Sand Blaster

The Age

Saturday March 8, 2008

Ian Porter

Ian Porter puts the latest Jeep Cherokee to the test on the tricky tracks and dunes of Fraser Island.

IF YOU thought the last Jeep Cherokee was a bit soft-looking and in danger of becoming a city car, you don't have to worry any longer.

The KJ model sported some curves and even round tail lights, a distinct departure from the Jeep norm. But butch is back with the KK model now arriving in dealerships.

"It offers a major leap in size," Chrysler managing director Gerry Jenkins says. "It's right-sized and it has a boxy, blokey look to it."

No prizes for guessing who it is aimed at, then. But, apart from he-men and outdoorsy people in general, the new Cherokee has also been designed for the absent-minded or the easily distracted.

Chrysler has, in fact, pulled off a bit of a conjuring trick with the new Cherokee because, while the wheelbase has been stretched 45 mm and there is 250 mm more room inside, the car itself is 3 mm shorter. This has been achieved by moving the spare wheel off the rear door, which now lifts.

The cabin is larger inside, with all the gains going into the back seat, where leg and hip room have eased the squeeze. And there are plenty of storage options, a larger glovebox and a larger, more usable centre console.

The feeling of spaciousness can be enhanced with the optional SkySlider fabric roof, which extends from the front seat to the rear seat backrest and can be opened front to back, back to front, or to any place in between.

However, the extended wheelbase and the extra room in the rear seat have eaten into luggage capacity behind the rear seats, where the available volume has almost halved to 419 litres.

It's under the skin where the big changes have been made in this all-new model. Jeep had retained the tried and trusted, 3.7-litre, V6 petrol engine that has ideal characteristics for use in the Cherokee (and also the Wrangler where it also appears) but it has ditched the old diesel engine and bolted in a new, 2.8-litre, turbo-diesel unit.

The new oil-burner lifts power from 120 kW to 130 kW and torque from 400 Nm to 460 Nm, which makes a big difference in heavy going. It comes with a five-speed Mercedes-Benz automatic transmission, while the 3.7-litre V6 makes do with the familiar four-speed.

Despite the extra power and the fact that the Cherokee is heavier, fuel use has improved 5% to 9.4 L/100 km for the diesel and by 4% to 11.7 L/100 km in the V6 petrol model.

This time around, Jeep has greatly enhanced the Cherokee's off-road ability by installing its Selec-Trac II active-full-time all-wheel-drive system. The differential lock and low range functions are now electronically controlled.

For the first time the Cherokee gets hill-start assist and hill descent control and this is where Chrysler has thought ahead to cover any Jeep drivers who might get too excited when off-roading. The hill-descent control works in forwards and reverse and comes with the instructions to select low range, push the hill descent button and . . . take your feet off the pedals.

In first gear it allows the Cherokee to descend at 1.5 km/h; in second it's 4.5; in third it's 6; in fourth it's 8; and in drive it's 12.

Chrysler has even programmed a descent speed of 4.5 km/h for when the Cherokee is in neutral because the driver may have been so distracted by the frightening sight out the front window that they may have forgotten to select any gear at all.

Launching the Cherokee on Fraser Island, the world's largest sand island, put the Jeep into its intended environment when away from home, although the very fine sand presented a stern test for the capable off-roader.

The roads - tracks, really - included some well-compacted stretches across the centre of the island, where surprisingly large trees offered some protection from the wind. But there was plenty of looser sand closer to the coast.

It was the combination of a gentle gradient and soft sand on the approach to the beach that caught out some of the city folk on the drive program.

That some cars became stuck while others made it through shows that technique counts for a lot on the more difficult stretches.

Interestingly, low range was not the recommended choice. While some wheelspin is desirable in sand, the low range gives too much power and allows the tyres to dig in. Letting some air out of the tyres also helped to give more grip.

The off-roading drew attention to the suspension, which is a touch on the firm side. While the Cherokee did not put a foot wrong, people in the cabin tended to be tossed around a bit, bumping elbows on the doors and the centre console. The situation was aggravated for the front passenger, who does not get an overhead panic handle but, instead, has to reach forward to a handle above the glovebox, which offers no lateral support.

On the highway, the new front and rear suspension works a treat and the firm settings come into their own, offering good body control. The Cherokee is a civilised cruiser, the diesel spinning at just 2000 rpm at 100 km/h, with wind noise barely noticeable.

The driver may be disappointed to find there is no reach adjustment on the steering wheel, only rake, and that there is no foot rest.

The Cherokee is right up to date with safety features, both the Sport and Limited models coming standard with stability control, multi-stage airbags for driver and front passenger and side curtain airbags. These side curtain bags are also linked to a roll detection system so, if the car does roll over, the airbags will stay inflated for a longer period.

The Sport V6 model starts the Cherokee range at $39,990 and the Limited model starts at $45,990. Both are up $1000, while the diesel engine and five-speed gearbox adds a further $4000 to each model.

Ian Porter travelled to Fraser Island as a guest of Chrysler.

© 2008 The Age

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