Can curvy Cherokee gain traction against popular crossovers?

摘要

With the 2014 Cherokee, Jeep aims to regain ground against such crossover heavyweights as the Honda CR-V and Ford Escape. Jeep executives call the Cherokee's design polarizing with good reason: When photos of the Cherokee were leaked in February, they set off a storm of derision from traditionalists who preferred Jeep's boxy heritage. With the delayed SUV due in showrooms over the next few weeks, dealers will finally answer the biggest question of the Cherokee's design: Will it sell? The basics: The five-passenger Cherokee has two new available engines, a nine-speed front-wheel-drive automatic transmission and an innovative driveshaft and differential that connect automatically when the vehicle senses that four-wheel drive is needed. The driveshaft and differential disconnect when not needed to reduce parasitic energy loss.