The Jeep Cherokee, which we expect to see in India next year, has received a new heart.
The MultiJet line of diesel engines has seen the bonnets of everything from a Maruti to a Tata, apart from FIAT of course, and now, an even more powerful version has surfaced under the bonnet of the Jeep Cherokee, the smaller, more affordable version of the Grand Cherokee, which looks set to arrive in India next year, following an aggressive action plan from FIAT Chrysler Alliance India.
The Jeep brand will be the next after Maserati and Abarth in the premium space. The models likely to arrive are the iconic Wrangler hardcore off-roader and this, the relatively new Cherokee.
The new MultiJet II diesel engine, which will soon be available globally, is a 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbocharged direct injection motor. It replaces the 170-PS 2.0-litre MultiJet, but will be sold alongside the 140-PS version of that turbo-diesel motor. The 2.2 MultiJet II is available with two outputs – 185 PS and 200 PS – each offering a wide spread of torque, up to 440 Nm peak. Both are Euro 6 compliant.
The 185-PS version is available on the lower variants, paired to Active Drive I which has Jeep’s original rear-axle disconnect and the nine-speed automatic transmission from ZF. The 200-PS version is available with the top variant and can be specified with Active Drive II that features a two-speed power transfer unit and 2.92:1 low range drive as well as hill descent control.
The engines are made at FIAT’s Pratola Serra plant, near Avellino in Italy. The 2,184-cc turbo-diesel makes 200 PS at 3,500 RPM and 440 Nm at 2,500 RPM. The ZF 9HP nine-speed automatic transmission is offered on the 200-PS version as well. With Active Drive I, Jeep claim a 0-100 km/h dash of 8.5 seconds, a top speed of 204 km/h and a fuel economy figure of 17.73 km/l. With Active Drive II, the figures change to 8.7 seconds, 203 km/h and 16.56 km/l respectively.
The Jeep Cherokee should arrive in India in 2016, following the official launch of the iconic brand, a brand which has become synonymous with SUVs, or ‘Jeep-type’ vehicles.
Story: Jim Gorde
