Hot on the heels of a vehicle reveal most of us thought would occur in Detroit next month, another hot seller has officially broken cover before the January show.
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles has given the Jeep Cherokee a snazzy new set of duds just in time for the new year. Previously styled with an alarming mix of narrowed lights and Hannibal Lecter grille, the restyled 2019 Cherokee adopts the corporate look that first appeared on the Grandest of Cherokees before migrating to the Compass last year.
Up front, the 2019 Jeep Cherokee now sports a fascia more in line with the Jeep family. A set of headlights that ape the Grand Cherokee and Compass bookend a traditional seven-slat grille. The red Cherokee, likely a Trailhawk trim, is shown with natty red tow hooks and beefy tires. Fog lights appear on the outer edges of the front bumper and the mandatory JEEP billboard is present front and centre of the hood’s leading edge. It is a much more cohesive look than the current model.
Around back, a dramatic character line cuts a diagonal path from the hatchback glass down to the rear wheelwell. Its tail lights are more in line with the rest of the Jeep family, and twin chrome exhaust finishers poke out of the rear bumper on the silver model shown here. The license plate has migrated from the bumper to the hatch surface, filling a space that always looked a bit blank to this author’s jaundiced eye.
Jeep promises “even more fuel-efficient powertrain options” in the 2019 Cherokee, which could mean anything from improved economy numbers for the existing engines or something new under the hood altogether. We know the 2019 model stand to gain the turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder found in 2018 Wrangler, mated to a 48-volt mild hybrid system.
Presently, the Cherokee is available with a 2.4-liter MultiAir inline-four or a 3.2-liter V6. Nine-speed automatics appear across the board. Improved fuel economy numbers could also be achieved through different programming of the ZF ‘box as well.
The 2018 Cherokee starts at $24,395 for a two-wheel drive Latitude model before climbing through the ranks to a $37,340 4×4 Overland model — which this author believes should be painted green and called the Orvis (*looks longingly at old ZJ brochures*). Expect a slight price bump in the new year but nothing like the $3,000 hike in MSRP Jeep slapped on the JL Wrangler.
Cherokee sales have been on the wane since hitting a peak of 220,260 units in 2015. Year-to-date, the flinty-eyed edition currently on sale has found 150,524 new driveways in which to inhabit. It’s worth noting that Compass sales went up 50 percent after its restyle, which brought a handsome look not unlike this new Cherokee. Yes, part of that is due to customers migrating from the departed Patriot, but the new styling undoubtedly helped a bit as well. It’ll help the Cherokee too, methinks.
Jeep says more information will be released on January 16th, 2018, at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. TTAC will have several of our writers on the show floor to bring you all the details.
[Images: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles]
Consolidated anonymous headlight housing, frowny trapezoid lower grille, 2-dimensional upper grille, license plate moved up to the tailgate
Congrats, Jeep, you now build [GENERIC CROSSOVER] that looks just like everyone else.
Yeah, other than the grille, it doesn’t look the least bit Jeep-y. Given that “Jeep-ness” (even if it’s only cosmetic) is about the only reason to buy any of their products, a generic-looking crossover is a bad move.
The Compass and if you take away the fact that it’s instantly recognizable and look at it objectively, the Grand Cherokee are completely generic crossovers styling-wise also and they haven’t had any problems. There’s a reason they all look the same. People aren’t buying crossovers for styling.
Yea a pretty safe design that will look old in a few years.
But just LOOK at that “happy face” steering wheel/gauge combo!…or am I the only one seeing that?!? :-)
Still just a box on 4 wheels.
What isn’t?
Yeah! Stupid utility vehicles looking like utility vehicles. They should all be a hunched back monstrosity “coupes” so they fail at the one thing they’re good at.
I may be crazy, but I’ll miss the old fascia. It was at least unique. Now it’s going to take a keen eye to tell the GC, Cherokee & Compass apart from the front. It’s like they Xeroxed the same vehicle with 3 different blowup settings.
And from the back, we no longer get to see our reflection upside down!
I have to agree with you. The quirky styling really grew on me, especially with the Trailhawk version. This looks anonymous, like a car designed to be purchased en masse by rental car agencies.
“Xeroxed the same vehicle…”
You mean kind of like Audi, BMW, MB, hell even VW can be accused of this.
I hate these early reveals. Makes the actual auto show pointless.
That might be the problem. Auto shows have become pointless to much of the population. Early reveals are an attempt to regain interest.
Teasers. Those I really hate. Show me or don’t. You’re not that interesting that I’m going to be on the edge of my seat over a fender shot.
How’d you like Accord handling this year? I thought it was more a nod to traditional “Dealer lot reveals”.
If you are not informed, google some on it. I was in dealer day before the floodgates opened, buying a DIFFERENT Honda.
It’s a lot less weird and more handsome than the previous design…but it’s also pretty dang dull!
They ever get the transmission programming sorted out on this thing?
Something about it just says ‘poorly assembled’ and ‘unreliable.’ Maybe it’s the Jeep emblem I don’t know
Does look cheap, poorly assembled not sure sure from just looking. Unreliable? Not based on looks but in my mind based on the merger of the two titans of reliability, Chrysler and Fiat.
Crap all you want on it, but towing capacity is best in class.
So a D+ to a class of Ds?
Visually it’s a huge improvement but I would still be hard-pressed to buy anything FCA builds. That goofy 9 speed transmission scares me off too…
Too many good options out there to even consider a Jeep.
Depends on your needs. For towing and off road capability, Jeep is the standout in this class.
This looks fantastic. It will print money for Jeep.
Don’t worry, the Escape will still walk all over it.
Only if all those hairdressers and nail salon girls keep buying them.
Now with less ugliness, but still lame.
Nice interior, everything else…
So no change to the crappy packaging or the several-hundred-pounds-over-segment-average weight. Still uncompetitive, although availability of the 3.2L V6 is nice.
Wow, I knew it was overweight but it’s nearly 1000lbs more than the new Equinox! That’s a hell of a difference for a model only a few years old.
This really needs the new FCA 2.0T. The 2.4 is simply not up to the task.
Less ugly, but still an insult to the legacy of the XJ.
Plum Crazy with black wheels would look pretty nice.
Looks like Crosstrek married Forester and had a child
At least it doesn’t look like a high top shoe any longer. The only main difference I see is the larger headlights.
What is the real difference among this, the Compass, and the Patriot? If you’re going to have a crappy one as part of your lineup, why not have just one instead of three?
The Cherokee is the one to get if you insist on going the Jeep CUV route in the first place (IMO) for the optional V6 and the Trailhawk getting some legitimate physical 4wd hardware in the form of an honest-to-god selectable locking rear differential.
One difference is the Patriot, based on an ancient platform, is no longer in production.
Between this and the new Compass, Gtem nailed it.
Looking good.