2019 Jeep Cherokee 4x4

The 2019 Cherokee has been redesigned with less polarizing styling and other midcycle updates. It adds plenty of cosmetic improvements and a few more significant changes.

Paul Clinton・Former Senior Web Editor

June 8, 2018

2019 Jeep Cherokee 4x4 — The 2019 Jeep Cherokee adds a tourbocharged four-cylinder engine to its engine lineup.
Photo by Kelly Bracken.

2 min to read

Jeep is in the midst of a renaissance (a Jeep-aissance?) that has placed a halo above the off-road brand in the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles portfolio. Yes, Ram will retain its primacy among work truck fleets, but the updating of the Jeep lineup in recent years and plans to increase production could pay dividends for sales, pharmaceutical, or insurance fleets seeking to add a useful and fun vehicle to their selector list.

Utility vehicles have become increasingly popular with commercial fleets who offer a vehicle their driver can take home for the weekend and use on personal time.

Recent model years have brought an end to three Jeeps — the Patriot, Liberty, and old Compass — and ushered in the Renegade (2015-MY), new Compass (2017-MY), Wrangler (2018-MY), and now the 2019 Cherokee — the larger compact Jeep that has been redesigned with less polarizing styling and other midcycle updates.

The 2019 Cherokee adds plenty of cosmetic improvements and a few more significant changes.

The engine lineup grows by one for 2019. Jeep added a new turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder that makes 270 horsepower and 239 pound-feet of torque to go along with the standard 2.4-liter (180 hp) and 3.2-liter V-6 (271 hp and 295 lb.-ft.).

We tested the V-6, which is paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission, and gives the vehicle an ease in getting up to highway speeds.

The Cherokee is receiving a midcycle update as part of FCA's refresh of its Jeep lineup.
Photo by Kelly Bracken.

An aluminum hood and other engineering strategies have taken enough weight out of the Cherokee's body to achieve an incremental improvement in fuel economy over the outgoing model. The 2019 base front-wheel model gains 1 mpg in the city (to 22 mpg) and on the highway (31 mpg) and keeps its 25 mpg combined rating. We tested the V-6 4x4 model, which would improve city driving to 20 mpg (from 18 mpg), highway to 27 mpg (from 26 mpg), and combined to 22 mpg (from 21 mpg).

Our Cherokee Overland 4x4 would carry a $37,775 base price, which doesn't include the delivery charge. The price increases to $40,215 when it's equipped with technology options such as adaptive cruise control, automatic high beams, automatic emergency braking, and a parallel parking system.