Well, sort of.
Jeep has, a month ahead of its official debut, released full images of its new Cherokee SUV, which sports more than what’s usually expected from a mid-life facelift. The Cherokee is a middle-child in the Jeep lineup, squeezed between the more compact Compass and the larger Grand Cherokee, and now sports a face that’s far more cohesive in the lineup too.
Spyshots, teasers, and just a general knowledge of how divisive the outgoing Cherokee’s split-face was led us to firmly believe that a new face was on the way, and it definitely was. Slimmer, wider headlights emphasise the width of the Cherokee, and have squeezed the trademark 7-slat grille somewhat. The slats are now smaller and positioned closer together, though they still retain the slight slant to them toward the top (which a Jeep executive called a ‘waterfall effect’). The bumper also appears to sit flush with the lower half of the grille leading to a more streamlined look, that will likely turn fewer people off, while Trailhawk models get a unique front bumper treatment as before for improved approach and departure angles.
There’s little to report down the flanks of the Cherokee, but the rear sees significant changes. For starters, the numberplate recess have been moved up into the tailgate (it used to be on the bumper), breaking up the visual bulk that used to be found there. The taillights have also seen some changes to include a more contemporary set of graphics, while the bumper now looks flashier, and more premium.
While there’s no way you’ll miss the changes to the Cherokee on the outside, you may miss the changes inside if you’re not careful. As far as we can tell, there’s only a mild revision of employed materials in the cabin, though some say that there have been changes to the base of the transmission shifter housing.
No mention of powertrains at this point, and we reckon that Jeep will be keeping mum on the subject until the new Cherokee’s debut in Detroit next month. We have it on good authority that the existing powertrains will be carried over, along with the new 2.0-litre mild-hybrid turbocharged petrol engine that debuted in the new Wrangler, though the availability of that engine in our market remains a mystery.
The Jeep Cherokee will arrive on our shores in mid-2018 after its Detroit launch next month, so stay tuned to CarShowroom as we bring you more updates as they come.
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