Andrew Hamilton looks over the new Cherokee in DaimlerChrysler'sJeep range, which has just been launched on the Irish market
It has to be one of the most famous badges in motoring and it's still around 61 years after production first started. Jeep which is now part of the DaimlerChrysler empire.
A new Jeep Cherokee range has just been launched on the Irish market, available as a passenger five-door, five-seat vehicle or as a two-seater commercial.
But first the history. The forerunner of the Jeep was the Willys Overland which did sterling work in the second World War. It claims to be the world's first four-wheel-drive utility vehicle. In 1946 the first civilian Jeep was introduced and so began a success story. In 1984 the Cherokee started the sport utility boom, adding comfort with full-time four-wheel-drive. In the 18 years since, the Cherokee 4x4 has notched up over two million sales in 70 countries.
These days, the Jeep range splits into the Cherokee and the Grand Cherokee, the latter being very much a competitor for luxury 4x4s including the new Range Rover. The Cherokee has a new engine complementing its new look, a 2.5 litre common-rail turbodiesel with 141 bhp and it is said to give 24 per cent more power over the unit it replaces. The same unit also does service in the big MPV Voyager which was launched last year.
There's also a new suspension arrangement, independent at the front with a solid rear axle that is said to be better for smooth on-the-road ride comfort. Also in the line-up is a V6 3.7 litre petrol model but it's the diesel that will account for most sales. The Cherokee is significantly bigger than before: there's an increase of 10 inches in overall length while the height is up by nearly seven inches.
There are four new Cherokee versions being marketed here with ex-works prices starting at €34,546 for the 2.5 litre Commercial. Passenger models are from €44,855. David Burdett for CJ Concessionaires Limited, the Irish importers, sees the competition as the Toyota Landcruiser, the Land Rover Discovery, the Mitsubishi Pajero and the Isuzu Trooper Meridian. All models come with air conditioning. In a 12 month period, sales are expected to exceed 300.
The Grand Cherokee, meanwhile, gets the five-cylinder 2.7 litre common-rail diesel engine that is familiar in the Mercedes-Benz C, E and M-Class ranges. Compared with the engine that it replaces, there has been an increase in bhp from 138 to 161.
Other changes include bigger wheel sizes - up from 16 to 17 inches - and finer tuning of the suspension, aimed again at giving better road-going comfort. As well as the new 2.7 diesel, there are two other engine options, 4.0 and 4.7 petrol. Respective ex-works prices are €63,990, €61,940 and €69,887. David Burdett points to competition like the BMW X5, Lexus RX300, the Mercedes-Benz M-Class 2.7 and the Range Rover in 3.0 DSE form.