2014 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk V-6 4x4 - Resurrecting the venerated Cherokee name was an easy decision. Affixing it to the rump of a soft-edged, squinty-eyed crossover that includes neither a solid axle nor a traditional transfer case in its mechanical specs, however, likely took a little more thought. Soften it too much, and you’ve got a Cherokee without the integrity and grit. But go too hard-core, and you risk alienating today’s crossover customer, an archetype that didn’t even exist when the previous Cherokee XJ’s 17-year reign of right-angle styling and farm-implement simplicity began.
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2014 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk
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By now, most have decided which side of the transfer case they stand on, so we’ll just inform you that Mark Allen, Jeep chief designer, followed one overriding philosophy when designing the Cherokee: “To pay homage to Jeep’s heritage and visually convey that this is an all-new Jeep, while still communicating legendary best-in-class capability.” Later he refined the statement: “We couldn’t make it look like a box.”
The solution, in Jeep’s point of view, was to release the new Cherokee in four strengths: Sport, Latitude, Limited, and the Trailhawk model pictured here. Eager to prove the new car-based Cherokee is no pansy, Jeep took us to Wrangler territory and sent us over Hell’s Revenge and Fins and Things, a pair of challenging slickrock trails in Utah’s canyon country near Moab.
As the off-road-focused model of the bunch, the Trailhawk lifts by one inch the
Cherokee’s all-independent suspension of front struts and a four-link rear, for a total of 8.7 inches of clearance. Unique front and rear fascias offer improved approach and departure angles of 30 and 32 degrees, respectively, and the three bright-red tow hooks (two front, one rear) are the real deal, with each rated for 8250 pounds.
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| 2014 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk V-6 4x4 |
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| 2014 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk V-6 4x4 |
Source:http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2014-jeep-cherokee-trailhawk-v-6-4x4-first-drive-review
