Verdict: The Jeep badge makes a welcome return to the office car park with the new Cherokee SUV

Jeep Cherokee

What is it?

Why have a Jeep-like SUV, when you can have a proper Jeep?

For company car drivers, this has historically been a rhetorical question.

Quite simply, the CO2 emissions meant that Jeeps were out of the question for all but the most determined of user-choosers.

 But with the launch of the all-new Jeep Cherokee, all that is set to change. Not only is the Cherokee more efficient than ever, it’s also a genuinely credible alternative to its European rivals.

Jeep may boast legendary off-road credentials, but CO2 emissions of 139g/km takes the Cherokee into unknown territory.

To achieve this, you’ll need to opt for the two-wheel drive 2.0-litre diesel, but if you fancy a Jeep and don’t plan on venturing too far off the beaten track, the entry-level Cherokee makes a great deal of sense.

 Like its big brother, the Grand Cherokee, the new Cherokee feels far more European than Jeeps of old.

We were told that Jeep has hopes of stealing sales from the Audi Q5, BMW X3 and Land Rover Freelander in the UK.

Whether they can achieve this remains to be seen, but a new marketing campaign and dealer network expansion plan suggests the American brand means business.

 There’s a choice of three variants on offer, all powered by the same 2.0-litre diesel engine. The first is a two-wheel drive Cherokee with 140hp on tap and a manual gearbox.

The second adds four-wheel drive, whilst the granddaddy is the 170hp with four-wheel drive, available only with a nine-speed automatic transmission.

Buyers can choose from Longitude, Longitude+ and Limited trim levels.