JEEP attempts to raise the bar with the latest Cherokee - and largely succeeds.

The American off-road legend gives its mid-sized SUV better road manners, improved fuel efficiency and, of course, an enhanced 4x4 capability as well as the latest gizmos to play with.

The exterior design is pure Jeep with the seven-spoke grille present as usual - but this time wrapped over the edge of the bonnet. Together with the headlight slits it looks a bit like a shark with a particularly vicious set of teeth.

It certainly gives the Cherokee road presence and there is no way you are ever going to mistake it for some other motor.

The rest of the exterior conforms to the usual SUV gene pool with stylish lines, chunky alloys, roof rails, dual chrome exhaust tips and a powered tailgate, while the pronounced wheelarches give a muscular feel to the bodywork.

The airy cabin boasts most mod cons including comfortable powered bucket seats that are fully adjustable allowing the driver to attain the perfect position behind the wheel. The seat slides back to allow you to exit the vehicle easily then reverts to the previous driving position when the ignition button is pressed.

Four adults sees the Cherokee in its comfort zone with a fifth able to be accommodated at a push.

There is plenty of luggage space in the rear so the family's weekly shopping expedition or a trip to the golf course are both handled with ease.

The 591-litre boot can be extended to just over 700-litres by sliding the rear seats forward, with 1,267 litres of space created when they are folded flat - while lengthy items can be accommodated by folding the front passenger seat over. There is also a useful set of bag hooks and a stowage bin underneath the boot floor which offers 77 litres of hidden storage.

There are lots of cubby holes including a covered one on top of the dashboard - handy for door keys - and an armrest box between the driver and front seat passenger that swallows mobile phones and wallets with aplomb. There are also two neat cup holders that drop down between the rear seat passengers. I thought the door pockets were a little tight but in fairness they were quite deep.

There are plenty of neat features on the Limited model I drove including push button ignition, cruise control, stop/start to save fuel in traffic and a big touchscreen giving access to the Cherokee's media centre via an 8.4-inch colour display.

While comprehensive, the screen is perhaps more complicated than it needs to be as you have to spend longer than ideal looking at it to figure out what you want.

Similarly, the steering wheel is festooned with controls on both front and rear. This is initially a tad confusing as you surf between various modes and radio stations - when all you want to do is turn the volume up.

The Cherokee is relaxing to drive with a slick nine-speed automatic transmission offering seamless gear changes. A dial offers the opportunity to adjust for terrain with four driving settings from Auto to Snow, via Sport and Sand-Mud. Together with traction control, electronic roll mitigation and an excellent off-road suspension this SUV offers a high degree of competency when venturing off piste.

The 2.0-litre diesel engine provides plenty of grunt so copes well with the weight of a big motor and, in tandem with the transmission, offers a claimed 16 per cent improvement in efficiency compared to the old Cherokee.

The steering is light although the turning circle isn't the tightest so you need to make your move in good time to get into that city centre parking spot.

The ride is smooth with humps and hollows treated with disdain so the Cherokee is equally at home on the motorway or barrelling along country lanes with the four-wheel drive system ensuring there is always a reassuring, confidence-inspiring amount of grip.

It is choc-full of safety systems and parking sensors so you'll have to get used to a lot of beeping as various alarms warn you of the proximity of other vehicles or approaching speed cameras.