ECHO
motors-merseyside
.co.uk
Friday, August 22, 2008
ROAD TEST BMW X6
P E E J C I S CLAS
By MIKE TORPEY
T
HE popularity of sports utility vehicles continues at pace, yet few of the cars’ owners appreciate the capability of their vehicles – and are even less inclined to put them to the test.
How about tugging a small caravan round a mud-clogged off-road course? Or driving for half a mile in the middle of a fast-flowing river after 24 hours of unrelenting downpour? No problem for a Jeep, though, as I discovered at the launch of the latest generation Cherokee on the fringe of a rugged and rainy Snowdonia. The Cherokee, steeped in an American outdoor heritage that stretches back 65 years, has evolved into a more
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Latest Cherokee is more rugged and better equipped rugged, better equipped and appreciably larger car than before. And Jeep feels certain the model will not only appeal to people who favour the slightly more popular Grand Cherokee, but also draw in custom from rivals like the Land Rover Freelander, BMW X3 and Nissan X-Trail. Just one model is now available – the 174bhp Cherokee 2.8 CRD turbo diesel in top spec Limited trim, costing £24,595 with an extra £1,000 for automatic transmission. Visually, the Cherokee looks classic Jeep – big, aggressive and robust with trademark clamshell bonnet and seven-slot grille designed to meet pedestrian impact standards. Interior space is boosted by the spare wheel now being placed underneath the vehicle, while
the 60/40 split fold-flat rear seats and fold-flat front passenger seat are ideal for loading and hauling. All seats, passenger grab, front door panels, gearshift, parking brake handle and centre console are trimmed in soft leather. What’s also standard is the company’s Selec-Trac II full-time four wheel drive set-up, an on-demand system that anticipates and prevents wheel slip before it occurs, making it ideal for road driving and towing. And lugging a small tourer caravan through the daunting challenge of the Bala 4x4 course demonstrated this system to the full, while the Cherokee automatic with its new Hill Descent Control proved a leap of faith. Peer down a roller-coaster type slope, engage HDC, take your foot off the brake and let the
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system do the rest – the Jeep picks its way confidently down. In the everyday conditions of major roads and country lanes the Cherokee is agile with little in the way of body roll for a car of its size. On the negative side, the engine sounds noisy, loses power quickly when you lift off the throttle and my fuel return was a good bit less than the claimed figure of 31.4 miles per gallon. While refinements like climate control, heated front memory seats, electric windows, rear park assist and cruise control are included in the price, you do have to pay extra for a couple of the new Cherokee’s most desirable attractions. One is the £950 Sky Slider canvas roof that’s two and half times the size of a regular sunroof and can be electrically operated while driving. And though a six-speaker CD sound system is standard, an extra £1,500 gets you the MyGIG multimedia set-up with 3D sat-nav, hands free Bluetooth communication, Infinity premium sound with a capability to store 1,600 songs. All in, the new Cherokee comfortable lives up to the Jeep image – it’s a car for everyday life, and life on the edge.
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