Jeep strengthens Mid East leadership with new look Cherokee and Cherokee Renegade

"True to its Jeep heritage, the Jeep Cherokee continues to give customers a sense of personal capability and freedom by offering the best four-wheel-drive line-up in the segment," said Bruce Ohms, Vice President, Director Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge, Middle East. "Jeep Cherokee is uniquely positioned to deliver both the on-road refinement required by the mid-sized SUV market and the off-road capability for which the legendary Jeep brand is known."

The new Jeep Cherokee gets a freshened exterior design with new front fascia, grille, fog lamps, fender flares, bodyside mouldings and new standard roof-rack rails and wheels.

Styled to highlight its on- and off-road suitability, the Jeep Cherokee Sport comes with a painted body-colour front grille and a front bumper with "twin-tube" appearance for a customised accessory look. The Cherokee Limited has a more upmarket treatment with chrome grille, body-colour painted fascias and wheel arches and five-spoke alloy wheels. Both the bodyside moulding and the roof-rack rails are chrome finished.

The restyled and repackaged Jeep Cherokee Renegade becomes the image leader for Cherokee and features a more rugged, classic Jeep appearance.

Jeep Cherokee Renegade features a new flatter bonnet and taller grille, plus off-road fog lamps, taillamp guards, "bolted-on" wheel arches and large six-spoke alloy wheels. Renegade also features standard tow hooks, three skid plates (under the transfer case, fuel tank and front suspension) and an optional overhead light bar.

Visual enhancements that further distinguish the Renegade include roof-rack rails, functional side rock rails and skid plate appliqué below the front bumper, all painted a bright silver.

All Jeep Cherokee models feature interior changes to enhance their comfort, practicality and appearance. They have a choice of lighter interior colours that accentuate their spacious cabins, new front seats for improved comfort, new rear seats which fold flatter and easier-to-use controls with improved ergonomics.

On-road refinement is assisted by new bigger seats that are improved through the use of dual-density foam. In addition to being more comfortable and providing improved lumbar support, the seats have a more contemporary look.

Alterations to the profile of both the rear cushion and backrest have reduced the rear seat-fold angle, providing a flatter load floor for increased utility and improved cargo storage. The backrest and cushion split one-third/two-thirds and when folded. When all seats are in use, an optional cargo organiser can be fitted in four different positions to accommodate and locate a wide variety of loads.

New instrument cluster graphics - white letters on a gray background - provide greater visibility at twilight and dusk and give a more refined look. Chromed bezels distinguish the Renegade and Limited models from the Sport.
Mounted on the centre stack, new heating/ventilation/air conditioning controls retain three rotary dials, but have separate AC and heated rear window select buttons. Power window switches have also been relocated to just behind the gear selector - greatly improving ergonomics and ease of operation.

Numerous improvements have been made to the 3.7-litre PowerTech™ V-6 engine to enhance fuel economy, improve NHV and reduce operating noise, especially at idle. Maximum power is now 204 hp at 5,200 rpm, while 226 lb.-ft. of torque is generated at 3,700 rpm.

The standard transmission for the 3.7L engine is a four-speed automatic transmission with automatic variable line pressure adjustment to enhance fuel economy. The available 2.4-litre I-4 petrol engine produces a maximum of 147 hp at 5,200 rpm and torque of 159 lb.-ft. at 4,000 rpm. The standard transmission for Jeep Cherokee models powered by the 2.4L petrol engine is the new six-speed manual gearbox.

The combination of engines with enhanced fuel economy, together with a five per cent larger (77.6-litre) fuel tank, gives increased range for all Jeep Cherokee models.

Jeep continues to offer customers a choice of two four-wheel-drive systems - Command-Trac® part-time four-wheel drive and Selec-Trac® full-time four-wheel drive - both with dual range (high and low) capabilities. Command-Trac is standard on 2.4L and 3.7L models models with the six-speed manual transmission. Selec-Trac is optional on 3.7L models. A limited-slip Trac-Lok™ rear differential is fitted to all models as standard.

All Jeep Cherokee models come with a high-performance braking system with large diameter 288 mm ventilated front disc and 284 mm solid rear disc brakes, backed up with an anti-lock braking system (ABS) and electronic brake force distribution (EBD).

To keep ahead of customer expectations, the new Jeep Cherokee and Cherokee Renegade incorporate a host of measures to reduce NVH and enhance refinement across all aspects of the vehicle's operation.

The 3.7L V-6 engine features a new "thick" wall composite intake manifold, an acoustic foam pad in the valley of the engine block's V, two fully isolated composite cylinder head covers, plus camshaft profile and valve-train modifications for quieter operation and a smoother idle. The new six-speed manual transmission has better meshing, quieter running gears.

A higher level of safety features was introduced for the Jeep Cherokee in 2004, and this comprehensive passive safety package is carried over to the new models. Multi-stage driver and front passenger air bags are standard, with side curtain air bags optional or standard.

Front seat belts have constant-force retractors, with a pre-tensioner on the driver's belt. The BeltAlert™ reminds occupants to buckle up, and the Enhanced Accident Response System (EARS) shuts off gasoline immediately after an accident and automatically unlocks doors and illuminates interior lights five seconds after deployment of any air bags.