Jeep Cherokee Limited diesel 2014 review

The KL Jeep Cherokee has attracted plenty of interest since its local debut in June, with the all-new Alfa Romeo Giulietta based mid-sized SUV proving a quantum leap ahead of its predecessor.

Until now, the new Cherokee has made do with a choice of petrol four cylinder two-wheel drive or petrol V6 all-wheel drivetrains, with the overtly off-road flavoured V6 Trailhawk sitting at the top of the heap. 

The SUV brand has now bookended the Cherokee lineup with a torquey and efficient turbodiesel option to form a new $49,000 flagship model.

Value

Explore the 2014 Jeep Cherokee range

• Jeep Cherokee 2014 review: snapshot
• Jeep Cherokee Sport and Trailhawk 2014 review
• Jeep Cherokee 2014 review
• Jeep Cherokee Sport 2014 review
• Jeep Cherokee Limited and Trailhawk 2014 review
• Jeep Cherokee Limited diesel 2014 review
• Jeep Cherokee Limited Diesel 2014 review: snapshot
• Jeep Cherokee Limited Diesel 2014 review: road test
• Jeep Cherokee Sport and V6 Limited 2014 review

The new diesel option is paired with the upper-spec Limited trim level, which means maximum Cherokee luxury without the outright rock-crawling ability of the Trailhawk. 

The Limited Diesel also sits $5000 above the existing petrol Limited, but also adds the more off-road ready Active Drive II 4WD system with low range transfer case from the $1500 cheaper Trailhawk. The Limited Diesel does miss out on the Trailhawk’s locking rear diff, fatter tyres and extra inch of ride height however. 

Don’t hold your breath for a Trailhawk diesel either. Like the most rugged Wrangler Rubicon, the Cherokee Trailhawk is only produced with the petrol V6 in all markets. 

Standard features for the Limited grade include leather trim with front seat heaters, an 8.4-inch touchscreen with the Uconnect multimedia system and satnav and a reversing camera, front and rear parking sensors, nine speaker Alpine audio, xenon headlights and 18-inch alloys.

Engine / Transmission

The Limited Diesel’s VM Motori-sourced 2.0-litre turbodiesel is hardly new to the Australian market, with versions already seen beneath the bonnets of the last Saab 9-5, Opel Insignia and the current Holden Malibu. 

In Cherokee guise, it produces 125kW/350Nm, some 75kW less than the 3.2-litre V6, but with an extra 34Nm to help extend the V6’s max tow rating by 379kg to a segment-best 2393kg braked.

Like all new Cherokees, the Limited Diesel comes with the clever nine-speed automatic, and its Cherokee-best 5.8L/100km combined fuel consumption is also aided by a stop/start system. 

For the record, Cherokee AWD V6s carry a 10.0L/100km figure and the front-drive 2.4-litre Sport uses 8.3L/100km combined. 

Safety

The Limited Diesel carries the maximum five star ANCAP safety rating of the petrol Cherokees, with front, side, curtain and driver’s knee airbags, stability control, and ABS with both on and off-road calibration.

Further safety options include forward collision alert, park-assist, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert systems.

Driving

Firing up the twist-key ignition of the Cherokee, the diesel engine instantly impresses with its quietness. Unlike other oilers of a similar age, the Cherokee diesel contains diesel clatter at idle surprisingly effectively. This quietness doesn’t change when underway, with only minor diesel groan evident even at higher revs and under load. 

A look beneath the otherwise decorative engine cover reveals a thick layer of sound-absorbing foam -a simple solution many brands are adopting to solve one of the greatest diesel engine compromises. 

The torquey engine offers plenty of power to keep up with traffic, but it’s not the most responsive diesel around. The abundance of ratios in the nine speed auto help to disguise this, and it’s a nice low-rpm cruiser on the open road.

The Cherokee’s Alfa origins no doubt play a big part in it having one of the best US-developed chassis around, with quality Euro-like dampening, body control and steering. The days of Jeeps with ponderous dynamics and an overall feeling of cheapness appear to be behind us.  

Heading off the road, the Limited Diesel is as fire trail ready as any Cherokee, but the low-range transfer case adds confidence and control when attempting properly steep inclines, and permits slow-speed manoeuvring over bigger obstacles.