![]() A firm-feeling brake pedal engenders calm in panic-braking scenarios, and the Cherokee's 70-mph-to-zero emergency-braking performance is average for its class. We wish the steering provided more feedback from the road, but it's nicely weighted and accurate. Impacts are absorbed without much excess reverberation, and the Jeep never feels floaty on the highway. Relatively firm suspension tuning controls body roll in corners without compromising the ride quality. As you'd expect from a Jeep, the Cherokee drives with heftiness and solidity, making it feel larger than its rivals. While we've yet to test either powertrain, its rowdy 2.0-liter is a single horsepower shy of the V-6 offered in last year’s Cherokee. Both pair with a nine-speed automatic transmission and come standard with all-wheel drive. The Jeep Cherokee uses a 180-hp 2.4-liter inline-four engine for Altitude Lux trim, but gets a 270-hp 2.0-liter with 295 pound-feet of torque for its off-roady Trailhawk offering. The Trailhawk also has nearly an inch of additional ground clearance, more aggressive tires, and a larger infotainment screen. The Trailhawk not only looks tougher but is, thanks to standard Jeep Active Drive Lock, which beefs-up the drivetrain with a locking rear differential and a special traction mode for climbing out of particularly muddy or rocky situations. It’s powerful turbocharged four-cylinder not only has a higher towing capacity, it’s also earned a higher EPA rating than the naturally-aspirated 2.4-liter found in the Altitude Lux. While the Trailhawk model is the most expensive way to own a Cherokee, it’s also the best way. The Cherokee’s smooth ride and plentiful driver assists aren’t enough to make it very competitive against its newer and more affordable competition, but it does offer credible off-road capability that the others don’t-along with one of the strongest brand names in the SUV market. The new 270-hp turbocharged four-cylinder, offered exclusively for Trailhawk, replaces the defunct V-6 and gets a better fuel economy rating. Without a barebones base-level trim, the Cherokee’s starting price is now wildly more expensive than competitors such as the Honda CR-V, Mazda CX-5, and Kia Sportage, but Jeep at least makes up for some of that with standard niceties. All-wheel drive is standard for this year across Altitude Lux and Trailhawk offerings. As Jeep prepares to move past the aging Cherokee, it's left with two trim levels and a fresh powertrain. While 2023 marks the last year of the Cherokee’s current KL generation, the newest old Cherokee gets some fresh equipment under its aged sheet metal. That’s Social Security-eligible in car years. If the Cherokee’s friendly fascia looks familiar that’s because Jeep’s compact crossover hasn’t changed much since it debuted in 2014.
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