First Drive Review
Resurrecting the venerated Cherokee name was an easy decision. Affixing it to the rump of a soft-edged, squinty-eyed crossover that includes neither a solid axle nor a traditional transfer case in its mechanical specs, however, likely took a little more thought. Soften it too much, and you’ve got a Cherokee without the integrity and grit. But go too hard-core, and you risk alienating today’s crossover customer, an archetype that didn’t even exist when the previous Cherokee XJ’s 17-year reign of right-angle styling and farm-implement simplicity began.
By now, most have decided which side of the transfer case they stand on, so we’ll just inform you that Mark Allen, Jeep chief designer, followed one overriding philosophy when designing the Cherokee: “To pay homage to Jeep’s heritage and visually convey that this is an all-new Jeep, while still communicating legendary best-in-class capability.” Later he refined the statement: “We couldn’t make it look like a box.”
The solution, in Jeep’s point of view, was to release the new Cherokee in four strengths: Sport, Latitude, Limited, and the Trailhawk model pictured here. Eager to prove the new car-based Cherokee is no pansy, Jeep took us to Wrangler territory and sent us over Hell’s Revenge and Fins and Things, a pair of challenging slickrock trails in Utah’s canyon country near Moab.
As the off-road-focused model of the bunch, the Trailhawk lifts by one inch the Cherokee’s all-independent suspension of front struts and a four-link rear, for a total of 8.7 inches of clearance. Unique front and rear fascias offer improved approach and departure angles of 30 and 32 degrees, respectively, and the three bright-red tow hooks (two front, one rear) are the real deal, with each rated for 8250 pounds.
Wheel flares, skid plates, increased engine cooling, and an auxiliary transmission-oil cooler round out the Trailhawk’s mods. Its towing capacity is 4500 pounds.
Jeep designates the Trailhawk as “Trail Rated,” an achievement celebrated by plastic exterior badges. To earn them, Jeep developed an innovative drive system called “Jeep Active Drive Lock,” which is standard on the Trailhawk and incorporates a low range and a locking rear differential. It’s the most advanced of the Cherokee’s three four-wheel-drive systems. The alternatives are a single-speed setup called Active Drive I and a two-speed Active Drive II.
Active Drive Lock employs a two-speed power transfer unit with a 2.92:1 low-range ratio, giving the Trailhawk a Wrangler-like crawling ability. Jeep’s Selec-Terrain traction-control system allows users to choose between auto, snow, sport, sand/mud, and rock—the latter of which can only be engaged in low range. Standard on all three four-wheel-drive systems, Selec-Trac works as a central office of sorts, coordinating the operation of numerous vehicle-control systems including engine, transmission, braking, and electronic-stability functions among others for optimum performance and traction. Another benefit of the setup is its ability to completely decouple the rear axle for improved fuel efficiency in situations where four-wheel drive isn’t required.
