New jeep not jeep like?

Yet another ridiculous article without even so much as a link to a single visual of the item the story centers on.

Try this instead:

WOW, that's ugly!!

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Suddenly I want to go hug my old XJ and take back all the cuss words I was throwing at her yesterday while busting my knuckles on some old, rusty bolts. They really don't make 'em like they used to, the new "Cherokee" looks like a disposa-car while I would have no problem going off-road in my mostly bone stock XJ tomorrow, although I'd feel better having better tires.

I'm still incredulous... an Alfa/Dart based platform that comes in FWD and AWD variants? Guessing this one doesn't get a "Trail Rated" badge. It might be a very nice cute-ute but please don't call it a Cherokee or a Jeep for that matter.

nate

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Looks like all the new Explorers I've been seeing in the rental fleets. They look like giant Subaru Outbacks.

GW

It helps to move shit merchandize, so don't expect chrysler to drop either moniker. thank obama for tighter cafe limits strangling the automakers with dropping rwd layouts and body on frame

I don't mind better aerodynamics, I do mind electronics driven frontwheel drive based shitdrivetrain layout though

Well actually the XJ Cherokee was born pretty much because Jeep realized the need to go lighter and smaller (than the existing SJ Cherokee which was a cool but utterly conventional full-sized body-on-frame SUV) and somehow even from those roots the XJ is almost as much of a classic as a CJ now.

Nothing "based on an Alfa platform" is going to be as capable off-road as any traditional Jeep.

Totally agree. To me Jeep means "built for off-road" (and using construction techniques adapted from masonry outdoor facilities) I can just tell that this new "Cherokee" will be neither.

Dang, now you guys have me thinking about Jeeps. I would really like a SJ Cherokee for a tow vehicle... or even my great-grandfather's old J-10 pickup... or really, a Comanche with the 4-liter would be acceptable...

nate

made me pour over wiki for a while. looks like KJ/KK would be a good grab now but I assume they depreciate way too slow to be an attractive used car for most buyers

diesel + manual for 2006, umm if only JB could find patches of dirt in SF, sadly it's all concrete and asphalt covered over there

Yeah, Diesel would be nice... however there probably aren't a lot of them out there on the used market as I don't remember ever seeing one on the road even when they were new. IFS also makes it kind of "meh" to me; the old solid axles work surprisingly well and are super solid.

Supposedly there's talk of a Grand Cherokee Diesel for 2014? maybe all hope is not lost.

unfortunately it's a porker - 5374 lbs. compared to 3400-3600 lbs for the old XJ and not much more for the original Grand Cherokee (which is really about the same size, just upcontended and has a coil spring rear axle as opposed to the leaves in the XJ)

I guess everything has to get bigger to get "better?"

nate