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| Jeep Cherokee |
The exciting announcement came at a press conference during media day for the 2014 Canadian International Autoshow in Toronto, Ontario.
This third-party, expert recognition of the all-new Jeep Cherokee as the 2014 Canadian Utility Vehicle of the Year comes as the culmination of AJAC’s 26th-annual Canadian Car of the Year (CCOTY) awards program.
It began in October 2013, with 80 top-level automotive journalists from across the country gathering in Niagara Falls, Ontario for "TestFest." The highly-regarded annual event saw journalists drive and vote on 174 new or significantly changed vehicles back-to-back on the same day, under the same conditions, on closed and public roads.
In early December, the 2014 Jeep Cherokee was named AJAC’s "Best New SUV/CUV Under $35,000," beating out a quartet of rivals from one of the country’s most popular and hard-fought vehicle segments and earning a shot at the 2014 Canadian Utility Vehicle of the Year crown.
The "TestFest" voting results are not the personal opinion of just one journalist. Rather, they are a combination of objective data and evaluation entered on secret ballots by those 80 expert members. The results are tabulated by accounting firm KPMG and were kept secret until the winners were announced.
“From our engineers, to our management, to the people on the assembly line and everyone in between, I can’t truly express how excited we at Chrysler Group are to see the all-new Jeep Cherokee named 2014 Canadian Utility Vehicle of the Year by AJAC,” said Reid Bigland, President and CEO, Chrysler Canada. “To achieve this honour amongst such diverse and worthy competition is both humbling and a reinforcement of our goal to completely redefine what Canadians should expect from an affordable, mid-size SUV. Whether through its cutting-edge design, class-exclusive tech like a segment-first nine-speed automatic transmission, legendary Jeep 4x4 capability or more than 70 advanced safety and security features, the 2014 Cherokee is resonating well with consumers.”
This latest product from the world-famous Jeep brand, Cherokee is manufactured in Toledo, Ohio and is the first Jeep built upon the Compact U.S. Wide (CUS-wide) platform co-developed with Chrysler Group’s corporate partner Fiat S.p.A.
Other highlights of the all-new 2014 Jeep Cherokee include:
- A 2.4-litre Tigershark MultiAir I-4 engine, delivering a more than 45-per cent fuel economy improvement versus the outgoing Jeep Liberty model and nearly 800 kilometres of driving range
- The first use of Chrysler Group’s new 3.2-litre Pentastar V6 engine
- Best-in-class capability via three new four-wheel-drive systems
- A new Jeep Selec-Terrain traction control system with up to five customized modes - Auto, Snow, Sport, Sand/Mud and Rock
- Best-in-class V6 towing capability – 4,500 pounds
- World-class craftsmanship with an exceptionally quiet cabin
- A full-colour 7-inch reconfigurable TFT instrument cluster
- A Uconnect 8.4-inch colour touchscreen media centre
- The first Chrysler Group use of Parallel/Perpendicular Park Assist System aids the driver in parallel/perpendicular parking