Jeep Cherokee 2013 News

The New York motor show in April will see the announcement of which vehicle has won the 2014 World COTY, and there looks to be a tough -- and very varied -- field of finalists.Last year's winner was the Volkswagen Golf, which also took awards in pretty well every country on the globe. But this year it could be anything from the little electric BMW i3 to the offroading Jeep Cherokee and even the Citroen C4 peoplemover, judging by the shortlist.A panel of 69 motoring experts from around the world -- including Carsguide's Paul Gover and National Motoring Editor Joshua Dowling -- will choose the winner from: Audi A3, BMW 4 Series, BMW i3, Cadillac CTS, Citroen C4 Picasso, Ford Fusion/Mondeo, Infiniti Q50, Jeep Cherokee, Lexus IS, Mazda3, Peugeot 308 and Skoda Octavia.The 10 finalists for the 2014 World Luxury Car are the Bentley Flying Spur, BMW X5, Cadillac ELR, Cadillac Escalade, Maserati Ghibli, Maserati Quattroporte, Mercedes-Benz S-Class, Porsche Macan, Range Rover Sport and Rolls-Royce Wraith.Due to a tie, there are 11 finalists for the 2014 World Performance Car: Alfa Romeo 4C, Audi RS 6 Avant, BMW M6 Gran Coupe, Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, Ferrari 458 Speciale, Ford Fiesta ST, Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 Roadster, Mercedes-Benz A/CLA45 AMG, Porsche 911 GT3, Porsche 911 Turbo and Volkswagen Golf GTI.A separate panel of five 'green' experts will choose the 2014 World Green Car from Audi A3 Sportback e-tron (+ Audi e-gas), BMW i3, Honda Accord Hybrid, Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV and Volkswagen XL1.Similarly, a panel of five design experts will decide on the 2014 World Car Design of the Year, from among: BMW i3, Cadillac CTS, Citroen C4 Picasso, Mazda3, Lexus IS, Mercedes-Benz C-Class and Volkswagen XL1.This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott 

An American heavyweight SUV is being readied for a potential attack on Toyota's LandCruiser. After more than 15 years of unfulfilled dreams and broken promises, Dodge is finally planning to bring its Durango seven-seater to Australia.American sources confirm to Carsguide the early stages of a right-hand drive program that's been promised on the Durango since it was launched in 1998. The RHD plan exploits a mechanical platform and factory shared with the latest Grand Cherokee that's been a big success for Jeep in Australia.The massive SUV could be here inside 18 months. The Durango could even be badged as a Jeep and could, potentially, be sold with a price tag that's $5000 or less above the current $43,000 starting sticker for the Grand Cherokee.The Durango is big and bold, sells well in the US and would be relatively cheap and easy to produce in right-hand drive. Fiat Chrysler admits the idea of a Durango in Australia is a good one."If it was available, with the right mix of specifications and pricing, we are confident that Australians would love the Durango," says company spokeswoman Karla Leach."With nearly 50 per cent of the SUVs in the Grand Cherokee's competitive set being seven-seaters (having the same number) would allow us to offer a fresh and appealing alternative in this significant market segment."This reporter is on Twitter: @PaulWardGover 

It's Jeep's most polarising model ever and it is unlikely the company will produce anything as radical in the near future. The chief designer of the Jeep Cherokee, the mid-size SUV that sits under the Grand Cherokee and above the Compass, says its confronting grille design hasn't been as debated since Jeep abandoned the seven-slot grille for its SJ model in 1974.Greg Howell, the head designer of the Cherokee and who is now penning a new Dodge Ram, says he wasn't looking at history when he styled the Cherokee that is due in Australia in the second quarter of next year."The notion that we were breaking away from previous Cherokee wasn't really true because we were continuing the same design theme," he says. "But there were a lot of new targets to meet such as fuel economy and aerodynamics."A lot of the Cherokee is designed by science - the way we had to shape the A-plillar to get the wind to move acros the car as efficiently as possible, for example - then we had to ensure that below the body would do its work off the road."The Cherokee will be priced about the same as the previous model - that left Australian showrooms in February - but shares few parts. It shares the platform with the Fiat Group's Alfa Romeo Giulietta and is, obviously, now a monocoque body rather than the previous Cherokee's body-on-frame design.For American buyers, it is also a return of the Cherokee nameplate after it was replaced for almost two decades by the Liberty badge.Howell says the 2014 Cherokee has been specifically designed for a younger buyer and is therefore deliberately set apart from the Grand Cherokee. "Our research tels us that people want something modern and something versatile because they want to remain SUV owners," he says. "The vehicle should be rugged but we knew that, above all, it had to be modern. Efficiency was also a big issue because people don't want to be at the fuel pump all the time."He says it was "challenging" working with a new body design on an existing car-based platform. "We had a very specific platform and that changed the way we had to look at a new SUV," he says."For example, we have a 1m front overhang and a 30-degree approach angle. These are not normal for a serious off-road vehicle. It made us think in different ways."Howell says adopting the Giulietta CUSY platform became reality because Jeep appreciated that customers wanted an SUV with all the hallmarks of car comfort and safety. "We try to bite into the SUV and CUV (crossover) market as much as possible," he says. "So we have to introduce technology such as its nine-speed automatic transmission - a first for the market - and the high level of in-car electronics and safety."The fact is that this vehicle is like a car but is more trail capable than any other SUV in its class. Personally, I don't think it's a polarising design. It's the way to the future."This reporter is on Twitter: @cg_dowling