Guest post: 2014 Jeep Cherokee prepares to dominate UK SUV market

Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs) have traditionally been more popular on the other side of the Atlantic, but in recent years they have begun to take the UK market by storm. As the vehicle type becomes more advanced and is able to incorporate a wider variety of features into its check list, it’s no surprise that more people in the UK are looking to SUVs when they shop for a new vehicle. While the UK’s SUV market is growing at a considerable pace, there remains one manufacturer who dominates it in every respect. Jeep has been known as the master of the SUV in the UK for quite some time and as the demand for SUVs in the UK increases, questions are being asked of Jeep by a number of other manufacturers who are releasing mid-level SUVs of their own.  The 2014 Jeep Cherokee has not only maintained the high standard promised by the manufacturer over previous years, but it has proved their ability to adapt and grow within a changing market. Here, we take a look at how the Cherokee has been able to maintain its grip on the growing SUV market in the UK.

Demand for versatility 

A decade ago, the SUV was something of a niche vehicle, popular with a specific audience. Families looking for extra space were enamoured still with people-carriers such as the iconic Chrysler Grand Voyager, while off-road enthusiasts were content with purpose specific vehicles and were happy to accept an almost complete lack of comfort in exchange for great 4×4 capability. Today, the story is different. Technology in the car world has moved quickly over the last decade and it’s no longer necessary for manufacturers to make their vehicles so application specific. The SUV is perfectly placed to demonstrate these changes and to appeal to a wider demographic than ever before. Today’s SUV – and the Jeep Cherokee in particular – is able to offer comfort and practicality at the same time. The 4×4 capabilities are astonishing, but they are no longer limiting. In the same vehicle, drivers can now travel across urban and rural landscapes in equal comfort while benefiting from a range of features and design surprises.

Urban comfort

The 2014 Jeep Cherokee is a comfortable car, designed with luxury in mind. The interior is packed with useful gadgets, from the wireless charging pad to the touchscreen navigation computer. Where larger, off-road vehicles were once clunky and stripped down, the Cherokee offers drivers the kind of comfort once reserved for mid-sized, executive saloon cars. Parking assistance tools make it the ideal companion for city driving.

Family values 

The Jeep Cherokee sits between its larger brother, the Grand Cherokee, and its smaller family members, the Wrangler, Renegade and Compass to offer good family values. A vehicle of this size wouldn’t be complete without offering a whole host of features designed to suit family life, and the Cherokee does exactly this. Inside the high strength steel interior, which offers as secure a shell as you’ll find on the market, the Cherokee is packed with useful features. The sliding second row of seats is a feature which stands out in terms of practicality. Whether you’re hauling a hefty load of cargo, or are looking to transport all of your kids’ friends around town, you can adjust the ratio of space in the back, getting the most from the already ample interior. The wide range of interior configurations embodies a nod to the revolutionary people carriers of the 1990s, building on the successes of the car industry’s last great shift.

Off-road dedication 

Some years ago, the inclusion of features like those we’ve already mentioned could have meant only one thing for the off-road performance – that it had been neglected. Thankfully, with the 2014 Jeep Cherokee, this is simply not true. The Cherokee’s competitors – we’re talking now about the BMW X3, Nissan’s Qashqai and the Audi Q5, among others – all perform incredibly well in rural environments and the Cherokee is no different. In fact, with three separate four wheel drive options for drivers to choose from in the Cherokee, it is one of the best off-road performers in its class.

All-round success

The successful combination of off-road factors with fuel economy and comfort represent the significance of the SUV in 2014. For the first time, consumers are being offered affordable family vehicles which don’t come with the caveat of compromise. The Cherokee is the perfect example of a modern SUV which is able to marry a variety of desirable features without any conflict or neglect, and for that reason it is sure to take the UK’s SUV market by storm in 2014. Jeep’s new Cherokee leads a pack which is increasing with size each season, because it’s onto something new. As advances in fuel economy travel further than the hatchback market, the market for larger vehicles looks set only to grow in coming years.