Big, beefy and packed with power - the latest Jeep Cherokee helps keep the famous US brand ahead of the pack when it comes to looking butch.
But for 2005, the Americans have been made some interesting changes to the European version that now sports a much more refined diesel engine.
The totally revised 2.8 CRD also has VGT - or Variable Geometry Turbocharging. This model effectively, when it arrives in the UK at the end of the year, replaces both the smaller 2.5-litre and the current 2.8-litre diesels.
According to Jeep, the 160bhp unit is designed to deliver the torque of a V8, the performance of a V6 and the fuel economy of a four cylinder.
The new 2.8's four-cylinder in-line configuration is a common rail with 16 valves and, thanks to the turbocharger changes, power output is up nine per cent, while torque is boosted by 11 per cent. That's not a huge power increase but the old model wasn't exactly slow.
Two versions of the Cherokee will be available starting at around ¯¿½22,000 - a six-speed manual and a five-speed automatic. Both are smooth, positive and definitely sporty.
Off-road, the updated Cherokee is as fabulous as ever. Thankfully, Chrysler hasn't tinkered with the previous car's undercarriage and the essentials are two foolproof four-wheel drive systems, high and low, and, for normal conditions, rear-drive only.
Thanks to the smoother and calmer engine, this is a much more refined motorway cruiser. It'll run a out of wind a little should you push hard beyond 85mph, but all the way there it's as competent and collected as most executive saloons. The seating has also been revised with to create more space, front and back.
Visual changes to the Cherokee include a mildly reshaped dashboard, front grille, fog lamps, wheel arch flares and bodyside mouldings. A special edition Renegade, available later next year as a limited edition, will feature a flatter bonnet and roof-mounted spotlamps. Although you'd be hard pushed to notice much difference between the 2004 and 2005 models.
The automatic version delivers an average of 28.5mpg (a slight improvement on the old model's 27.4mpg), while the six-speed manual just manages to break the 30mpg barrier, returning 30.3mpg. By comparison, the thirsty 3.7-litre petrol stops short of 22mpg and the 2.4-litre petrol pulls up at 26.9mpg.
