NEW CAR ROAD TEST: JEEP CHEROKEE

Jeep’s fifth-generation Cherokee has been hauled right up to date, with the range now mainly based around an efficient 2.2-litre MultiJet diesel engine. Jeep offers two Fiat-derived diesel engine choices, plus a rare 3.2-litre petrol V6 for top Trailhawk variants.

We’ll concentrate on the diesel range here, where entry-level buyers get a 140bhp 2.0-litre MultiJet unit with a six-speed manual box and a choice of either 2WD or 4WD set-ups. Offered only with 4WD is the preferable and more modern 2.2-litre MultiJet engine, available only with a nine-speed auto gearbox.

What makes this car a little more effective in the slush than the unremarkable class norm is the way this set-up combines with Jeep’s clever Selec-Terrain system – designed to be like having an off-road expert sitting next to you as you drive. Prices start at just over £26,000 for the 2.0-litre Longitude 140 six-speed variant, rising to around £38,000 for the top 2.2-litre 200bhp Limited automatic 4WD model. Progress. It isn’t always welcome but sometimes it’s necessary. It’s what’s created this fifth-generation Jeep Cherokee, a car that’s simply had to evolve under the twin pressures of very different brand ownership and market demand.