep Liberty that the Cherokee replaces. From the moment you slip behind the wheel of the Cherokee the first thing you will notice is the thick, confidence inspiring steering wheel wrapped in leather. The center mounted touchscreen radio is mounted in the center of the leather wrapped dash that is well-engineered and reminds you of the bigger brother Grand Cherokee (which is definitely a good thing). The unique styling is sure to set you apart from other mid-size SUV’s in your neighborhood and while the style is evolutionary from the stereotypical boxy Jeep styling, it is still unmistakably Jeep.
Overall, it is a very solidly built mid-size SUV that should create some healthy competition in the mid-size SUV segment. Jeep is now fielding a class-leading mid-size SUV to go along with their solidly built Jeep Grand Cherokee & legendaryJeep Wrangler. The Honda CR-V, Ford Escape, and Chevy Equinox need to be on alert, the Cherokee is for real.
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