Test Drive Jeep Cherokee (Liberty) 2001 - 2005 SUV

Key Jay - Big Snake

The designers of the new jeep took the task impartial at first glance - create a comfortable spacious parckarter with a real off-road character.
 
Circus on ice
A few weeks of frosts fed this winter, all near Moscow reservoirs with a thick layer of ice. Nevertheless, when almost a two-ton jeep slowly rolled out to the frozen snow-covered surface, the frozen pond in the Filevsky Park turned out to be in the circus arena, surrounded by sharpening spectators. Fall? - Do not fail! - Wow, how rushed! - Mom masses and numerous defores. However, without such an improvised circus presentation, the overwhelming majority of those who met on this day on the Moscow streets, showed a living interest in our Indian. First, the extraordinary appearance of the municipal-eyed sympathets attracted attention. But the main thing, of course, is a new representative of the tribe of the Cherokee, who received the official KJ index, and today is a rare guest in Russian expanses.
Mr. Bonifam gets a task
In order to sell this car, it is enough to tell a potential buyer that this is a jeep, "the chief designer of the new Cherokee, Robert Bonifaas, noticed the new Cherokee's head designer. In fact, the seller and say nothing will have to. The word Jeep is bangible on the hood, cover, covering the splash, wheels, steering wheel and even on the panel in front of the front passenger. But is it enough to succeed in the market?
In Western Europe, there are now cars for outdoor activities, or SUV, build as hot cakes. It is assumed that in eight years this market segment will grow almost twice, reaching 750 thousand cars by 2005. It is not the purebred romance in it in it, but quite passenger comfortable parquets, only outwardly resembling their gross soldiers. So, in 2000, the first was the Flealender, and a serious lend cruiser took only a tenth place in terms of sales.
Marketers in the current car industry have the right to decisive voices. That is why, issuing a task for the design of a third-generation Cherokeka, Bosses Chrysler-Jeep demanded from their designers, first of all, ensure the machine's comfort and controllability of the parkerchief, give it expressive and fashionable appearance, in which urban practicality and versatility would peacefully get along with a dream to escape from this The most practicality and versatility somewhere on the Lono of Nature. Like twisted? Wait, or still be!
The fact is that the subordinate Mr. Bonifass, having received the task, took over increased obligations. Key Jay will challenge not only Freilender, RAV4, CR-V, Maverick and Santa Fe. On the road, he will argue with the Land Cruiser-Prado and Pajero-Sport, and on the highway will show no worse than Outback or Forester. That's so nor little!
 
Radius of turning in jeep challenges is small - 11.5 m
     
 
A couple of years ago no one would believe that such an interior will be at the Brutal Indian Cherokee

Even the Trinity is very broad passengers on the rear sofa will be accommodated with decent comfort.
     
Comfortable Vigvam
So, forget the first thing about what the Cherokee was once listed almost a truck (in the States he even died in a new one - Liberty, in Europe preferred the usual Indian name).
Inside Silver Plated Wigvam, then you mean, the spacious salon is the embodiment of the coziness and the Quality of the assembly. Numerous uneven gaps of panels for which the predecessor hooling remained in the past. What is surprised, the technology of assembling new products is borrowed from Mercedes-Benz. Soft porous plastic does not creak even on the most cruel off-road. And what truly American generosity in the equipment! White leather chairs, front seat electric drives and mirrors, on-board computer, electronic compass, climate and cruise control, excellent stereo. In a word, a car in which a large white leader may well drive around.
It is driving around, and not shaking on Ughabam. After all, now the Cherokee has completely different suspension and steering. From the very beginning, I chose our choice on the front independent suspension, "John Mac-Nili explained the engineer. "Only she can provide good smoothness and manageability on the highway and at the same time maintain off-road abilities that the jeep has always been famous for them.
In addition, in the rear dependent three-mounted suspension, the springs gave way to springs, and a clearer cutter type steering replaced the traditional scheme of a screw ball nut.
The best or at least the most powerful in the model range of the Cherokee and the engine. Ciled for a couple of cylinders of the eight of the Grand from the automatic gearbox turned into an excellent power unit, outstanding more than 200 horsepower, and due to the torque - 31.1 kgf.m at 3800 rpm - the car turns into a rear-wheel drive sports car, with ease of pyruettes.
    
Athlete or styles
New Cherokee is sold in Russia in two sets: Sports and Limited. Externally, the latter differs only by 16-inch discs and fog lights. And athlete has no leather seats with electric and heating, onboard computer and cruise control. Only two types of motors are installed on the Cherokee-Limited: a new Diesel Common Rail with an increased capacity compared to the predecessor (143 hp at 4000 rpm), as well as a gasoline 3.7-liter six. Cherokey-Sports also has an economical 2,4-liter 147-strong 4-cylinder engine in its arsenal.
 
True Indian always everywhere Nishtyak
However, from spectacular triple toulups with a rise in snow pillars, professional debt obliged to go to more serious exercises. For example, the lifting on a snow-covered slope, threatening to reset any elaboration in a rut, not otherwise left by some rural tank. So I knew: the right rear wheel and the front, fully failing in some kind of rod, the riser centimeters of thirty. That will end everything ... no matter how! The work included the wishmsmouft in the back bridge. The evil engine of the engine, turnover of the wheel hanging in the air, and the only confidently holding the left back drags the car and through this seemed to initially insurmountable Mont Blanc. Class!
All corks with a 3.7-liter motor are equipped with a selec-trac all-wheel drive transmission. It is removed on the spill of a small kocherge on the tunnel to the right of the driver. There is an ordinary rear-wheel drive mode, but it is better to use it only when driving on dry asphalt, otherwise the wheels are broken into the slip, it is only a little to overdo it with gas. As well as three all-wheel drive. Permanent with an impaired inter-axis differential (4WD Full-Time) - for high-speed driving on the roads of any quality. A lower transmission with an increased by 2.72 times with a gear ratio in the transmission (4WD Low) - for a particularly complex off-road. And finally, another one - with a rigid locking of the mid-scene differential (4WD part-time). The pictogram of the latter, by the way, is highlighted in red, so that you do not forget that it is not worth riding so far off-road - not to avoid costly repairs.
As it turned out, and for the safety of transmission nodes, we were worried in vain. Already in Russia on our car for only $ 75, installed steel protection of the engine, a transfer box and even a gas tank.
As for the behavior of the car on the asphalt, then our Indian began to run much more confident of the predecessor. Cool turn? Easily.
The car is assembled, tightening, nor a hint of pliers and thoughtfulness. Maybe there is no steering sharpness, such as Tyta-RAV4, but complete mutual understanding from the Cherokee can be found even at a good speed.
In short, I liked the car. That's just the price, as not to quote the vice-president of Chrysler-Jeep Tom Marinel: New Cherokee is a real jewel with incredible abilities. Well, Mr. Marinel, our big snakes and in fact he is still sly. Combins the dignity of the PARTNER and professional passing. That's just a jewel that, for example, in Germany, stands a little more than $ 20,000, hitting us, almost doublely increases in price. $ 45 000! Four of which there is a tuning body kit of Delta.
   
The buttons of the windows on the door panels were not found - they are on the armrest between the front seats

      
 
Jeep Cherokee Limited 3.7 V6
Total information
 
Body
5-seater wagon
 
Curb weight, kg
1750.
 
Length x Width x Height, mm
4437 x 1819 x 1796
 
Wheel base, mm
2650.
 
Maximum speed, km / h
180.
 
Acceleration time 0-100 km / h, with
10.8.
 
Fuel reserve
70.
 
Engine
 
Location
Front prolong
 
Design
 
petrol,
6-cylinder
V-shaped
 
Cylinder diameter / piston stroke, mm
93 / 90.8.
 
Working volume, SMZ
3709.
 
Compression ratio
9.1: 1.
 
Power, hp (kW) at rpm
211 / 5200.
 
Torque, kgcm (nm) at rpm
31.1 / 3800.
 
Chassis
 
Transmission
 
connected Front Axle,
demultiplier (2.72),
blocking rear and inter-axis differentials
 
Transmission
automatic 4-speed
 
Suspension:
with transverse stability stabilizers and two-pipe hydraulic shock absorbers
 
in front
 
independent, on double transverse levers
 
behind
 
dependent, spring
 
Steering
Dependent, spring
 
Torkemose
hydraulic;
 
front
Disk ventilated
 
rear
Drum
 
Tires
235/70 R16
 
Alexey Sergeev, photo Maxim Goncharov
 
 
 

A source: Limousine magazine [03/02]