BY TUNG NGUYEN | 31st Aug 2018
Overview
IN THEORY, Jeep should be in the best position to take advantage of Australia’s current love affair with high-riding SUVs given its entire model line-up is made up of off-road capable crossovers.
However, concerns surrounding the reliability of Jeep vehicles in recent years have caused the brand’s sales to drastically decline, even as the Australian buyers abandon traditional passenger sedans and wagons in favour of SUVs.
Expectations are high for the new Cherokee then, as Jeep’s entrant into the booming mid-size SUV segment that is now the largest in the country.
Ditching the polarising split-headlight design from before, the latest Cherokee also gains boosted safety equipment and interior refinement to give Jeep – at least on paper – its best chance yet at a significant sales boost.
However, does the Cherokee’s stacked specification and authentic off-road chops give it enough of an edge to cut into volume-selling mainstream mid-size SUV models?