2010 Jeep Cherokee Road Test

It's update time for the Jeep Cherokee, which is known as the Jeep Liberty in US markets. The changes have been small, including new interior trims and Bluetooth communication in the Limited model, but the best change has been the removal of almost all the chrome on the exterior, making the Cherokee look far more like the no nonsense Jeep it really is.

Mechanical changes include refinements to the automatic gearbox for smoother shifts, but there's a fundamental problem with the gearbox anyway. With only four speeds the gaps between ratios are very wide and the gearbox kicks down a gear or two every time only a little bit more acceleration is required. Four speed gearboxes are becoming increasingly rare, even in the SUV market and a five speed gearbox would likely transform the Cherokee.

The long running 3.7 litre V6 engine produces 151kW (202hp) and does its best to give the Cherokee good straight line performance but the gearbox really does let the side down.

But along with the more no-nonsense non chromed styling comes another reminder that the Jeep is an off roader of the old school, with a very lumpy ride quality on anything but a perfectly smooth surface. That's due to the rear live axles, which looks like it should belong on a tank rather than an SUV. The unsprung weight of the axle produces the wayward ride quality, but then you get off road.

That's where the Cherokee shines. You only need four speeds and a transfer box to plow through nature and the live rear axle means that the rear wheels can easily follow lumps and hollows in the track. Even though the test example had road-like tread on the tyres there was no problem on the soft sand of Murawai beach.

Inside the Cherokee it's obvious that the new trims have brought the standard up, but there's still very little room inside the vehicle, with thick door trims and a surprisingly intrusive transmission tunnel that eats into both front footwells.

The explanation for the thick doors is the design philosophy of Jeep over the last few years, which turns the interior of any Jeep product into something resembling the interior of a bank vault. It's intended to provide a psychological sense of security and it certainly works.

On designs like this a lack of exterior visibility often results, but while it can be hard to see out of the Cherokee it's by no means as bad as the Jeep Patriot.

With so many no compromise, drive on the road all the time SUVs around it's easy to say the Jeep Cherokee is too unrefined compared to the competition, but then you have to factor in the point that if you actually wanted to go off road, you could so very easily in a Cherokee.