2014 Jeep Cherokee

Jeep will revive its well-known Cherokee nameplate on the next-generation, 2014 model-year replacement for the current Liberty mid-size SUV. The new Cherokee will make its debut at the New York auto show, the end of March, and will go on sale in the third quarter of this year.

The first-generation Liberty was introduced as a 2002 model, replacing the earlier Cherokee in North America, although the Cherokee name continued to be used on the new model in Europe and other markets.

The second-generation, and current, Liberty arrived as a 2008 model and continued in production until last August when Chrysler's Toledo North Assembly Plant in Toledo, Ohio, where it was built, shut down for changeover to production of the new Cherokee.

Chrysler says, "the (Cherokee) name is instantly recognizable as the most capable and versatile mid-size SUV in the world."

The new Cherokee will be built on what Chrysler calls its CUSW (Compact U.S. Wide)(CUSW) platform, which is also the base for the Dodge Dart and the European-built Alfa Romeo Giulietta hatchback.

While it shares a passenger-car platform, Jeep promises that it will offer best-in-class capability – which presumably includes traditional Jeep off-road prowess – as well as exemplary on-road driving dynamics and fuel economy improvements of more than 45% compared to the Liberty.

It's assumed that the Cherokee will feature a V-6 engine and nine-speed automatic transmission, but those details aren't confirmed.

The company will release more information closer to the vehicle’s New York debut.