Jeep's new Cherokee

What is it?

The Cherokee is described by Jeep as an off-road icon. That's a pretty fair assessment. Certainly it looks the part, Jeep eschewing the smoother styling of the majority of its rivals for a chunky, rugged-looking box with its trademark seven-slot grille and exaggerated wheelarches. It looks good too, the Cherokee's styling neat and unfussy, as rugged and familiar as your favourite pair of walking boots, it too looking all the better when wearing a thick coating of mud. And it's in the muck where the Jeep excels, the US brand proud of its off-road heritage, though the result is that the Cherokee struggles against its rivals on the road.

Is it any good?

The Jeep is a capable all-rounder, indeed if you're after a car in this class that is as happy up to its mirrors in mud then there is little to match it. Land Rover Freelander owners would balk at taking their shiny cars where Jeep Cherokee drivers might, while the countless other rivals would struggle to get half as far into the wilderness as the Cherokee. It feels like an honest, solid off-roader, of the sort that used to dominate the market. The thing is the market has moved on, and most people don't really want or need the sort of mountain-goat ability that the Jeep offers.

Inside, that old-school 4x4 feel continues. The dash is upright and constructed from plastics that struggle to match rivals' for quality look or feel, Jeep's unusual ability to make big vehicles feel small inside apparent with this latest Cherokee. The transmission tunnel makes for cramped footwells and the boot looks tiny for a car in this class. The 2.8-litre turbodiesel engine offers decent performance, but it's not the most refined engine out there. The automatic is smooth, sadly the same not true of the ride, it rather unsettled on the road. The steering is decently weighted but lacks any feel; that's fine off-road but not so great on it. If you do venture off-road then the Cherokee really shines, the 4x4 system is a cinch to use and it'll camber up and down slopes in complete control with real ease, it's just a shame that most people won't be needing its phenomenal ability on the way to work or too and from the shops.

Should I call the bank manager?

Jeep has kept your choices simple for the Cherokee, there's only one trim level: Limited. It comes fairly well specified, but if you want the stand out features like the MyGig sat nav and entertainment system with its hard drive music server and the full length 'Sky Slider' sunroof you'll need to pay extra. The manual price is £24,595, the worthwhile automatic a thousand pounds more. Not bank-breaking money in the class, but the majority of its rivals offer a far more accomplished on-road driving experience than the Cherokee manages.

Summary

When you're hanging by the seatbelts facing down the sort of slope you'd think twice about abseiling down there are few better places to be than a Jeep. But the majority of drivers will never take their Cherokee anywhere more challenging than a slippery caravan park or a boat launch ramp. If you buy into Jeep's legendary off-road ability, as many do, the Cherokee will appeal greatly, but for the majority of people a more road orientated rival will be a far better day-to-day proposition.

Kyle Fortune