Refreshed 2019 Jeep Cherokee: 5 Not-So-Obvious Things That Improved
The refreshed 2019 Jeep Cherokee debuted at the Detroit Auto Show with a bunch of updates both inside and out.
The most noticeable changes are the new headlights and engine options, but speaking with AutoGuide.com at the show, Mark Allen, Head of Jeep Design for FCA North America, highlighted a few changes that might not be obvious at first glance.
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Much Lighter Rear Liftgate
Using a composite and lightweight material, the redesigned liftgate of the refreshed Cherokee is approximately 20 pounds lighter and the new aluminum hood, lighter LEDs, and enhanced suspension setup help shed a total 200 pounds in total.
Revised Grille Treatment
The size of each individual slot on the upper grille area was increased slightly to help provide more air flow to the newly introduced 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder engine. The newly designed lower grille helps keep that air flowing evenly.
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LED Projector Headlights and Fog Lamps
Available on Latitude trims and above, these new lights have superior beam control than the previous model and are designed to have a much wider range for safer night time driving. The fog lights are now available in LED for the first time and allow for a more cohesive front end look when they are used simultaneously with the headlights.
Wider Trunk
The trunk area has been reshaped, is now three inches wider, and provides four more usable cubic feet. The trunk opening also benefits from this and is larger than before to ease loading and unloading of cargo.
Faster Response Times for UConnect
Despite UConnect being one of the best infotainment systems on the market, FCA refined the algorithms in the software and made menus easier to access, improved response times, and made reactions to inputs much less laggy.
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Chidi loves talking about cars. He enjoys exploring the limits of new car technology and performance vehicles. When he is not writing features for AutoGuide, you will most likely find him perusing Kijiji or Autotrader listings for unique classic nameplates.
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does jeep offer Android Auto yet?
So can Jeep and Uconnect roll out a software update to older Cherokees that will improve the response time/lag on their Uconnect systems also?