New arrival

Locally made Jeep Cherokee launches in China

GAC Fiat Chrysler Automobiles' domestically produced Jeep Cherokee made its Chinese market launch on Nov 3 in Chengdu, Sichuan province, at suggested prices of about 140,000 yuan ($22,040) lower than the imported model.

The locally produced Cherokee offers more configuration options, but removed the rear axle differential lock to better fit into its position as a city SUV.

The 2.4-liter Cherokee costs from 229,800 yuan to 315,800 yuan.

The new model's powertrain consists of the MultiAir 2.4-liter, four-cylinder engine and a nine-speed automatic transmission for smooth gear shifting and better fuel efficiency. It has a maximum output of 130 kW and a peak torque of 229 Nm.

The company is rolling out a 2-liter variant in the near future at an even cheaper price, starting from 200,000 yuan.

Jeep's Active Drive system is equipped to automatically recognize road surfaces and distribute torque among the four wheels accordingly.

Compared with the imported model, the domestically produced model has chromium trims on bumpers, two exhaust tips, and an upgraded front passenger seat with electronic controls.

With an aim to challenge the Volkswagen Tiguan and Buick Envision, the automaker built the Cherokee by applying FCA's World Class Manufacturing standard in its Changsha plant in Hunan province, where the model is being manufactured.

(China Daily 11/09/2015 page18)