Jeep’s Cherokee has been in the UK in various guises and its fourth iteration is probably the closest it has ever come to having a European design. This new Cherokee replaces the Compass model which never really took off in the UK and sits under the larger Grand Cherokee. Rivals include the Land Rover Freelander, the Honda CR-V and Volvo’s XC60 – but is the Cherokee good enough to worry its esteemed rivals? Performance 3.5/5 Under the bonnet, the Jeep Cherokee we tested was powered by a 168bhp diesel engine. Performance figures are not going to wow anyone but they are around average for a car of its size. This version of the Cherokee will reach 62mph from a standing start in 10.3 seconds and go on to a top speed of 119mph. Overtaking whether on motorways or single lane carriageways is poor. There’s just not enough torque anywhere while the stop/start technology is also very disappointing. It fails to kick back-in in most instances, this can leave you looking like a lemon after the traffic lights have turned green. Ride and handling 3.0/5 The Jeep is competing in one of the hottest sectors of the market. Ride comfort is very good when you get the car up to speed, however, getting the Cherokee to that place can be painful. Our version comes with a nine-speed automatic gearbox and this is where the problems begin. The ‘box is poor and ruins the journey. Power comes in waves making the car feel that it is actually lurching between first, second and third – very disconcerting. Off-road the Jeep is more refined and is great at tracking down dry river beds – just take a look at our YouTube video. For hardcore enthusiasts, opt for the Trailhawk version, it comes with underbody protection and a differential lock function to help it tackle overly difficult terrain. Interior 3.0/5 Plenty of equipment is available across the range. The entry level Longitude trim is kitted out with digital radio, Bluetooth and a touchscreen multimedia system. Our car came in Limited trim, this includes 18-inch alloys, automatic xenon headlights, automatic wipers, keyless entry, front and rear parking sensors, an electrically adjustable driver’s seat, reversing camera and a powered tailgate. On the practicality front, the Cherokee is not the biggest. With the seats in place there’s a luggage space of 412 litres, plenty for a set of golf clubs but that’s only 32 litres more than that of a VW Golf. Costs 2.5/5 Our Jeep is the 4WD version and is more expensive than the majority of its rivals while economy is mediocre at 48mpg and emissions are relative at 154g/km, while the 2WD version fares better averaging 53.3mpg and emitting 139g/km of CO2. Verdict 2.5/5 The Cherokee is a decent effort, it’s better than before but then that’s not difficult, however, the automatic box is very poor. On the costs front, this car is too expensive and needs to be positioned against the Nissan Qashqai and Mazda CX-5 rather than premium models. Back to the drawing board it is then…