Photo: Jeep
In production since 2013, the fifth generation of the Cherokee received its mid-cycle refresh for the 2019 model year. Even though the headlights are no longer weird, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety couldn’t give the compact crossover SUV the highest award possible because lighting performance is “acceptable” at best.
“Marginal” and “poor” ratings were given to lesser headlight options, and that’s why the Jeep makes do with Top Safety Pick instead of the Top Safety Pick+ accolade. It should be mentioned that the IIHS award is applicable to models built After 2019 and “equipped with optional front crash prevention and specific headlights.”
That comes as a disappointment given that the re-engineered and restyled utility vehicle earned “good” ratings in all crashworthiness tests, including the driver-side and passenger-side small overlap front tests. Pre-2019 model years weren’t evaluated for passenger-side crashworthiness and the driver-side test rendered the Cherokee “marginal.”
Customers opting for the automatic braking system will be happy to find out that the Cherokee avoided collisions in both the 12 and 25 miles per hour track tests. High-beam assist is another feature the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety appreciated. Models without this technology earned a “marginal” rating while Cherokees manufactured before May 2019 settled for “poor” in terms of headlight performance.
Over in the United States, the compact utility vehicle starts off with the Latitude trim level and front-wheel drive at $25,740. All-wheel drive adds $1,500 to the sticker price, and at the other end of the spectrum, the Overland 4x4 is the most expensive of the lot at $38,495 before destination charge.
No fewer than three engine options are available, starting with a 2.4-liter MultiAir four-cylinder. A 2.0-liter turbo with direct injection and a 3.2-liter V6 with VVT technology round off the list, complemented by either the AutoStick automatic transmission or a nine-speed gearbox from ZF Friedrichshafen.
The Cherokee continues to be one of the best-selling nameplates in the segment in the United States, racking up 239,437 sales in 2018 as opposed to 169,882 in 2017 and 201,420 in 2016.
That comes as a disappointment given that the re-engineered and restyled utility vehicle earned “good” ratings in all crashworthiness tests, including the driver-side and passenger-side small overlap front tests. Pre-2019 model years weren’t evaluated for passenger-side crashworthiness and the driver-side test rendered the Cherokee “marginal.”
Customers opting for the automatic braking system will be happy to find out that the Cherokee avoided collisions in both the 12 and 25 miles per hour track tests. High-beam assist is another feature the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety appreciated. Models without this technology earned a “marginal” rating while Cherokees manufactured before May 2019 settled for “poor” in terms of headlight performance.
Over in the United States, the compact utility vehicle starts off with the Latitude trim level and front-wheel drive at $25,740. All-wheel drive adds $1,500 to the sticker price, and at the other end of the spectrum, the Overland 4x4 is the most expensive of the lot at $38,495 before destination charge.
No fewer than three engine options are available, starting with a 2.4-liter MultiAir four-cylinder. A 2.0-liter turbo with direct injection and a 3.2-liter V6 with VVT technology round off the list, complemented by either the AutoStick automatic transmission or a nine-speed gearbox from ZF Friedrichshafen.
The Cherokee continues to be one of the best-selling nameplates in the segment in the United States, racking up 239,437 sales in 2018 as opposed to 169,882 in 2017 and 201,420 in 2016.
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