While the focus has been on the latest trucks from Ford, Ram and Chevy at this year’s Detroit auto show, Jeep also unveiled a refreshed version of its Cherokee crossover that does away with the controversial squinty look of Jeep’s midsize utility. The 2019 Jeep Cherokee gets a new front fascia, a direct-injected 2.0-liter turbocharged I4 and a new hands-free power liftgate. That might not sound like much, but the small changes make it look significantly better.
Under the hood, you’ll find either a 3.2-liter Pentastar V6 that makes 271 hp and 239 lb-ft of torque, a 2.4-liter I4 that makes 180 hp, or the new 2.0-liter turbocharged I4 cranking out a stout 270 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque along with auto stop-start. All engines are mated to nine-speed automatics that feed either the front wheels or a four-wheel-drive system.
The interior shows some small changes, including a new center console, but it’s not a huge departure from the current Cherokee. Pricing isn’t currently available, but we imagine it’ll start in the same ballpark as the current models — so expect a base model to appear around $26K.