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2019 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk Drivers' Notes Review | Capable, yet costly

The 2019 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk is the refreshed version of a model that debuted back in 2014. It was a controversial model. Opinions were mixed on the styling — especially the front fascia — and some considered it an insult to the Cherokee name. Still, we liked that version so much we spent a full year with one. It proved to be a solid and reliable crossover that racked up more than 27,000 miles in just 12 months. This refreshed model occupies a strange place in Jeep's lineup. The Cherokee is positioned between both the Compass and Grand Cherokee, though it offers less interior space than either one of those. Pricing on the Cherokee falls right on top of those two models, too, meaning shoppers have to look hard to see what the best fit may be for them. The refreshed styling is certainly less polarizing, though it now means the Cherokee is less distinctive. This Trailhawk model is the midsize Cherokee's most rugged variant. It features a beefed-up suspension, more aggressive rubber, new front and rear bumpers, and an enhanced four-wheel drive system. Despite its car-based platform, the Cherokee Trailhawk is still plenty capable, but there is a price to pay for all that capability. Editor-in-chief Greg Migliore: I would not buy this Cherokee. With a sticker of more than 41 grand, it's too expensive. You can get pretty capable Wranglers and pretty nice Grand Cherokees for this price point. But, if you really love the Cherokee, this decked-out Trailhawk Elite is kinda awesome. You get all of the Trailhawk aesthetics and off-road prowess — you just have to pay for it. The Cherokee is in an interesting spot for Jeep. Even with the 2019 refresh, it's still fairly old, with most of the major elements dating to the 2014 relaunch of the Cherokee model. The Compass is arguably a better deal. It's newer in its lifecycle, starts at a lower price point and offers more cargo volume than the Cherokee. That being said, after rolling around town in the Cherokee for a couple nights, I'd probably buy one before I'd buy a Compass. It feels more substantial and more like a Jeep. I like the design. With the smoked grille and exterior trim, meaty wheels and flared fenders, this one looks especially sharp. Besides, the Compass' cargo volume advantage is less than 2 cubic feet. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Alfa Romeo will gain a Jeep Compass-based SUV

It was reported earlier this week that FCA would invest into its Italian factories to ramp up production at currently underutilized locations. Those plans have now been clarified with official information from FCA, as reported by Automotive News. The entire investment is worth $5.7 billion. First of all, Alfa Romeo will gain a new compact SUV based on the Jeep Compass architecture. The still-unnamed model will be available as a plug-in hybrid, and it will be built in Pomigliano, Italy. No U.S. availability has yet been announced, but it would not be odd to see the Compass-based model sold below the Stelvio in the States. The last time Alfa Romeo had anything similar in its model portfolio was when it offered Crosswagon-badged four-wheel-drive versions of the 156 and 159 wagons. As for the Jeep Compass itself, it will begin to be built at the Melfi plant in Italy. The rumored small "baby" Jeep slotting under the Renegade has not yet been officially mentioned. Fiat will introduce a battery electric 500, built in Turin, and the Pomigliano plant that will make the compact Alfa Romeo SUV will also be used to build a mild hybrid version of the Panda city car. The 500X will gain a PHEV variant. The Stelvio platform will also spawn a corresponding SUV for Maserati, and FCA also mentioned Maserati will introduce a new, unnamed model it will make in Modena. Automotive News quotes Italian press as saying this will be the Alfieri coupe and convertible, also offered as battery electric versions. Related Video:

EPA suspected Fiat Chrysler of using 'defeat device' in 2015

U.S. regulators told Fiat Chrysler Automobiles in November 2015 that they suspected some of the automaker's vehicles were equipped with secret software allowing them to violate emission control standards, according to emails disclosed on Friday. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and California Air Resources Board accused Fiat Chrysler in January of using the software, known as a "defeat device," to illegally allow excess diesel emissions in 104,000 Jeep Grand Cherokees and Dodge Ram 1500 trucks built between 2014 and 2016. Byron Bunker, director of the EPA's Transportation and Air Quality compliance division, said in a January 2016 email to Fiat Chrysler, obtained by Reuters under the Freedom of Information Act, that he was "very concerned about the unacceptably slow pace" of the automaker's efforts to explain high nitrogen oxide emissions from some of its vehicles. Nitrogen oxide is linked to smog formation and respiratory problems. Bunker's email said the EPA had told Fiat Chrysler officials at a November 2015 meeting that at least one auxiliary emissions control device on the car maker's vehicles appeared to violate the agency's regulations. Mike Dahl, head of vehicle safety and regulatory compliance for Fiat Chrysler's U.S. unit, responded in a separate email that the company was working diligently and understood the EPA's concerns. He added that if the EPA identified Fiat Chrysler vehicles as containing defeat devices it would result in "potentially significant regulatory and commercial consequences." The documents redacted the vehicles named, but two officials briefed on the matter said they referred to diesel models. The EPA's November 2015 meeting with Fiat Chrysler came two months after Volkswagen AG, mired in a major tailpipe emissions scandal, admitted to installing secret defeat device software in hundreds of thousands of U.S. diesel cars to make them appear cleaner than they were on the road.