The XJ Jeep Cherokee Is One Of The Most Vital Vehicles Of The Last 50 Years

Jeep’s modern model lineup is commonly criticized for its lack of desirability and dismal reliability popularity, even rating dead last in Consumer Reports’ brand rankings last yr, worse than other brands with troubled reputations like Land Rover and Alfa Romeo. If you happen to’re an old fart like me, it looks like it wasn’t all that way back that Jeeps played starring roles in blockbuster movies, and its offered consumers desirable SUVs that set the long-lasting American off-road brand other than its more boring competitors. The model that earned Jeep its mainstream stardom, taking it from being a producer of clumsy but capable trucks to an industry-leading, segment-defining titan was the unique Cherokee, otherwise known by its internal model code, the XJ.

Not only did the XJ revolutionize Jeep’s popularity as an organization, it revolutionized the worldwide automotive landscape as we understand it. Jason Cammisa dives deep into the history and the cultural significance of the unique Jeep Cherokee in the newest sensible video in Hagerty’s Revelations series.

The Cherokee was the primary SUV that was in a position to mix the normal SUV trait of off-roadability with genuinely good on-road characteristics and improved ergonomics in comparison with the normal family sedan and even the lauded family wagon. On this video, Cammisa even goes up to now as to assert that it’s America’s favorite hot hatchback because of the XJ Cherokee’s excellent driving dynamics and peppy power when properly equipped. How did it achieve this unprecedented feat of engineering? By pioneering a brand new sort of packaging for an SUV — the unibody construction that was more space-efficient, lighter weight, higher handling, and more structurally sound.

Before the Cherokee, all SUVs, even those that were aimed more at on-road family automobile use, were bodies bolted to heavy, bulky and clumsy frames that severely impeded day-to-day practicality and livability. The Cherokee, in contrast, prioritized on-road competence first. It began with a unibody construction method that had previously been limited to smaller cars and wagons and added a boxed steel frame member welded across the chassis perimeter to maintain the Cherokee’s towing capability competitive. This construction method, in addition to other innovations in suspension design and tons of engineering hours, allowed the Cherokee to be essentially the most versatile small SUV, and arguably essentially the most versatile vehicle available on the market on the time. The XJ Cherokee’s innovation revolutionized the automotive landscape endlessly, and paved the way in which for virtually all the hyper-refined modern SUVs and crossovers you purchase today.