The Scots Pick New Jeep Cherokee as Their SUV of the Year

The Scots Pick the New Jeep Cherokee as Their SUV of the Year

The Scots are renowned for their desire for value for money and, when it comes to difficult conditions on and off road, the Scottish Highlands can just about match anything that New Zealand’s South Island can offer, so the latest award won by the all-new Jeep Cherokee, picked as Scottish SUV of the Year, is a particularly important measure of its abilities.

Members of the Association of Scottish Motoring Writers chose the Jeep Cherokee for its honour because of its pedigree as a 4x4 vehicle, its design, increased levels of refinement and quality, and its tried-and-tested off road ability, concluding that it is “a sure-fire winner”.

“Some cars look good. Some cars do the business off-road. Others do it on-road. For us, the 2014 Jeep Cherokee does all three,” says Alisdair Suttie, ASMW President.

The success of the Jeep Cherokee in Japan is part of a world-wide success story – January to September, worldwide Jeep sales are up 41 per cent with 747,000 vehicles and the brand is set to punch through the million sales figure for the whole year.

In New Zealand the new Jeep Cherokee is available in four versions from the 2.4 litre Jeep Cherokee Sport with an opening recommended retail price of $44,990 excluding delivery and dealer costs, through to the range topping Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk at an RRP of $65,990, with this model sharing its 3.6 litre V6 engine with the Cherokee Longitude at $54,990 and Cherokee Limited at $61,990.

The 2.4 litre TigerShark engine in the Cherokee Sport develops 130 kW and 229 Nm of torque, while Pentastar V6 in the other models offers 200 kW and 316 Nm of torque, with all versions mated to an advanced nine speed automatic gearbox.

The 2.4 litre powered Cherokee Sport offers an average fuel consumption of 8.3 l/100 km on the combined test cycle, while fitted with the 3.2 V6 Pentastar engine, the Longitude, Limited, and Trailhawk achieve an average fuel consumption of 10 l/100 km on the same test. The 3.2 litre V6 Pentastar Cherokee dispatches the dash to 100 kmh in 8.1 seconds, while the 2.4 litre takes 10.4 seconds for the same benchmark and they record, where the law permits, top speeds of 206 and 196 kmh respectively.

The Jeep Cherokee is available with three different drivetrains to enable owners to choose a Jeep Cherokee that meets their driving needs, from the front wheel drive system in Cherokee Sport, through the Jeep Active Drive All Wheel Drive System to the four wheel drive Jeep Active Drive Lock system with low range, Selec- Terrain and Speed and Rock programmes. The top system also comes with off road suspension and skid plates to provide true go anywhere ability.

There are four trim and equipment packages. The Sport is blend of versatile and usual equipment, to which the Longitude adds advanced technology and features as well as the Selec-Terrain system, while the Limited, as the name suggests, is packed with luxury and comfort features. The Trailhawk is for the Cherokee for the owner looking for the ultimate off road package and its drivetrain, equipment and features full reflect this, as does its matt black hood.

Full details of the Jeep Cherokee are available from www.jeep.co.nz or one of Jeep’s 18 expert dealers spread from top to bottom of New Zealand.

About Fiat Chrysler New Zealand
Launched on 1 May 2013, Fiat Chrysler New Zealand is the new national importer that has, for the first time, brought together Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge together under one importer to maximise the strengths of the brands and offer New Zealand consumers a better deal and a better ownership experience. The new company, which is based at Mt Wellington in Auckland, is a joint venture between New Zealand businessman, Neville Crichton, and Clyde Campbell.

ENDS

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