2014 Jeep Cherokee

With the recent announcement of the new version of the Jeep Grand Cherokee, including a new diesel version, it was inevitable that somewhere down the line we were going to hear about little brother, the Jeep Cherokee. Well, news is out, the covers are off ahead of the New York Auto Show and this is the first official image of the 2014 Jeep Cherokee.

It’s coming back folks. The Liberty is out and the Cherokee is back in. After rumors, leaks and hints, we have our first official image straight from Chrysler. Probably to pre-empt any more rumors, but also to create a bit of excitement for the official reveal next month.

As far as we can see, the 2014 Jeep Cherokee has been modernized with smaller headlamps that from one direction look cat-like and from another look like a squint. The smaller front grille is all-Jeep, as it the lower fascia, with a bit of Kia thrown in there I think.

What we know is that Chrysler have changed to a car chassis for this SUV. They are now using the Compact U.S. Wide (CUSW) chassis which is already used extensively in Chrysler and Fiat vehicles. Despite this shift, Chrysler still say it will act and perform like an SUV.

We also know that engine improvements and other developments should deliver around a 45 percent increase in gas mileage and a much better driving experience that we got with the Liberty. The Liberty gave us 16/22 mpg, so a 45 percent improvement will be very welcome indeed.

We don’t yet know what the engine options will be, but we expect them to offer similar options to the Grand Cherokee. Perhaps a version of their 2.4-liter four-cylinder and a 3.2 or 3.6 V6. We don’t yet know if the diesel option will grace this model yet or not. We don’t have long to wait though as the official launch in at the New York Auto Show in March.