Official: Jeep kills the Cherokee

[Shark01]

Won’t miss the demise of an SUV, but sucks about the Camaro. Losing too many cool cars these days.

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[Wabujitsu]

When I was a kid the 1966 Z28 was my dream car. Red with the black stripe around the snout. Too Cool.

My wife had a ‘78 Z-28 Camaro when I met her. I knew right away she was marriage material.

 

[jjvincent]

The Cherokee's demise joins the pending departure of the Camaro.

Oh, and: Stellantic.

So now the Camaro is dead, just like the Milkmen

 

[Jebiruph]

The 3.2L is ONLY used in the Cherokee, so if they didn't "go with it" in the Cherokee the engine would have been developed and thrown in the trash bin immediately.

It gets pretty good gas mileage for a V6. 19/27 in AWD form on the Cherokee. Only 18/24 in the Trailhawk though, which is a paltry 1 MPG better than the 17/23 in my Sport with a 6-speed and the 3.6L. I suspect the tires on the Trailhawk murder the rating though. With the MPG and power being so close it's a bit confusing why the engine exists.

The 3.2L debuted in 2014, and the FCA merger happened in 2013. 3.6L debuted in 2011. I'd speculate that Jeep had been developing the 3.2L as a variant of the engine for smaller vehicles. FCA happened, they got access to the 2.0L turbo, saw that it gave better MPG and more power, and gave up on the 3.2L. Stuck it in one car so the development time wasn't totally wasted. I would have thought if that was the plan they'd have discontinued it a long time ago though. So it's anyone's guess.

The 3.2L uses the same block as the 3.6L, it's just built with a smaller displacement.

 

[roaniecowpony]

I know. And with the EV revival, how long before steam engines come back into production?

The steam engine may make a comeback. Sorta modified a little.

 

[C.Sco]

The Cherokee will be replaced with the Grand Compass, not kidding.

Sales were in the tank the last few years. Competition is tough in that segment, and there are many better choices out there.

Ya I honestly haven't really seen that many new Cherokees in the wild, so it's not surprising to hear that their sales have been in a slump.

I think Jeep was trying to fill a market niche that it turns out doesn't really exist - people who basically want a Subaru-like crossover with a Jeep logo on it. I think that market segment was a lot smaller than they thought it would be. People who want a gas-saver crossover with good city manners and okay offroad ability usually opt for one of the many dozens of Japanese and Korean offerings. And people who want true Jeeps buy Grand Cherokees and Wranglers/Gladiators. And for people who truly do want a small crossover that's not really a Jeep but has a Jeep logo on it, there's already the Compass and Renegade for that. So that doesn't really leave very many buyers for the Cherokee.

 

[Sean L]

Bronco Sport is what a modern Cherokee ought to be: boxy, rugged, capable, roomy, with a healthy dose of character, heritage and efficiency.

Jeep already has all of that in the Renegade now, and had it in the Patriot when the KL was introduced.

But if you ask me, the JLU is a much better spiritual successor to the XJ than the Liberty or the KL Cherokee.

 

[INCRHULK]

I keep hearing that Recon will launch as EV, but PHEV variants might get added later.

That makes little sense in a ground-up fresh design that's BEV. You're wasting resources building a platform that has to accept ICE and BEV.

I seriously don't get the hate on for BEV.

 

[aldo98229]

Jeep already has all of that in the Renegade now, and had it in the Patriot when the KL was introduced.

But if you ask me, the JLU is a much better spiritual successor to the XJ than the Liberty or the KL Cherokee.

Renegade is way smaller than Bronco Sport. Even Compass is tighter and cramper than Bronco Sport.

I agree that JLU is the spiritual successor of XJ.

Having said that, I'll bet there is a white space for something like a JLU with a solid roof and IFS.

The gap between JL and Grand Cherokee is too wide, and getting wider.

 

[aldo98229]

I seriously don't get the hate on for BEV.

It's not all hate. Some of it are the inherent shortcomings of EVs in terms of range, charging facilities, etc.

For instance, my dad and I drove to Vernon, BC last Christmas. It was a five hour drive --actually it took us 7 hours due to weather-- through the worst of winter --freezing rain, slush, snow; with very few places to stop in between. There is no way I'd dare to do that in an EV.

 

[Sean L]

Renegade is way smaller than Bronco Sport. Even Compass is tighter and cramper than Bronco Sport.

I agree that JLU is the spiritual successor of XJ.

Having said that, I'll bet there is a white space for something like a JLU with a solid roof and IFS.

The gap between JL and Grand Cherokee is too wide, and getting wider.

Well to be honest, I haven't driven a Renegade or a Bronco Sport yet so roomieness wasn't something I could compare. The Patriot I test drove seemed roomy enough for me, but I just have a dog for the back seat.

 

[aldo98229]

Well to be honest, I haven't driven a Renegade or a Bronco Sport yet so roomieness wasn't something I could compare. The Patriot I test drove seemed roomy enough for me, but I just have a dog for the back seat.

Renegade is a notch below Bronco Sport and Compass in price, size and interior space.

Patriot was more in line with today’s Compass and Bronco Sport.

 

[The Last Cowboy]

That makes little sense in a ground-up fresh design that's BEV. You're wasting resources building a platform that has to accept ICE and BEV.

I seriously don't get the hate on for BEV.

It comes down to charge times and charge station availability. A huge concern for most who live in so called fly over country. Also, owning an EV is difficult for renters or those who don’t have reasonable access to a charger. I’m sure time will change that though. But that’s the practical reality right now.​

And, I’m sure there are those who just hate them for any number of reasons that are neither practical nor reasonable.​

I don’t think there should be mandates. That’s not good for consumers or manufacturers. In my opinion EVs and ICE vehicles both have a place and a purpose. The whole notion of fanboys on either side willing to die on their hills is silly to me.​

 

[jc1003]

I guess Stellantis is comfortable with the Compass and Hornet so no need for the Cherokee.

 

[Heimkehr]

What doesn’t make sense is why nobody bought camaros. The 2016+ camaro is downright incredible.

Many of the otherwise fawning reviews of the Camara conceded that it was a cramped coupe with atrocious outward visibility. Look at the photo of the car evident in the article that I link to on p.1 of this thread. The roofline looks comically chopped, and the belt line is so high that we might not see more than the eyes and forehead of a short driver. Being of just above average height, a showroom test-sit confirmed that I can't find a comfortable seated position.

Even the niche market for which it was intended couldn't ignore the chasm between the Camaro and its very capable competition from Ford and Dodge. The popularity and corresponding sales trends of the latter two wasn't at all accidental.

To the extent that I have a liking for one of the Big Three, I'm a fan of the bowtie (which is why I was familiar with the content of the aforementioned reviews). That said, a modern pony car can't get by as just a one-hit specialist. To be frank, it's intriguing that the resurrected Camaro lasted as long as it did.

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