You can't have a discussion with somebody from Jeep these days without the word 'icon' creeping into the conversation. And it's true. The Jeep has become a generic term for pretty much any off-road vehicle among the mums and dads of this world, but, like a lot of good things, the reputation is based on fact and deed rather than marketing hype.
You see, for years and years now, Jeep has actually been building some darn good off-road vehicles. Surviving a couple of management and ownership changes, the Jeep product has always conformed to certain strict standards, including a demonstrable ability to cut it off-road. On the flip side, Jeep quality hasn't always been what Australian buyers have been expecting, but even so, the Cherokee range launched here in the 1990s went on to be a strong seller, despite some issues such as its interior space and the quality of its fittings.
In any case, an all-new Cherokee from Jeep is always going to be a big story, and what we boaties want to know is how the new one will tow a trailerboat.
On the surface, things didn't look good. A couple of the things that made the old Cherokee so good off-road, also made it a pretty handy tow-car for fair to middling-sized trailerboats.
The live axles might not have provided a boulevard ride, but they did a great job of ensuring that there was excellent wheel articulation (good for four-wheel-driving on real rough stuff) and that the tread stayed flat on the road for more of the time, regardless of the load being carried (or towed).
Secondly, while that old inline six-cylinder might have been the auxiliary engine on the Ark, it was still a torquey, flexible unit that made great grunt from idle onwards, making it an excellent towing proposition.
So, with the change to an independent front suspension (the rear axle is still live) and a V-six engine in the new Cherokee, has Jeep thrown the baby out with the bathwater?
Actually, no. It seems that, for once, the demands of non-towing, urban-based consumers aren't entirely at odds with those of us who use our vehicles as tugs. There's no question the independent front-end isn't as off-road friendly as the old love set-up. Then again, pushing the new Jeep over some tough obstacles proved that while you needed a little more planning, the vehicle was still capable of climbing every mountain. As a tow vehicle, this will matter less than the switch to a V-six engine, of course, but even then, the new motor seems to be up to the job.
Measuring 3.7lt, the new motor is a few cubic inches shy of the old straight six (at 4lt) but a much more modern approach has ensured that it still delivers. Peak power is 155kW at 5200rpm while torque maxes out at 312Nm at 3800rpm. But what those figures don't convey is that there's actually some pretty strong performance on tap from reasonably low revs, so you won't need to dial up redline just to get up the average boat ramp.
There's no doubt that it's not the same stump-puller as the old six, but it's a heck of a lot more efficient and sophisticated in its feel and sound. As far as economy goes, there'll be less change than you may have imagined because the new Cherokee is a hefty little number. Tipping the scales at around 1800kg (depending on model), the new model's bigger cabin, of which Jeep is so proud, is very evident. The new car is far more roomy than the rather cramped previous model without being a behemoth on the outside.
And if fuel economy is a real issue, there's a 2.5lt, twin overhead cam, four-cylinder turbo-diesel which is actually pretty good, too. It lacks the outright oomph of the petrol motor, but it'd tow a tinny or small runabout with no problems at all.
Gearbox choices equal a four-speed auto or a five-speed manual, and the choice is a purely personal one, because they both seem to work well.
The four-wheel-drive system is Jeep's typical part-time version with a proper transfer case for a set of low-ratio, off-road gears that might just save your bacon one day when trying to access a camping or launching spot in sandy or otherwise slippery country.
Overall, the new Cherokee addresses all the things we used to complain about in the old vehicle, yet still shapes up pretty well as a tow-vehicle. And that's gotta be progress.