The 2018 Jeep Cherokee has launched to motoring media in Australia and goes on-sale here in October priced from $35,950+ORC.

The 2018 Jeep Cherokee has launched to the media in Australia but won’t go on-sale here until October. Jeep has taken styling cues from its other recently released models to give the Cherokee a much-needed image transformation.

Indeed, the maligned front-end of the old car has been ditched in favour of a new-look snout that borrows heavily from other Jeeps. The rear tailgate too has been revamped. The interior has also been given a work over.

Impressively, prices haven’t risen too much while the features added amount to thousands of dollars of extra goodies. Whether this will help the Cherokee to gain a foothold remains to be seen. For now, there’s no diesel engine available in the range.

The entry-level Sport starts from and unchanged $35,950+ORC but ithere’s only one engine available, a 130kW/229Nm 2.4-litre petrol engine which is front-wheel drive only and mated to a nine-speed automatic.

Standard kit includes a 7.0-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay/Android Auto. A leather-wrapped steering wheel, LED headlights, taillights and DRLs too, 17-inch alloys, manual air conditioning, power-folding heated exterior mirrors, black roof rails and floor mats are also among the standard features. Jeep says the extra standard safety gear and features adds around $4000 in value to the entry-level Sport.

Stepping up to the Longitude sees a price rise of $500 ($41,950+ORC), which adds all-wheel drive and a 200kW/315Nm 3.2-litre V6. The features list grows to include the Selec-Terrain system, 17-inch alloy wheels. Dual-zone climate control, rain-sensing wipers, power-adjustable front seats, rear parking sensors, powered hands-free tailgate, keyless entry and ignition, automatic headlights and paddle shifters on the steering wheel. According to Jeep, the Longitude boasts an extra $4500 of features for the price increase but can be upgraded with a $1650 option pack that adds adaptive cruise control, side distance warning and an auto-parking system.

At the top of the tree are the Limited and Trailhawk (pictured). The Limited is priced from $46,950+ORC – a $1000 jump but with a claimed $6500 of extra gear. The features list has 18-inch alloys, an 8.4-inch touchscreen, leather trim, heated and ventilated front seats, adaptive cruise control, automatic high beam, nine-speaker Alpine sound system and upgraded instrument panel. Extra-cost options are few – a panoramic sunroof for $2200 and 18-inch polished/painted alloy wheels add $950.

Jeep has dropped the Trailhawk’s price tag by $1500 to $48,450+ORC but claims $3500 of extra value in the features list, top of the list being the dual-range transfer case for the 4WD system, rear diff lock, extra underbody protection, hill descent control, more clearance and more terrain options (it adds a Rock mode) on the Selec-Terrain system. Its nose and tail are cut for better approach and departure angles, although the rear muffler looks a little exposed beneath the tail.

The Trailhawk also gets satellite navigation, the leather /cloth trimmed seats, automatic high beam, rubber floor mats; options include the $2200 sunroof and a Trailhawk Premium Package for $2950 which enables the second row to slide fore and aft, as well as adding, among other things, front seat heaters and coolers, an alarm, leather-trimmed seats (standard on the predecessor), black-painted 17-inch alloys and adaptive cruise control.

Read our first-drive review of the 2018 Jeep Cherokee.