Aron9000

^ If this is priced right(the Cherokee is expensive, especially in upper trim levels where it starts overlapping in price on the Grand Cherokee) they will sell A TON of them. Really good looking design, looks like a Grand Cherokee for probably $20k less.

mmarshall

I'll admit, though, that they did the new front end correctly this time. The current Cherokee, for example, even though it comes from a different platform than the Compass/Patriot, has a front end that looks like something I'd point a spray-can of RAID at LOL.

kevq35

When this redesign popped up, the first thing I thought is that the designer was influenced by the Pontiac Aztek.

Fizzboy7

This is quite disappointing. All the company did was shrink the Grand Cherokee. That is cheap, not creative, and unoriginal. This is the type of work ethic I'm afraid is spreading more and more these days- take the easy way out and do as little work as possible.

mmarshall

Can you blame them, though? Look at the Grand Cheroke's success. It's one of the most popular SUVs ever.....at one time, second only to the Ford Explorer.

Aron9000

Nothing wrong with that IMO considering what a winner the Grand Cherokee is. They thought outside of the box for the Cherokee, and the styling is an ugly, horrid mess. Same thing with the Renegade, it looks like a giant Hot Wheels toy.

Besides Lexus did the same thing with the NX, its a shrunken RX with a smaller engine, the two cars look VERY similar IMO. Same thing with the BMW X3 and X5, Benz GLC and GLE, etc, etc, etc

Fizzboy7

I don't feel copying a popular body design is a recipe for great success. It is nothing more than a safe and easy way out. Yes, you are guaranteed some decent sales, but you also miss creating a new craze that can attract even more sales. Over the decades, the most brilliant of automobiles stood out on their own for their own special look and merits. They did not copy a look that was already played out. Some examples of that are the Acura Integra/RSX, Acura Legend, the original Lexus SC, the first Ford Taurus, and the first Ford Explorer.

As far as the horrid Cherokee styling (agreed), it actually turned out to be a big seller for the brand. The Renegade seems to be selling well too.

TangoRed

The funny thing about this is that you highlighted exactly why the Compass wears conservative styling. They already offer "expressive" and "avantgarde" designs in the small-ish CUV segment. There are many, many consumers that are looking for a clean looking CUV that expresses strong brand values and manages to look relatively upscale in comparison to other choices out that there. That's the Compass. It's building on strong family resemblance with a few design flourishes to keep things looking fresh. Not everything needs to aiming to create a new craze.

Also, expect the Cherokee to lose the crazy face come refresh time. The design has been locked in.

Aron9000

Pushing the design envelope has also led to some real flops, so its a double edged sword. Things like the 1996 "oval" Taurus, the Pontiac Aztek, 1988 Olds Cutlass Supreme, Toyota Previa, the 2009 "beak" Acura TL, BMW i3, Lexus SC430, etc, etc, etc