How the Jeep XJ Changed the UK’s SUV Perspective

By Patrick Morgan - May 5, 2020

Jeep Cherokee Wagoneer first hit British shores as an XJ body, and by all accounts it had left a lasting impression.

It’s fair to say the Jeep Cherokee XJ was responsible for bringing the SUV on the market. Utilizing a unibody construction, it feels more car-like than any other truck-based rig before that. It’s still revered here in the US, but what about an overseas perspective? Harry Metcalfe from the Harry’s Garage YouTube explains how it is still seen as a great vehicle.

The main advantage of the XJ was its size, specifically over that of the SJ. “The SJ that came before it was 31 inches longer than this. And this shrunk it down, but the interior space is 90% of what that car offered. They’d done a fantastic packaging job,” Metcalfe says. For smaller British roads, this was ideal, but the Jeep had some home-grown competition in Land Rover. “This [Jeep] was priced at 23,595. If I look at a [Land Rover] 4.6 HSE, same sort of performance, it was 43,950. Nearly twice the price. Or this is a half-price Range Rover. Think of it like that.”

The Jeep Cherokee Wagoneer first hit British shores as an XJ body, and by all accounts it had left a lasting impression.

While the Land Rover did have more luxury, it still felt very much like a truck. The Jeep Cherokee – in this instance a top trim Wagoneer model – felt far more like a car. And with a 4.0-liter straight-six engine, performed more like a car than a truck, too. “After that initial bite, it’s OK, the performance. Though we’re 30, 40 years on from when this car first came out. But wow for an SUV, it gets a move on!” Handling of the Jeep was also superior to that of the Land Rover too. There was no wayward truck-like handling in the Jeep. If you really think about it, we can thank the XJ for paving the way to SUV’s like the Trackhawk to exist.

The Jeep Cherokee Wagoneer first hit British shores as an XJ body, and by all acounts it had left a lasting impression.

Being unibody didn’t affect the Jeep’s ability to traverse off-road, either. A selectable four-wheel-drive was just as effective as any other off-roader. Metcalfe even tests the grip on a slippery incline of wet grass. Even with this specific Jeep’s all-season tires, it grips without fuss.

Metcalfe comes away from the experience admiring the Jeep for what it represents. It was a culminated effort from AMC and Renault, which gave this distinctively American vehicle some European flavor. Besides, who doesn’t love the Wagoneer trim with that woodgrain applique on the sides?