In the US, where the petrol-guzzling, big-block engine is king, diesels are about as popular as bowler hats. In South Africa the grunt and economy of oil-burners have long been appreciated and turbodiesels have won four consecutive Car of the Year titles to prove the point.
The all-American sports utility, the Jeep Cherokee, recently inherited a gutsy new 2.8-litre turbodiesel engine as part of a general upgrade to the local range that also involved cosmetic nips and tucks and the introduction of a new six-speed manual gearbox.
This four-cylinder unit is a modern engine with a variable geometry turbocharger that minimises turbo lag at low revs. It supplies grunt to the Cherokee Sport and Limited models as well as to the new Renegade version tested here.
As the range's image-leader the Renegade - also available as a 3.7-litre petrol - has gone back to a macho but classic Jeep appearance with a flatter bonnet and taller grille. Adding further visual bravado are off-road fog lights, tail-light guards, bolted-on wheel arches with the bolts heads on display and large, six-spoked alloy wheels.
Extra underbody protection, should the owner decide to tackle something more strenuous than city kerbs, involved three skid plates (under the transfer case, the fuel tank and the front suspension).
The Renegade also offers a pair of optional roof lights that should come in handy for spotting low branches during night bushwhacking.
The Renegade 2,8 CRD sells for R362 900 but has only a five-speed automatic gearbox yet blends genuine off-road ability with refined on-road performance and many creature comforts. It won't suck you dry with fuel bills.
It's a very impressive vehicle and proved its worth on a trip to Bike SA magazine's recent annual 10-day Easter Desert Run to Namibia. Here it was torture-tested over nearly 4 000km loaded with four passengers, a boot crammed with luggage and a trailer with two quads over surfaces ranging from tar to soft sand, mud and corrugated dirt.
The Renegade packs a generous 120kW and 400Nm of torque (at only 1800rpm) and blends gutsy, accessible performance with good refinement. It's smooth, though has an ever-present gruff sound that never hides the fact that it's a diesel.
Minimal turbo lag results in a responsive, user-friendly power delivery that gets this SUV moving briskly from rest. This gutsy performance grows as the revs rise and makes the Cherokee an easy freeway cruiser.
The powerful engine mustered the necessary momentum to scoot over powdery desert sand - Kalahari and Namib varieties - without getting stuck, even with a trailer. The Cherokee's also equipped with the necessary tricks to handle other, rougher off-road terrain that does demand a slower pace.
Shifting from rear to all-wheel drive is conveniently done on the move and there are two modes: full-time and part-time all-wheel drive, depending on how tough conditions get.
There's also a limited-slip rear differential and a low range gear that allows you to crawl slow and safe through hilly, bumpy terrain that would dent the sump if you tried to rush it.
Try the 'overdrive off'
The five-speed auto gearbox allows point-and-squirt use, and is preferable to the six-speed manual if you plan to do a lot of off-roading. It has no manual/sequential option but the self-shifter slots efficiently between cogs.
If you want a slightly sportier drive there's an "overdrive off" button that will only let the vehicle go up to fourth gear.
Over the trip it averaged a fuel consumption of about 12 litres/100km - not bad considering the heavy load. Unladen, the consumption reduced to less than 11/100.
The Cherokee has a notably comfortable ride and wafted comfortably over most types of rough road. However, nothing could prepare us for some of the vision-blurring, corrugated dirt we encountered on our expedition and the constant juddering eventually liberated an intermittent rattle from the fascia.
Apart from that, the Cherokee is rigid and solidly built.
It's not as agile or road-focused as BMW's X3. There's some body roll and the steering is a bit vague but it feels adequately nimble for the type of driving most SUV owners tend to do. The traction from the wide tyres is good and the anti-lock brakes are effective without feeling too sharp.
The Renegade, tough on the outside but comfortable within, allowed us to appreciate Namibia's rugged beauty from cosy, air-conditioned luxury. We had children in the back but the large cabin will seat four adults without a squash and has an airy feel thanks to its large windows and tall roof.
Passenger protection comes from multi-stage front crash bags and (optional) side curtain bags.
Lighter interior colours
Back when it was accepted that American vehicles had cheap cabins that looked like the inside of a Putco bus but Jeep has clearly learned a thing or two from its partnership with Mercedes-Benz. The Cherokee's revamped interior has European-style textured fascia surfaces and upper-class finishes with soft carpets and leather seats enhancing comfort.
Cabin amendments to all Cherokee models involve lighter interior colours, wider and slightly longer front seats, flatter-folding rear seats and better ergonomics. The front seats are part-power adjustable and the driver has a height-adjustable steering wheel on which are mounted buttons for cruise control and the CD/radio sound system.
A trip data computer - revealing fuel range, average fuel consumption and air temperature - resides above the rear-view mirror.
The glove box is tiny but other oddments nooks are plentiful, along with two cupholders between the front seats. Though the boot's not especially large we managed to stuff it with an astounding amount of luggage thanks to the separate swing-up window in the tailgate.
Because cargo can be loaded and unloaded through this window (which conveniently opens with a click of the key remote) it can be piled right up against the door without worrying about it all tumbling out come unpacking time.
The boot also has a height-adjustable parcel shelf with flip-up boxes useful for carrying smaller items and the 12V power socket proved handy for inflating tyres and camping mattresses.
One of the Cherokee's less-preferred features was the wretched chime that bing-bing-binged whenever the driver' s seat belt was unbuckled, the key left in the ignition or Jupiter becomes aligned with Mars - and for several other reasons we never figured out.
SUMMARY
This is no pavement special but a genuine off-roader. Tough, yet comfy where it counts, the Cherokee Renegade successfully straddles the line between commuter and rugged adventurer. - Star Motoring