Lots of manufacturers are now rushing to reveal previews of vehicles that will be refreshed or all-new at the upcoming 2018 North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January. One of the latest to break cover is Jeep with its 2019 Cherokee, which as well as a refreshed exterior design, will also get some even more fuel-efficient engines options.
Jeep has embraced an approach of teasing images of new models before they make their official debuts, with the much-anticipated all-new Wrangler getting the same treatment only quite recently.
Perhaps the most obvious change when looking at the images of the new Cherokee is the front fascia that now has a much stronger resemblance to other Jeep models, such as the Compass and the Grand Cherokee. It looks as though the current Cherokee's split headlights have now been merged into single units on either side of the grille, which has resulted in a much more conventional nose than it has at the moment. The rest of the front fascia also looks a little softer and rounder than on the last version, but there's still a good amount of the pointy and wedgy look of the current model to keep this new one instantly identifiable as a Jeep Cherokee.
The rear of the crossover has also had some cosmetic enhancement, such as the large slab of a rear hatch now being nicely broken up with the registration plate mounting position, which delivers a tail that looks a lot less bulky than it does today. Of course, the rear bumper has also been redesigned with an aesthetic skid plate, which works well to fill up the space left by the registration plate.
Despite crossovers being incredibly popular with buyers right now, the Cherokee has been struggling for sales a little, and FCA has been putting a lot of financial incentives behind it in some markets to try and boost sales. The manufacturer will be hoping the refresh for the 2019 model year will increase the appeal of this enduring nameplate.
