(April 18, 2013) AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — The all-new Jeep Cherokee raises the bar and is ready to take the mid-size SUV segment by storm — on any continent. Following close behind its world premiere in New York last month, the Jeep Cherokee has its international debut at the 2013 Shanghai Auto Show on April 20.

“Jeep is our global brand and, since its inception, the all-new Jeep Cherokee was conceived and developed not only for our home market of the U.S. but also for world markets,” said Mike Manley, president and CEO of Jeep Brand. “The new Jeep Cherokee will become a benchmark in the global mid-size SUV segment by combining the segment-first nine-speed automatic transmission, refined on-road manners and fuel efficiency with the capability that only Jeep can deliver and that our customers have learned to trust.”

The Jeep Cherokee, which will be known in China as “Zi You Guang,” will arrive in volume to dealer showrooms in the China market by the end of 2013.

“China is the largest market for the Jeep brand outside of the U.S., and one out of every five vehicles in the mid-size SUV segment is sold in China. Hence, it just makes sense that the new Jeep Cherokee has its international debut in Shanghai,” said Manley.

Boasting a segment-first nine-speed automatic transmission, the Jeep Cherokee delivers up to 30 percent fuel consumption improvement over the outgoing model. At launch in China, two innovative 4x4 systems will be available for all-weather capability: Jeep Active Drive I with a one-speed power transfer unit (PTU) and Jeep Active Drive II with a two-speed PTU and low range.

Housing all this efficiency and capability is a new exterior designed for the future with global appeal. Jeep designers were inspired to create a vehicle that moves Jeep into the next era with a shape that is efficient without losing Jeep DNA and design heritage. The all-new Jeep Cherokee is a vehicle that not only looks efficient and capable, but is efficient and capable — in all on-road, trail and weather conditions.

The interior of the Jeep Cherokee is modern and sophisticated, incorporating high-quality materials and precision craftsmanship alongside high-tech features, such as an available 7-inch full-color reconfigurable instrument cluster and award-winning 8.4-inch touchscreen multimedia command center.

For international markets, the Jeep Cherokee will be also available with a diesel powertrain in both left- and right-hand-drive versions.