Will the First Batch of Cherokees be FWD Only?

First Cherokees to be FWD?


With work on the 2014 Jeep Cherokee’s innovative and complex 4×4 system still reportedly ongoing, one observer now expects the first Cherokees to be front wheel drive (FWD) models. While perhaps a dent to the car’s credibility in off-road circles, starting with the simpler FWD configuration would simplify production and provide more time to put the 4×4 through its paces.

Jeep has taken pride on the durability of its cars in off-road use, and problems which may not surface during normal “snow, ice, sand, and dirt” running, but could be a problem in more severe tests, are being taken seriously. There have been some reports that engineers are still squashing the last durability issues from pre-production cars — not issues that would be encountered by “ordinary” customers, but items that could affect serious Jeepers. Running FWD cars first would help fill the pipeline and get Cherokee out to customers, while working out bugs in the manufacturing process, in preparation for ramping up with the 4×4 models — just as Dart started out with the 1.4 engines and manual transmissions. The alternative could be pushing back the start of production, which might happen regardless if nine-speed production is slowed.

http://www.allpar.com/news/index.php/2013/05/first-cherokees-to-be-fwd

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piginajeep said:

It doesn't bother me at all, there's always been two wheel drive versions of the jeep

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Jeepmed said:

I dont care if its awd, 2wd, or 4x4. It looks so ugly.

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Cherokee Delayed Again


First shown in April at the New York Auto Show, the Jeep Cherokee was set to be in dealers at about this time. It was pushed back at least once, and now it appears that, due to at least two heat dispersion issues, the mid-sized SUV will start production around August. This will at least give Chrysler’s transmission plants time to ramp up nine-speed automatic transmission production, though it will most likely mean that Land Rover will get the world’s first nine-speed automatic in a standard production vehicle. Chrysler remains likely to hold the title for first nine-speed in a minivan.

Karl wrote that Jeep’s web site seems to confirm the change; clicking on the Cherokee photo now brings the title, “Coming Fall 2013.”

In the past, Chrysler has had problems with releasing vehicles that were not quite ready or fully field tested; historians can bring up the disastrous 1957 line, which erased a long-standing, well-earned reputation for solid engineering, while others can choose between the 1976 Volare/Aspen, 1989 UltraDrive, and 1995 Neon for their examples. Since Sergio Marchionne took over, however, the watchword has been “quality first” even if it causes delays or cost; allpar has reported an example in the past, where already-assembled vehicles with unsatisfactory parts were stopped in their tracks for in-house repair, and the number of “pre-complaint” recalls has increased. This most recent delay highlights both the company’s recognition that a late start is better than a botched launch, and the problem of overly aggressive launch schedules.

http://www.allpar.com/news/index.php/2013/06/cherokee-delayed-again

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