This is the 2015 Renegade’s moment in the sun. It’s a fresh product and helps Jeep break into a segment that’s new to it. It was even the star of its parent brand’s Super Bowl XLIX commercial. We shouldn’t forget about the Cherokee, though.
Its nine-speed automatic and unusual styling has brought Jeep into the future. The Trailhawk version of the 2015 Cherokee has also brought Four Wheeler Magazine’s title of “Four Wheeler of the Year” home to the off-road automaker.
The publication’s “jurors conduct a variety of tests over more than 1,000 miles on a variety of terrain, including pavement, gravel, dirt, sand, rocks, mud and snow at elevations ranging from sea level to more than 9,000 feet.” They praised the mid-size ute’s technology, which includes the 3.2-liter Pentastar V6’s fuel-saving engine stop-start system; design; creature comforts; and, of course, off-road abilities. I’m sure the Trailhawk’s one-inch factory lift, locking rear diff, and skid plates helped it in that last category. An approach angle of 29.8 degrees, a departure angle of 32.1 degrees, and a breakover angle of 23.3 degrees probably didn’t hurt, either.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
