The 2021 Jeep Cherokee is a popular family crossover SUV. It borrows its rounded edges from its big brother, the Grand Cherokee.
The Cherokee has front-wheel drive, but all-wheel drive is optional on all models, and that’s what you’ll likely find at your Jeep dealership.
For 2021, each and every Jeep Cherokee features automatic emergency braking, active laneArray, and blind-spot monitor, while adaptive cruise is available on higher trims.
The Cherokee’s basic 2. 4-liter inline four-cylinder engine provides just 180 horsepower to carry its nearly two tons, which is rarely enough for quick acceleration. The 271-horsepower 3. 2-liter V6 is more similar, but, naturally, you pay. at the pump. That leaves the mid-engine, a 270-horsepower 2. 0-liter turbo-4 that brings the power of the V6 and the fuel economy of the inline-four.
The 2021 all-wheel-drive Cherokee with a 2. 4-liter inline four-cylinder engine is EPA-rated at 21 mpg city, 29 highway and 24 combined. Front-wheel drive gets 1 mpg more. The 2. 0-liter turbo-4 engine gets the same mileage and brings in 90 more horsepower; is optional on Latitude Lux and Limited models.
Powering those models, as well as the Trailhawk, is the 3. 2-liter V6 that according to the EPA is rated at 19/27/22 mpg with all-wheel drive, 20/29/23 mpg with front-wheel drive, or 20/29/23 mpg with front-wheel drive. 18/24/21 mpg on the Trailhawk.
The NHTSA gives the Cherokee four stars overall, one star less than it and one less than most of its rivals. The IIHS likes it best and rates it as the best smart protection chosen in 2020 after earning a “Good” rating on all of its notes. crash tests.
The 2021 Cherokee will be available in Latitude, Latitude Plus, Latitude Lux, Limited and Trailhawk trims.
For more than $27,000, the front-wheel-drive Latitude has 17-inch wheels, cloth upholstery, a 7. 0-inch touchscreen for infotainment with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, as well as active protection features.
The Latitude Plus adds upgraded cloth seats, heated front seats, a heated steering wheel and more available options.
For more than $31,000, the Latitude Lux offers the turbo-4 engine and adds leather upholstery. An 8. 4-inch touchscreen is optional.
The Trailhawk comes with V-6s, off-road gear, and a rugged interior.
The Jeep Cherokee is smoother than ever, even if it doesn’t have the sharp corners of 20th-century Cherokees. The Trailhawk’s red tow hooks pull up whiskers.
The S’s on the frame signal the softness of the Cherokee, and the tailgate confirms it.
The interior of the 2021 Jeep Cherokee is completely reserved for business. The symmetrical interior is simple, but the textured plastics and soft-touch fabrics are more than good, and the details bring the cabin to life. There are convenient places to have a drink, make a phone call, and other things. The USB port is in an awkward spot, right in front of the gear lever, where a cable can get tangled, but that’s okay.
The front seats offer clever support, while also being slightly offset, but have 40 inches of legroom and a wide view ahead.
There’s room for two passengers in the rear, but there’s room for three. Still, in this small space, Jeep discovered more than 40 inches of legroom in the rear, with the rear seat fully retracted.
This reduces the shipping area to 24. 6 cubic feet, but with the seat in the front position, such as when there are no rear passengers, there is 29. 1 cubic feet for shipping. The headroom on the top deck of an all-wheel-drive style will increase the cargo floor.
The popular Cherokee engine is a 2. 4-liter inline 4-cylinder with 180 horsepower. That’s a good thing, though, as the turbo-4 available in the Latitude Lux and Limited develops 270 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque, while delivering the same fuel mileage as the 2. 4-liter. It’s amazing in each and every way.
The 3. 2-liter V6 makes 271 horsepower and 239 lb-ft and looks traditional. It’s more subtle than the fundamental inline-four engine, and thirstier, as you’d expect. There is only one transmission, a 9-speed automatic. .
The Cherokee’s four-wheel independent suspension is on the road and the guide has some weight to it that is useful in allowing the Cherokee to stay on the road without needing much effort.
The all-wheel-drive Trailhawk features a mechanically locking rear differential that helps make it an incredible off-roader. But each and every Cherokee is very capable off-roader.
The 2021 Jeep Cherokee is beautiful, the cabin fabrics are high-quality, the main points are approved, and there’s plenty of legroom in the back. The shipping area is also approved. We’d pass with the turbo-4 engine and, if we had the right path in mind, the Trailhawk edition for its go-anywhere attitude.
-by Sam Moses with impressions of The Car Connection.