Chrysler Jeep Cheroke 2014

The last Jeep product to wear the Cherokee nameplate was so beloved it survived three corporate ownership changes and an onslaught of more advanced competitors before finally meeting its demise at the hands of Daimler in 2001. Launched in 1984, that Cherokee—known internally as the XJ—and its boxy looks and loyal-bulldog reputation became an icon, and Jeep had no choice but to leave the name off its replacement. Calling the first-gen Liberty a Cherokee would have been akin to McDonald’s trying to pass off a tofu and bean-sprout sandwich as the Big Mac. (Of course, that didn’t stop Jeep from selling the Liberty as the Cherokee overseas.) But now, with a 12-year production run of the Liberty serving as buffer, Jeep is bringing back the Cherokee name to America, this time applying it to a vehicle that appears to be more CUV than SUV.

Chrysler is making new model of the 2014 Jeep Cherokee, which were slated to start next week in Seattle. This car won’t effect the actual on-sale date of the new Cherokee, which is set to hit showrooms in September.