Quote:
Originally Posted by Wooders
There are a number of factors the KL isn't doing great:
1. The negative campaigns would have no doubt hurt some sales
2. Diluted market. The Cherokee, Renegade, Compass & Patriot similar base specs.
3. Price although the KL is similar in driveline etc to the others its 10k more....
4. I no longer think of a new cherokee of much if a tow rig. This is highlighted by the 2wd has an unbraked limit of only 450kg....for less money (5k less) buy a 4wd compass or Patriot and get 750kg unbraked.
5. Looks. Lets be honest its an acquired look and distant from any of the other brand traditional looks.
6. And its a pretty crowded market slot.....
7. Marketing - whilst Jeep have pushed the brand name out, I don't reslly think the Cherokee itself has been marketed.
8. There would be more reasons but think that's a fair start.
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I think you're kindof on the mark... But comparing anything to the Compass/Patriot is rough! They were an average vehicle 10 years ago... I had a Compass loaner from the dealer only yesterday and it's a shadow of the vehicle the Cherokee is. There's a reason they're under $30k.
The KL isn't going to tow like a diesel GC... But the TD and V6 Petrol will tow a (braked) camper or mid size van respectably. 750kg on the back of a Compass and you'd want to allow plenty of time for the journey...
Looks - yeah it's not for everyone - but if I wanted something generic I'd have bought Japanese and not taken the chance on an FCA product.
To be honest I see plenty of KL's around Melbourne - as you say there's just so many options in that midsize SUV market, it's difficult to tell who's "winning". Then of course there's FCA and their ability to make warranty issues a living hell for people. It's no wonder some buyers are trigger-shy.
You also can't discount the fact that Cherokee has been overlooked for a long time - the KJ and KK were solid products but finish quality and road manners fell short of their (admittedly more road-oriented) competitors - and also the GC for that matter. The Cherokee largely dropped off the radar of many buyers. Add that to a different product position and they're almost starting from scratch to establish what the modern "Cherokee" brand means. It takes time for the market to catch on.