In the midst of an international oil crisis which has seen sales of large SUVs and fuel-inefficient bakkies slump dramatically, prompting certain US carmakers to summarily shut down several plants dedicated to manufacturing these beasts, it's a brave move by the legendary Jeep brand to roll out its latest facelifted Grand Cherokee, complete with its 5.7-litre "Hemi" V8 up front and bulky, heavy body, to ferry us some 340km down to the launch venue in the foothills of the Drakensberg.

This is where it gets a little confusing, however, and having received minimal pre-launch information some of us were a little at sea... Thing is, we weren’t really here to try out this facelifted Grand, or the Commander Extreme Sport models mixed-in with the Grand Cherokees for the trip. We were here for the launch of an all-new car, the new Jeep Cherokee line-up (excluding the Grand, which is a completely different line apparently).

Still, the long drive did give us time to become acquainted with a new spec addition to this facelifted Grand, which will be offered on the regular Cherokee as well — Jeep's new MyGig infotainment setup which incorporates SatNav with a whizz-kid audio subsystem which incorporates a 20 GB hard-drive for storing your favourite songs, which you can download directly from a USB memory-stick or your iPod. One feature which I loved, although I didn't actually get to try, was the ability to rip CDs inserted into the slot directly to the hard-disk.

Jeep has in fact focussed on this manner of high-tech spec addition, as well as the exterior styling of the new model, in this latest incarnation of the long-running icon.

When we finally get to see these new vehicles in the flesh, I'm slightly disappointed. Yes, the new styling does link more strongly to the traditional Jeep profile, but it also looks a lot like the more urban-friendly Dodge Nitro. That prominent front bumper, very square nose and door-handles raided straight from the Nitro parts bin are what do it.

Getting inside reveals similar touches on the interior, like the grab-bar in front of the cubby-hole which demolishes the knees of larger front-seat passengers like me. But apart from this kind of nitpicking, the interior has definitely taken a few steps upwards in this latest incarnation, thanks to niceties like that high-tech infotainment system and superior quality trimmings on the seats.

There's also a unique new Sky Slider sunroof attached to our first test model, which adds some R12K to the list price but is an all-canvas roof structure which can be opened in both directions — so either front-seat or rear-seat passengers can get the full benefit of exposure to old Sol.

Mechanically, this Cherokee might still have that old 3.7-litre petrol V6 under the hood, but it's been quite comprehensively reworked to free up some more low-end torque in particular for those off-road conditions the Cherokee calls home. There's also a whole new 2.8-litre turbodiesel V6 on offer, and both powertrains drive a new Selec-Trac II AWD drivetrain through a choice of six-speed manual or five-speed automatic transmissions on the diesel models, and a four-speed auto standard in the petrol variant.

Salient outputs for the two engine options are 151kW at 5200rpm and 314Nm at 4000rpm for the petrol motor, with the oil-burner bumping out 130kW at 3800rpm and 410Nm from 2000-2600rpm. Opt for the autobox diesel, however, and the torque jumps to a propshaft-testing 460Nm sustained slightly further into the rev range, 2800rpm.

Jeep has also built its own Hill Descent Control function into the new Cherokee, a feature which old 4X4 diehards often take the Mickey out of and therefore Jeep has never incorporated before. This function also allows for a new Hill Start Assist system to be incorporated into the new Cherokee, which can be very helpful both in town and up treacherous, muddy slopes.

We got to drive the new Cherokee on a short but fairly testing track and can report that the latest model easily lives up to the conquer-anything reputation on which the brand is based. Some misgivings did come up however. The new turbodiesel motor is curiously torque-light from tickover and really needs at least 1500rpm before you slip the clutch, at least in normal, high-range mode. In low-range the trait is better, but you do still find it wanting some more immediate grunt right at the bottom of the tacho's travel at times.

It's a rough, old-school mill as well, noisy like a truck (which fortunately suits the Cherokee’s disposition to a Tee) and occasionally spluttering and coughing when you move from light-throttle to flat-out in a high gear, such as overtaking on the highway, for instance.

Speaking of the highway, however, it is impressive that this new vehicle is able to transpose its hardcore off-roading mechanicals into a composed on-road demeanour. Sure it still jounces a bit, but you cannot have the best of both worlds, or at least we've never seen it. This on-road refinement is assisted by the new suspension and steering configuration, which couples a five-link rear setup to independent front with short- and long-arm coil springs, with stabiliser bars at both ends.

That slab-sided frontage and the full-time AWD don't do either vehicle any favours in the fuel-consumption race, both drinking their chosen brew quite heavily even when cruising at a constant speed on the smooth, flat highway.

It's quite simply tech-packed the new Cherokee: all models feature integrated tyre-pressure monitoring at all corners, rear PDC, hands-free phone connectivity, remote keyless entry and a raft of new safety features. This vehicle would certainly perform well on that EuroNCAP test regime.

For Jeep aficionados, the all-new Cherokee is an absolute must-have. It is without doubt the best Jeep to bear this brand name since the original started pummelling the wilds into submission many moons ago. Those additional, exclusive features enhance the value proposition significantly, making this a highly desirable vehicle for those needing a mid-sized SUV complete with full-on bundu-bashing potential.

But you will pay for this killer hardware at the pumps and in on-road comfort, the latter being the least concerning as it's a driving feel you expect of a machine of this calibre.

Just overlook the hints of shared Nitro DNA — these are pretty much all aesthetic anyway with the all-important under-the-skin components being pure, unadulterated Jeep to the core. Come to the rough stuff though, and only other specialised, expensive monsters like Land Rovers would have any chance of maintaining station.

Pricing
Cherokee Sport 2.8 CRD A5: R349 900
Cherokee Sport 2.8 CRD M6: R339 900
Cherokee Sport 3.7 A6: R299 900
Cherokee Ltd 2.8 CRD A5: R369 900
Cherokee Ltd 2.8 CRD M6: R359 900
Cherokee Ltd 3.7 A6: R319 900