When it was first introduced for 1984, the unibody Jeep Cherokee was the original modern crossover SUV. Today, the rest of the market has caught on to this successful formula, but the 2020 Jeep Cherokee continues to offer more capability than any of its competitors. While other compact crossovers are based on car platforms and offer limited performance, the 2020 Jeep Cherokee stands out for its rugged design, powerful engines, and top of the line four-wheel drive systems. If you are looking for a compact SUV that you can take off-road, then there is simply no better option than the 2020 Jeep Cherokee.
However, this SUV is not only an off-road machine. It is also an excellent daily driver and family vehicle. Despite its performance, the 2020 Jeep Cherokee offers solid fuel economy figures, making it easy on the wallet. Further, it has a roomy interior with a spacious second row and plenty of comfort-enhancing features. But perhaps most importantly, the 2020 Jeep Cherokee is an extremely safe vehicle thanks to its solid construction, numerous airbags, and active safety features. In short, this is a vehicle that truly lives up to the SUV promise of adventure and versatility; it is the best on the market.
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The 2020 Jeep Cherokee is a responsive and confident vehicle. With three powerful engine options to choose from and three different advanced four-wheel drive systems available, the Cherokee provides a level of capability that is not commonly found in compact crossover SUVs. And on top of its excellent performance, it still turns in respectable fuel mileage, making the 2020 Jeep Cherokee an incredible all-around vehicle.
The base engine in the 2020 Jeep Cherokee is a 2.4L Tigershark four-cylinder. Producing 180 hp and 171 lb-ft of torque, this engine is more than acceptable for daily driving. Paired with the same modern nine-speed automatic transmission that is found in all versions of the 2020 Jeep Cherokee, the 2.4L Tigershark is rated for a combined fuel economy of up to 25 MPG combined. And if the sizable rear cargo area in this SUV is not sufficient for your needs, this engine will handily tow trailers weighing up to 2,000 pounds.
Alternatively, you can upgrade to a larger 3.2L Pentastar V6 engine with 271 hp and 239 lb-ft of torque. With this engine under the hood, the 2020 Jeep Cherokee becomes a remarkably quick vehicle that will have no trouble passing at highway speeds or accelerating up steep hills. Further, it will more than double the tow rating of the vehicle to 4,500 pounds. However, this power does come at the cost of increased fuel consumption, and the combined fuel economy figure for the 3.2L Pentastar is 23 MPG.
Finally, there is the top engine. This is a 2.0L Turbo four-cylinder that generates 270 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque. Although this might be the smallest of the three engines, its turbocharger more than makes up the difference and gives it excellent acceleration. However, it is not quite as capable as the V6 under sustained loads, and its tow rating is slightly lower at 4,000 pounds. But the greatest advantage of the 2.0L Turbo is its amazing fuel economy. Despite being the most powerful of the three engine options, it has the best fuel economy of 26 MPG combined.
The 2020 Jeep Cherokee comes standard as a front-wheel drive vehicle, which makes for a lower price tag and enhanced fuel economy. However, as with all Jeep models, it can be equipped with highly capable four-wheel drive systems. The base Active Drive I 4x4 system will engage automatically whenever your vehicle requires extra traction. The improved Active Drive II 4x4 system upgrades the base setup with the addition of low range mode for slow-speed crawling. Finally, the top Active Drive Lock 4x4 system on the 2020 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk includes a mechanically locking rear axle for incredible traction in all situations. Between these features and the excellent engines, the Cherokee offers many options, allowing the SUV to suit every driver's needs.
The 2020 Jeep Cherokee is an incredibly well-designed and feature-rich vehicle. Whether driving on city streets or exploring the wilderness, you will have all the options you need to enjoy your driving experience. But the basic design itself also stands out for its ruggedness and versatility. With features both outside and in, the Cherokee is one of the best-equipped vehicles on the market, which is about to be evident.
On top of this already capable platform, Jeep has added all of the features needed to turn the 2020 Jeep Cherokee into a thoroughly modern vehicle. On the exterior, you will find standard full LED lighting with available LED fog lights for a clear view of the road no matter the weather or time of day. And visibility is further improved with the available rain-sensitive windshield wipers with de-icers for cold weather. For comfort and convenience, the 2020 Jeep Cherokee can even be equipped with major features such as a massive panoramic sunroof stretching nearly the length of the vehicle, or a hands free power liftgate that makes loading heavy items easier than ever before.
Inside the 2020 Jeep Cherokee, you will find a clean and modern interior filled with luxury features. For instance, on top of the dual-zone automatic climate control system, you can add heated and vented front seats as well as a heated steering wheel to help you stay comfortable no matter the weather outside. Further, there are also numerous small items from leather trim to an auto-dimming rearview mirror, all intended to make driving just a bit more comfortable. While the 2020 Jeep Cherokee may be a highly capable and versatile vehicle, it is also a very comfortable one.
But if you want the maximum capability out of your 2020 Jeep Cherokee, then look for the off-road-oriented Trailhawk trim level. In addition to its enhanced four-wheel drive system with a locking rear differential, this version of the SUV includes countless features designed to make it trail-ready. These upgrades include larger all-terrain tires, beefed-up suspension with increased ground clearance, functional skid plates, and the trademark red Trailhawk tow hooks. In this variant of the 2020 Jeep Cherokee, you will be able to handle any adventure and leave lesser SUVs in your dust. The Cherokee's features make almost anything possible.
When it comes to technology, the 2020 Jeep Cherokee is a true 21st century design that incorporates numerous advanced features to improve comfort and safety. These range from its excellent Uconnect infotainment system to its suite of active driver assistance technologies. With all of this equipment, driving a 2020 Jeep Cherokee is always a pleasant and safe experience.
For infotainment, the 2020 Jeep Cherokee makes use of a larger than average 8.4 inch central touch screen. This provides an easy view for all of the features of the Uconnect system, from the backup camera to navigation. Smartphone integration is supported through both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, allowing you to access your phone through your SUV’s infotainment. Additional entertainment is provided through the inclusion of both SiriusXM satellite radio and a 4G LTE wireless hotspot. With all of these technologies, commuting and road trips have never been more fun.
The active safety technologies in the 2020 Jeep Cherokee include automatic emergency braking, lane departure prevention, and blindspot monitoring with rear cross-path detection. Altogether, these three systems work to mitigate the most common types of accidents from the parking lot to the highway. And in addition to these valuable safety features, the 2020 Jeep Cherokee also offers adaptive cruise control with stop and go as well as parallel and perpendicular park assist. These two advanced technologies massively reduce driver workload and help you relax when you are on the road.
When this collection of driver assistance technologies is combined with the solid construction of the 2020 Jeep Cherokee, the result is an extremely safe vehicle. Especially since this SUV also has the most airbags of any vehicle in its class. Therefore, it is no surprise that the prestigious Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has named the 2020 Jeep Cherokee as one of their Top Safety Picks. If you are looking for a safe, dependable, and comfortable family vehicle that can handle the harshest conditions with ease, there is simply no better option than the 2020 Jeep Cherokee.