By now these official pictures of the 2014 Jeep Cherokee circumnavigated the globe a few million times. Once we all had a time to process the information, one question keeps coming up: can the reborn Cherokee succeed or will it quickly go the way of the Jeep Liberty?
My first impression is that this Cherokee will be rejected by the Jeep purists and enthusiasts, while the mainstream may actually embrace it. Personally, I am a bit disappointed with the exterior styling. I was secretly hoping for a retro themed design for the new Cherokee. What appeared here is a completely futuristic design that could be at home in the next Judge Dredd or RoboCop movie. I have to applaud Jeep for taking a bold new direction with this vehicle, but on first glance this design leaves the traditional boxy and rugged character in the dust.
The complete Jeep strategy is not all known at this time, but I cannot help but think that the 2014 Cherokee and the 2014 Jeep Compass will step on each other. Both have a sleek design and room for five. The Cherokee does seem to have a little bit more ground clearance. Then, there is the Jeep Patriot – the future of which we don’t know much about. Perhaps, the fuel efficiency goals and the attempt to have a broad appeal did not allow the boxy and rough Cherokee to return?
The front reminds me a bit of another vehicle with controversial styling that found a loyal following – the Nissan Juke. The big difference is the Juke is the original, and the 2014 Cherokee has a wealth of history to follow. I have been a big fan of what Jeep and Chrysler in general have done over the last few years. I am not yet convinced that the next Cherokee will be an outright success. I cannot wait to see it and test it in person, and I hope it convinces me otherwise.
Here is some video of the rough and tough Jeep Wrangler.
Andre Smirnov is a life-long automotive enthusiast, software engineer, writer, and reporter. He has been writing and reporting at TFLcar since 2011. When not working or spending time with the family – you can find him tinkering in the garage or scouring the internet and other media for various automotive, mechanical, and computer related information.
