With all the bad news coming out of Detroit at the start of the new year, it was good to see that Chrysler was still moving ahead with some new Jeep product. According to Brenda Priddy, the SUV her shooter captured in full camo is the '10 Cherokee. Code-named WL, the new Cherokee rides on an all-new platform that will also appear under the next-generation Dodge Durango and Mercedes ML. This platform was intended as the basis for the new Commander, but when that vehicle was killed, it became the new Cherokee.

The platform is flexible enough, says Priddy's inside sources, to accommodate five- and seven-passenger models. Engine choices will range from 3.3L and 3.6L versions of Chrysler's new Phoenix V-6 to the 5.7L Hemi. Expect the Chrysler/GM/BMW two-mode hybrid system to make an appearance as well. Insiders hint that the new Cherokee will have an aluminum front axle and a tow rating of up to 8,000 pounds and most likely independent suspension front and rear. Those who have seen the Jeep without its invisibility cloak say it looks like the Trailhawk concept (below, from the '07 North American International Auto Show) "but with sharper lines." Production should begin at the start of 2010.


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