Jeep Cherokee KL - 2019 minor change

About many years ago, Jeep revived the Cherokee nameplate as their newest midsize crossover that slots below the flagship Grand Cherokee and while it promises to be a modern take on the classic icon, the looks that are similar to one of the bad guys from Pikmin rather spoils the taste. With the 2019 minor change, it promises to be the best Cherokee yet. Let's see what this new one got...

2019 Jeep Cherokee

The Jeep Cherokee is now on its 2019 minor change and for this minor change, there are some key changes occurred to keep one of the best-selling crossovers in America even better than before. First off, the design and at last, the Bulborb-esque front face is gone and the front is now reminiscent of the Grand Cherokee. That's good news but that's not the end of it because they've reshaped the wheels and the rear lamps to make the new Cherokee even better-looking than before.

2019 Jeep Cherokee interior

2019 Jeep Cherokee interior

Apart from the revised exterior, the interior has been slightly revised from top to bottom as well. Drivers will notice the revised dashboard, new color themes, updated Uconnect system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, and the increased cargo capacity, proving that the interior is now better than before, giving them more ways to make use of it whether trips to the thrift shops, to Leavenworth, to Oregon, or any points of interests they see fit for this five-seater crossover that works to haul your mates from work during the long weekends.

2019 Jeep Cherokee

The biggest change for this 2019 minor change is the addition of the all-new, direct-injected 2.0L turbocharged 4-cylinder engine with engine start-stop feature that shuts the engine off when stopped at a set of lights and then starts again to set off. This engine comes with a dual overhead cam (DOHC), dual independent camshaft timing, and a cooled exhaust gas recirculation, resulted to 270 horsepower and 295 lb.-ft. of torque, while mated to a standard 9-speed AT.  That sure has a lot of power to push the Cherokee further and this powertrain can really upset boring Japanese crossovers who don't value fun to their portfolio because there's so much to love about a turbocharged Cherokee. Apart from the new turbocharged engine, the Cherokee can still be fitted with a 3.2-liter Pentastar V-6 or a 2.4-liter PZEV Multiair2 Tigershark I-4 engine, all fitted with a 9-speed AT.

Being a Jeep, the 2019MY Cherokee still promises to be a workhorse for the American family, either on or off the roads, be it on the streets of New York or the Colorado Rockies. In most models, the Cherokee can be fitted with different kinds of Jeep Active Drive system and in the case of the Jeep Active Drive Lock in some models like the Trailhawk, the locking real differential and Selec-Terrain traction control system brings out the Cherokee's party piece when getting through different kinds of road conditions, especially when things get rough. No crossover of that size has even gone through the beaten path as the Cherokee's and that's some questions get information from this. Apart from its off-road capabilities, the new Cherokee comes with over 80 available safety and security features such as ParkSense Parallel/Perpendicular Park Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control-Plus, Forward Collision Warning-Plus, and LaneSense Lane Departure Warning-Plus, SOS button, Electronic Stability Control, Electronic Roll Mitigation, Blind-spot Monitoring, Rear Cross Path detection, ParkView rear backup camera with dynamic grid lines and eight standard air bags. Not bad for a crossover but sometimes, for speedo boys, those features rather lose their tastes, in case you're wondering.

The 2019MY Cherokee starts at 23,995 US Dollars and that's about the same pricing as the old JK Wrangler, which is almost as great to own as a legendary offroader but don't compare these two just yet because the Cherokee is almost as good as today's Wrangler in terms of ruggedness and regardless of what vacation plans you're laying on the table, the new Cherokee can get the job done with almost no strings attached. Is this the Cherokee you want?

Photo: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles