Cherokeeland feels like a candy store for adults. Jeep Cherokees in many colors and designs are shining here and waiting for a new Dutch owner. “Most people drive on and around the Amsterdam canals,” says Tjakko van Olst, a long-time dealer in this classic American. “Don’t think that these Jeeps are going to the hinterland where a muddy life awaits them. The opposite is true. House mothers who drive their offspring to the British School are among my customers. And Gooise mothers.” Tjakko has not prepared a showroom model for us, but a recently purchased, reasonably fresh 4.0 Liter High Output in luxurious Limited trim. In a wonderfully rustic ‘midnight blue’ color scheme with beige leather. The car still needs to be clayed and polished before it can enter the showroom.
Cherokee XJ first SUV with self-supporting body
Jeep’s history has many ups and downs. The brand has had numerous owners. Especially under American Motors Corporation (AMC), the World War II-era Jeep flourished in the early 1970s. AMC in turn falls into the hands of Renault. The French send François Castaing (1947) – inventor of the Product Life Management principle – to Detroit, where he meets chief engineering officer Roy Lunn (1925-2017). Together with chief designer Richard Teague (1923-1991), they arrive at new insights that lead to the most innovative Jeep to date: the Cherokee. The internally named XJ series was the first compact off-road vehicle or SUV with a self-supporting body and an independently sprung front suspension in 1983. Until then, all off-road vehicles have had heavy chassis beams under the bolted body to achieve the necessary torsional stiffness in off-road situations, but the Cherokee can do without it.
In production until 2002
The model becomes a huge hit and is responsible for more than a third of AMC’s profits. A wide range of designs is available. With four- and six-cylinder engines, selectable and permanent 4WD (called Comand Trac and Selec Trac) and three- and five-door wagons in various trim levels, it has plenty to offer for every family composition and profession. The new Cherokee comes at the right time, because it greatly accelerates the predicted rise of the SUV. Jeep has never been able to surpass the success of this generation. It will remain in production until 2002 with a circulation of almost three million and experts consider it one of the top ten of ‘best car designs’. His successors cannot stand in the shadow of this one-time Cherokee.
New times, new owner
Jeep will join Chrysler under the large Stellantis umbrella in 2021. Nowadays it benefits from European technology and knowledge. For example, most models share their bottom group with those of Peugeot, Citroën, DS, Opel, Alfa Romeo, Fiat and Lancia. The Avenger is the most recent example. Even though his family name is as American as the famous hamburger, his DNA is purely European. It even rolls off the production line in Poland. Besides the brand name, only the seven slots that almost every Jeep has in its grille are purely Jeep. You can see from its attractive shapes that concessions have been made to the shape in order to meet the basic conditions. Namely that it is built on a soil group, which is used by seven other models within the conglomerate. Then try to find your own identity.
But it is precisely the latter that Jeep’s Italian designer, Daniele Calonaci, has achieved excellently. The Avenger looks like a full-fledged member of the current Jeep family with its stocky stature, large rectangular wheel arches and features such as the upright seven-slot front fascia and seemingly simple headlights. The bright ‘sun yellow’ color scheme also contributes to the funky appearance, although it is the most modern of the whole bunch. Because it is fully electric and that’s how it drives. All things considered, it is not an off-roader. Due to its front-wheel drive, the Avenger is more of a compact SUV that stands a bit higher on its legs for its shape. It doesn’t even have 4WD. Apart from the excessive vertical body movements on slight bumps, it drives comfortably and safely on its large 18-inch wheels with low profile tires. The particularly light power assistance takes away almost all steering feel, but that is exactly what new customers want. They certainly don’t leave the asphalt, although they have a choice of three driving modes for sand, mud and snow.
Thanks to the electric drive, the Avenger is exceptionally quiet, except for tire noise. The 156-hp electric motor effortlessly propels the 1,495-kilo Jeep from a standstill to 100 km/h in nine seconds. At 150 km/h it’s over. The Avenger also has an Eco, Normal and Sport mode for the road. The first two are intended to increase the range, but reduce the power to 80 and 110 hp respectively. The last mode is intended for rapid acceleration, using full power. In practice, the first two are sufficient.
By American standards, this Cherokee was small
The Cherokee is in many ways the opposite of the Avenger; it is really a child of the 80s. The Cherokee lacks any form of grace. It must bridge the gap between traditional Jeep values and new demands that dictated a more compact, less heavy and rugged off-road vehicle. By American standards it already looked very compact in 1983, in 2024 it almost disappeared among the large SUV range. At the same time, the Cherokee must offer maximum space, exude toughness and invite you to conquer any terrain. As boxy as the outside, the interior is just as boxy. As if an interior had been designed with Lego bricks. The ergonomics are right: on this pre-facelift model you sit on seats taken straight from the Renault 9 and 11, with added electrical adjustability, standard in the Limited. The seat behind the beautiful, airbag-free three-spoke steering wheel is relaxed. Exactly as intended for long journeys. On the other hand, the children in the second row of seats are less comfortable. The foldable sofa has a low backrest and the seat feels as soft as a sponge. It may all be hopelessly outdated, but it does look cozy.
Back to the Avenger. In this Summit version it is equipped with cheerful color accents, the large matte yellow bar catches the eye and is clearly reflected in the exterior mirrors in the dark. The interior is sleek, very tidy and beautifully finished. We only think the headliner looks a bit cheap. There is a mix of push buttons and touch functions, which leave little to be desired in terms of clarity. We do not think the automatic selection menu with push buttons in the center console is an ergonomic tour de force. A quasi-off-road vehicle is allowed to have a gear shift, like the Cherokee with its T-stick? The menu structure with touch controls on the high-mounted screen leaves little to be desired.
We get back into the Cherokee. You have to realize that his technique is now more than forty years old. You hear and feel the mechanism working. Yet it is surprisingly agile. The steering via a power-assisted worm and roller installation is less direct, but it wants to go straight ahead easily and does not wobble. The small steering wheel is so comfortable that you want to keep steering with it. To hold its own in the off-road, the Select Trac lever moves back to switch on 4WD (standard rear-wheel drive) and if things get rough, you switch on the low range. This is precisely where the Cherokee distinguishes itself. No slope is too steep, no river too deep. The 190-hp inline-six with petrol injection, developed by Roy Lunn’s team, makes an important contribution here. He makes the Cherokee a wonderfully smooth car. Even today, that six-cylinder engine still impresses, if only because of its beautiful sound, although in daily practice you have to take into account a high fuel consumption of 1 in 7. The youngest models can actually achieve 1 in 10 with a velvet gas foot.
Cherokee ages well
Although the Cherokee is technically completely outdated, it is at the same time striking how well it has stood the test of time. To this day, you still encounter him relatively often in traffic and he is widely appreciated for his sturdy yet sympathetic appearance. The classic Cherokee enjoys great interest, especially among the younger generations. Lunn, Teague and Castaing have, as we now know, delivered a groundbreaking masterpiece. The Avenger is not a pure successor, that is the current Cherokee, but it carries the Jeep brand name with dignity. Moreover, it is the first fully electric Jeep and that makes it extra special. You can already see this reflected in resounding sales figures. Thanks to its very successful concept, the Avenger attracts a remarkable number of new Jeep customers. We are curious whether he will also reach a production of three million copies. However, the sales figures in the Netherlands are promising and he has long since left the Cherokee behind!
