How a rock-crawling bucket of bolts became a premium luxury cruiser: the 2019 Jeep Cherokee

You've seen an old-style Jeep Cherokee XJ: they're blocky, they're high-riding, and they more than likely have a few spots of rust on them. But, they also roll to places that other vehicles could only hope of going and they'll continue to truck on until they fall apart. That was the simple majesty of the bare-bones and spartan SUV. And people loved it for that.

Until, they didn't. As the SUV became less and less exclusive to off-road enthusiasts, and more and more embraced by families, business professionals, and commuters, the rock-solid temperament (and rocky comfort) of the old-style Jeep Cherokee started to be a burden. So, the Jeep brand made a change--and after a multi-year hiatus, the Jeep Cherokee was re-released as a whole new, surprisingly premium, beast.

The legacy of the Jeep Cherokee--and what it is today

The Jeep Cherokee gets to hold the title of "First SUV". While there may have been other square-jawed titans out on the road, the Jeep Cherokee was the first car to call itself a "Sport Utility Vehicle" when the first models came out in the mid-1970s. It combined the sturdy body-on-frame build of a pickup truck with the more delicate, but way more comfortable, unibody frame of a car. It was called a "Uniframe" and it gave the Jeep Cherokee unique abilities that no other car at the time had.

While the "Uniframe" design was replaced in the latest generation by a more-common unibody-type build, the Jeep Cherokee hasn't forgotten its roots. It's still one of the most-capable SUVs that you can buy for the money, with optional Jeep brand 4WD and a host of features and equipment to support your ventures off the beaten path.

A modern-day adventurer's cabin

There are currently eight trim levels available in the new 2019 Jeep Cherokee lineup: The Latitude, the Latitude Plus, the Altitude, the Limited, the High Altitude, the Trailhawk®, the Overland, and the new Trailhawk® Elite.

The new 2019 Jeep Cherokee boasts 54.9 cubic feet of cargo space behind the first row, which isn't as much as some of its other compact SUV competitors, but it's plenty for your typical driver. Especially for adventurers who know how to pack light for hiking, camping, fishing, water sports, or mountaineering, that's more than enough space for your gear, some friends, and maybe some dogs. An optional power liftgate makes loading up easier when you've got your hands full.

Inside, this is clearly the most luxurious Jeep Cherokee in history. The spartan interior of past generations has been replaced with a soft-touch and cushy cabin, with an available CommandView® dual-pane panoramic sunroof, heated and ventilated seats, a heated steering wheel, and memory settings for the driver's equipment. You can even upgrade your easy-clean plastic vinyl seating for Nappa leather upholstery. It's like a whole new Jeep SUV.

Stream, connect, tune-in, and enjoy

The new 2019 Jeep Cherokee offers not one but three total infotainment system options. FCA's Uconnect system is typically regarded as one of the best and most intuitive systems on the market today, and you can customize what you get in yours.

The standard option is a Uconnect® 4 system with a 7-inch touchscreen and basic features like Bluetooth audio streaming and Apple CarPlay/Android. On upper-level trims, that boosts to a Uconnect® 4 system with a larger 8.4-inch touchscreen that offers the ease of use of a tablet that's built right into your dashboard. Top premium trim levels opt for a Uconnect® 4C NAV system, that keeps the larger 8.4-inch touchscreen and advanced features but adds a state-of-the-art navigation system.

Engine options and 4WD options

There are three engine options that can power the new 2019 Jeep Cherokee, as the Jeep brand continues to expand their portfolio to meet the demands of the modern driver. Standard power still comes from a familiar 180-horsepower 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine (the TIGERSHARK), and you can still opt for the hefty 271-horsepower 3.2-liter Pentastar® V6 that runs power to a variety of FCA vehicles--but a turbo is a relative newcomer to this legendary SUV. The third option is a fun new 270-horsepower 2.0-liter Turbocharged four-cylinder engine.

All new 2019 Jeep Cherokee SUVs can be equipped with four-wheel drive (though not all systems are available on all trims), including Jeep® Active Drive I, Jeep® Active Drive II, and Jeep® Active Drive Lock.

An impressive rival

Other compact SUVs do some things better than the 2019 Jeep Cherokee can--but no other compact SUV has the same kind of bravado, personality, and off-road chops of a Jeep SUV. The new Jeep Cherokee should definitely be on your short list.