Jeep · 2013–2023

Jeep Cherokee (KL)

The Jeep Cherokee (KL) is a compact crossover SUV that was manufactured and marketed by the Jeep marque of Stellantis North America. Introduced for model year 2014 at the 2013 New York International Auto Show, sales began in November 2013. It occupies a position between the smaller Compass and the larger Grand Cherokee in Jeep's global lineup.

Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

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Overview

Jeep previewed the fifth-generation Cherokee in February 2013, shortly after the releasing the Compass, Patriot, and Grand Cherokee. The Cherokee debuted at the New York International Auto Show on March 27, 2013. The North American market saw the Cherokee nameplate for the first time since the 2001 departure of the Cherokee (XJ). Other markets retained the Cherokee name with the introduction of the Liberty in the North American markets. The Cherokee is the first Jeep vehicle to use the Fiat Compact Wide platform, which was co-developed by Chrysler and Fiat. It features a wheelbase of 106.3 inches (2,700 mm), 1.1 inches (28 mm) longer than the 1993 Jeep Grand Cherokee, 5.1 inches (130 mm) longer than its predecessor, the Jeep Cherokee XJ, and 2.7 inches (69 mm) shorter than the original Jeep Cherokee (SJ). The Jeep Cherokee could be equipped with three different four-wheel-drive systems: Active Drive I, Active Drive II, and Active Drive Lock. All of these systems came with Jeep's Selec-Terrain traction control system and rear-axle disconnect feature. The rear axle disconnect feature, a first for a compact SUV, disconnects the rear axle when four-wheel-drive is not needed. This lowers parasitic drivetrain load, thereby improving fuel efficiency. The Cherokee's official size classification is somewhat debated. Jeep officially considers the Cherokee to fit into the mid-size crossover class on account of its large exterior dimensions and engine options. However, due to the Cherokee's comparatively small interior space, it is often grouped with other compact crossovers alongside the Jeep Compass.

Trim levels

The Cherokee was available in several trim levels: Sport (2014–2018). The Sport served as the base model between 2014 and 2018. It includes seventeen-inch steel wheels, the Uconnect 5.0 touch screen radio, six speakers, cloth seating surfaces, a 2.4-liter Tigershark I4 engine, and nine-speed ZF automatic transmission. It comes in both 4×2 and 4×4 configurations. In 2015, the 3.2-liter Pentastar V6 also became available on this model. Seventeen-inch alloy wheels are available as part of the Sport Appearance Package. The Sport was replaced with the Latitude starting in 2019. Latitude (2014–2023). The Latitude was Jeep's volume trim of the Cherokee line. It added alloy wheels and body-colored door handles and side view mirrors. It comes in both 4×2 and 4×4. In Canada, the model was dubbed North 4×2 or North 4×4. The Latitude came with the 8.4" Uconnect and premium sound option as standard, whereas on the North, it was an optional upgrade. An Altitude trim, derived from the Latitude, was introduced in spring 2014, which added black alloy wheels and blacked-out accents. The Latitude became the new base model Cherokee in 2019, replacing the Sport, and a new Latitude Plus trim was introduced to take the place of the old Latitude model. For 2021, a new Latitude Lux trim added some of the features found on the Limited trim, such as Nappa luxury leather-trimmed seating surfaces, the Uconnect 4 8.4" touchscreen infotainment system, and dual heated front seats. Base Latitude and Latitude Plus trims were discontinued for the 2022 model year, although the Latitude Lux trim remained available until 2023. X (2022–2023). The X trim became available in 2022. Building off of the base Altitude trim, the X added Trailhawk-inspired exterior styling, combination vinyl-and-cloth-trimmed seatin

Production

The Cherokee began production in the Toledo Complex plant in the spring of 2013. Jeep pushed back the release date of the Cherokee to allow time for the development of the nine-speed automatic transmission by ZF. The new Cherokee arrived at dealerships in mid-fall 2013. In late summer 2013, Jeep temporarily ceased production of its all-new Cherokee because of a transmission software issue. A few thousand Cherokees had already been produced, and would remain at the factory until a fix could be issued. In October 2013, a software fix was issued to the Cherokee, resuming production of the vehicle and shipment to dealers in the U.S. By November, the sales had started well in both the U.S. and Canada, with at least four weeks of stock depletion due to pre-order. Chrysler stated on December 11, 2013, that the Cherokee advertisement campaign with the tagline Built Free was the most successful one since the introduction of the 2011 Dodge Charger. The Cherokee was introduced in Europe in the spring of 2014. To meet the demands of European buyers, the model was fitted with one or more diesel powertrains, most likely one or more versions of the FIAT Multijet engine with a displacement of 2.0-liter and 170 PS (168 hp; 125 kW). Production in Toledo ended in spring 2017, with 949,151 units having been built there. FCA moved production of the Jeep Cherokee to its Belvidere Assembly facility, where the Jeep Compass and Jeep Patriot, as well as the Dodge Dart (PF) were produced until 2016. The Belvidere Assembly facility did not have to be retooled in order to produce the Cherokee, and the production change took place after the Dart was discontinued following the 2017 model year. FCA invested $700 million into the plant and added 700 jobs to the Toledo North. The Belvidere Assembly Plan

Powertrain

The Cherokee featured Chrysler's 2.4-liter Tigershark I4 engine that produced a maximum output of 187 PS (138 kW; 184 hp) and 232 N⋅m (171 lb⋅ft; 24 kg⋅m) of torque. The most efficient model had a highway fuel economy rating of 31 mpg‑US (7.6 L/100 km; 37 mpg‑imp), which was 45% better than the Liberty/Cherokee it replaced, and a driving range of 495 miles (797 km). Optional for the Cherokee was Chrysler's new 3.2 L Pentastar V6 engine. It achieved 29 mpg‑US (8.1 L/100 km; 35 mpg‑imp) and produced up to 275 PS (202 kW; 271 hp) and 324 N⋅m (239 lb⋅ft; 33 kg⋅m) of torque. The Cherokee was Chrysler's first product to feature the all-new engine. In select markets, FCA offered an all-new 2.2-liter Multijet II common rail direct injection turbodiesel with 185 PS (136 kW; 182 hp) or 200 PS (147 kW; 197 hp) and 440 N⋅m (325 lb⋅ft; 45 kg⋅m) of torque, achieving fuel economy of 49.6 mpg‑imp (5.70 L/100 km; 41.3 mpg‑US) combined. Cherokees for sale in the United States featured Chrysler's new nine-speed automatic transmission, designed by ZF and manufactured by Chrysler. Cherokees for sale in Europe may feature a 6-speed manual transmission. Not only was the Cherokee the first Chrysler vehicle to feature a nine-speed transmission, it was also the first sport utility vehicle to feature a nine-speed transmission. The transmission yields approximately two additional miles per gallon with the V6 engine option compared to a six speed automatic. New for the 2019 model year was the 2.0-liter "Hurricane" turbo inline-4 (I4) gasoline engine. It delivered 270 horsepower (274 PS; 201 kW) at 5,200 rpm and 295 lb⋅ft (400 N⋅m; 41 kg⋅m) of torque between 3,000 and 4,500 rpm with the help of direct fuel injection. Front-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive models are available, with Jeep's Selec-Terr

Transmission issues

The Cherokee was the first vehicle to market to use ZF's new 9-speed automatic transaxle. It featured an unconventional design that reduced its size and increased fuel economy over more conventional transmissions, but increased its complexity. The initial release of the Cherokee was delayed by several weeks citing quality concerns with the transmission, and multiple reports of issues with shift quality and reliability surfaced shortly after launch. Both 2014 and 2015 Cherokees have a high number of consumer complaints on safecar.gov and carcomplaints.com compared to similar models of its class, with the vast majority of complaints being related to the transmission. FCA's chief quality officer was forced to leave shortly after a poor Consumer Reports review on the dependability of models including the Cherokee, and so far, Chrysler has released three software updates for the 2014–2015 Cherokee transmission. The company has continued to assert that the problem is software-related. However, Chrysler has been repairing some Cherokee models' transmission "snap ring" to address durability concerns. Multiple vehicles that use the same ZF model transmission, such as the Range Rover Evoque, Honda Pilot, Acura TLX, Chrysler 200, and even the similarly built Jeep Renegade have had issues of varying severity as well. ZF, the transmission's designer, has also insisted that the issue is with software, and would not comment on any improvements being made. As of August 2016, ZF had issued a recall regarding the 9-speed automatic transmission affecting 505,000 vehicles. ZF has been quoted for suggesting that the issues were related to a faulty control sensor could cause the transmission to randomly drop into neutral while driving. These transmission issues delayed the release of the all

Software hack

In July 2015, FCA issued a recall of 1.4 million vehicles after a software glitch was discovered which would allow hackers to wirelessly hijack vehicles and electronically control vital functions. IT security researchers Charlie Miller and Chris Valasek hacked a 2014 Jeep Cherokee and gained access to the car over the Internet, which allowed them to control the vehicle's radio, A/C, and windshield wipers, as well as the Cherokee's steering, brakes and transmission. Chrysler published a patch that car owners could download and install via a USB stick, or have a car dealer install for them. The software glitch impacted the 2014–2015 Jeep Cherokee, as well as the 2015 Chrysler 200, Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger, Dodge Challenger, 2013–2014 SRT and Dodge Viper, 2014–2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee (WK2), and 2013–2015 Ram Truck 1500 through 5500. All vehicles were equipped with either the Uconnect 3C 8.4A (RA3) or the Uconnect 3C 8.4AN (RA4) infotainment systems, which featured Uconnect Access, and used a Sprint 3G CDMA wireless connection in the vehicle to access services and apps. Vehicles equipped with the Uconnect 2 3.0/3.0BT (RA1), Uconnect 3 5.0BT (RA2), and Uconnect 6.5A (RA4) were unaffected by the software glitch, as those radios did not feature a built-in wireless connection. Vehicles equipped with the older Uconnect 3 8.4A (RE2) and Uconnect 8.4N (RB5) infotainment systems were also unaffected for the same reason.

Sections adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0); text is shortened. Read the full article for the complete history and citations.

Specifications

name

Jeep Cherokee (KL)

Manufacturer

Jeep

Production

2013 – February 2023

Model years

2014–2023

Assembly

United States: Toledo, Ohio (Toledo Complex: 2013–2017); Belvidere, Illinois (Belvidere Assembly Plant: 2017–2023), China: Changsha, Hunan , (GAC Fiat Chrysler: 2015–2022)

Designer

Greg Howell (2010)

Class

Compact crossover SUV

Body style

5-door SUV

Platform

FCA Compact Wide

Related

Chrysler 200 (2015–2017), Jeep Grand Commander

Layout

Front-engine, front-wheel drive or four-wheel drive

Engine

Diesel: , 2.0 L FCA/FPT Multijet II common rail (turbo-diesel) I4 , 2.2 L Fiat/CNH Multijet II I4 common rail (turbo), Gasoline:, 2.0 L GEMA Tigershark I4 (China), 2.0 L Alfa Romeo GME T4 Hurricane I4, 2.4 L GEMA Tigershark I4 , 3.2 L Chrysler Pentastar V6

Transmission

6-speed manual, 9-speed ZF 948TE automatic

Wheelbase

106.3 in

Length

182 in, 183-183.8 in (China)

Width

73.2 in (Sport, Latitude, and Limited models) or 74.9 in (Trailhawk model only), 73.2-75 in (China)

Height

66.2 -, 66.4-68.1 in (China)

Kerb weight

3655 -, 3670 - (China)

Predecessor

Jeep Cherokee/Liberty (KK), Dodge Nitro, Jeep Patriot (Russia)

Successor

Jeep Cherokee (KM)

Specification summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Check the linked sources for citations.

More photos

US EPA fuel-economy records

US EPA test figures (US MPG, US test cycle).

Sources

• Wikidata — https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6172906CC0 1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-01
• Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeep_Cherokee_(KL)CC BY-SA 4.0 · Text © Wikipedia contributors; revision 1365272247 · retrieved 2026-10-01
• Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2019_Jeep_Cherokee_Latitude_front_5.27.18.jpgCC BY-SA 4.0 · Photo: Kevauto · retrieved 2026-10-01
• Manufacturer website (link only) — https://www.jeep.com/cherokee.htmlLink only; no content copied · retrieved 2026-10-01
• Car Model Index — https://models.autoculturesociety.com/Compiled record. Sources that do not permit reuse are not copied; this index is credited instead.

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