Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
THE Jeep Cherokee has changed so much in shape, style and sophistication it’s hard to know where to start with this road test report.
I took in the good lady wife Kathryn’s beloved eight-year-old boxy beast for its service and spring clean at Behbehani Brothers and was offered the 2015 crossover SUV to take for a spin.
I’m not the only commentator moved by its transformation. These types of sleek, compact 4-wheel drive vehicles are all the rage in Bahrain and there appears to be a united opinion that Jeep has a ‘darn good one on its hands’ in the reinvented Cherokee.
“In fact, it’s hard to think of a single thing crossover shoppers are looking for that this Jeep doesn’t have,” said Autotrader in its recent review. “You name it, and the Cherokee has it, whether that’s refinement, versatility, technology, or car-like ride and handling.”
Praise indeed and well deserved too. As a Dodge Charger driver, the similarities in quality and comfort are clearly evident.
The Cher-ook-ee, as they like to pronounce it here, offered one of the most comfortable rides I’ve ever experienced and the Trail Hawk version boasted leather seats with red stitching and a classy-grained wood-strained trim.
One of my favourite ‘Kathryn and her Cherokee’ stories involved a scorching summer trip into the desert with her visiting father and uncle in the back and getting stuck in sand near the Tree of Life.
She had never used the four-wheel drive before so had no idea what to pull or press to get out of the hole she had dug herself in and needed to be rescued by a JCB digger fortunately carrying out work close by.
There would have been no problems with this new version of the car as there are clear dials needing just a press or a twist with 4wd low setting, rear lock and steep incline options together with auto, snow (unlikely to be of use in Bahrain), sport, mud/sand and rock settings. A Kathryn-ready solution if ever there was one!
The Cherokee comes with standard stability control, 4-wheel anti-lock disc brakes and nine airbags (front, front-side, front-passenger knee, rear-side and full-length side-curtain).
Available safety technologies include a forward-collision mitigation system that can monitor traffic ahead and apply braking force up to a full stop if an impact is deemed imminent.
The 2015 Cherokee received four stars overall in US government crash-testing, including four stars for front impacts and five stars for side impacts. The independent Insurance Institute for Highway Safety gave the Cherokee its top rating of ‘Good’ in all tested categories.
The dealership has three models available:
* Cherokee Sport, 2.4L, 4cly, 174Bhp, 4X2
Starting price BD12,000.
* Cherokee Trail Hawk, 3.2L, V6, 274Bhp, 4X4
Starting price BD17,000.
* Cherokee Limited, 3.2L, V6, 274Bhp, 4X4
Starting price BD17,500
Options include leather seats, nine amplified speakers with subwoofer, sunroof, 17-inch aluminium wheels, UCONNECT 8.4N AM/FM/BT radio and navigation, adaptive cruise control, front collision warning, cross-path detection, self-parking park assist and off-road speed control.
For further details contact sales manager Mohamed Galal by calling 17459955 or visit the Sitra showroom.
