2014 Jeep Cherokee Latitude on 2040-cars

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2019 Jeep Cherokee finally reveals its all-new nose

We've known for a while that the refreshed Jeep Cherokee was going under the knife in order to ditch its controversial face. While the crossover's looks have grown over time, it was still a little too weird and awkward for some buyers. Now, thanks to our trusty spy photographers, we have a really good look at the Cherokee's new mug. Surprise! It looks like every other product in Jeep's lineup. The current model has a split lighting setup that places the main headlights down low, almost below the grille. The turn signals/parking lights are way up high, nearly on top of the fender. This new model has those two meet in the middle. The shape is generally what you would find on both the new Compass and Jeep Grand Cherokee. It's handsome, even if it does lose a bit of character. The rear, too, has been changed. The license plate moves up and into the tailgate, giving it a more muscular, less flabby look. The smaller rear reflectors have been moved upward. The taillights look different, but it's hard to say if those are just temporary units. Either way, expect a new design that once again cribs from the 2017 Jeep Compass. Since this is a refresh, don't expect to wait too much longer until we see the new model's debut. We could see it as soon as the Detroit motor show next month. Expect current powertrains to carry over with a slight boost in fuel economy. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2019 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk spy shots View 14 Photos Image Credit: Spied Bilde Spy Photos Jeep Crossover SUV Off-Road Vehicles

FCA inline-six rumored to be real, headed for Jeep Wagoneer

In September, Allpar reported that that clues being dropped at Fiat- Chrysler headquarters, in the carmaker's factories, and on engineer resumes pointed to the development of an inline six-cylinder engine. The site has just proclaimed the rumor is reality, writing that the straight-six, "turbocharged to meet or beat 5.7 Hemi power ratings, with a smoother torque curve, is on the way." The motor's first outing is expected to be either the next-generation Jeep Grand Cherokee, debuting perhaps next year, or the Jeep Wagoneer, debuting in 2020 or 2021. "Tornado" is the purported codename for the power plant said to be just under three liters in displacement, expanding the family begun with the Global Medium Engine 2.0-liter turbo codenamed Hurricane. Engine bay constraints and a long use horizon mean engineers won't simply add two more cylinders to the GME, however. Allpar says the brief is to keep the Tornado GME-T6 — the alphanumeric for "turbocharged six" — no more than three inches longer than the Tigershark 2.4-liter four-cylinder. That means "major design changes" that could include a space-saving head, more closely spaced cylinders, and no cylinder liners. An FCA division called Comau could be called on for its "SmartSpray" plasma lining technology. Allpar muses that the standard version of the engine for Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram could get a single twin-scroll turbocharger. Performance trims for Alfa Romeo and Maserati could get different heads and maybe twin turbos, an SRT version might also get both those tweaks. History shows that the Italian versions would make changes to the block, as well. Even so, the Tornado would be less expensive than any Ferrari-supplied V6. A straight-six would put FCA in company with current adopters BMW and Mercedes-Benz, future users like Jaguar, and perhaps Aston Martin. The engine would span the widest range of use cases in the U.S. carmaker's portfolio, though. Potential applications include being a base engine for Ram trucks, serving double duty as a base engine and 5.7-liter Hemi replacement for the Dodge Charger and Challenger, working in the high-end Jeeps, and as a properly hot trim — with Ferrari-designed heads — in the luxury Italian sports cars. The Alfa Romeo Giulia begs for just such motivation to fill the gap between the 280-hp, $42,695 Ti Sport RWD and the 505-hp, $73,700 Giulia Quadrifoglio RWD. And a twin-turbo inline-six in a Maserati Alfieri would stack up nicely with the Germans.

2014 Jeep Cherokee: June 2014

I got a text message from Editor-In-Chief Sharon Carty one afternoon proclaiming that her new favorite SUV is our long-term 2014 Jeep Cherokee. And she's not alone. I'm not sure if anyone else on staff would go so far as to use the "favorite" descriptor, but after just over a month of honeymooning with our new long-termer, it's safe to say that the Jeep is quickly finding its way into the good graces of a number of Autoblog staffers.
There's good reason for all that praise, too. Thus far, the Jeep has proven itself to be incredibly competent and comfortable for daily life - it's functional, quiet, and packed with a host of amenities that make it easy to live with. It's been wholly trouble-free (with less than 4,000 miles on the clock as of this writing, it ought to be), but even nitpicks have been few and far between.