Whether you’ve been keeping track of the Jeep Cherokee periodically or just stumbled upon the news of the 2023 line-up, you’re likely aware of the new trim—the Jeep Cherokee Altitude Lux. So, if you had been planning on visiting a Jeep dealer, you now have yet another trim to consider for your future compact SUV. …Or do you?
Simply mentioning another trim emerging for the 2023 model year doesn’t really tell of where the Altitude Lux fits among the hierarchy of Cherokee trims. Let’s dive into that—exploring what you get with the Altitude Lux, what its new role is in the Cherokee family, and why this changes things for those who may be considering buying a Cherokee in the future. So let’s roll out the details on the Lux, what you can expect from it, and how it changes the trim offerings for this Jeep classic.
What Role Does the Altitude Lux Play in the Cherokee Line-Up?
Stellantis announced the Altitude Lux as the brand-new trim for the 2023 Jeep Cherokee. Based on the name, you might assume it’s a mid- to high-level trim of some sort, packed with loads of neat features, similar to the Lux trims made available in previous model year Cherokee outings. Well, you would be right about one of those things: the Altitude Lux does come packed with loads of great features, but it’s not a mid- to high-level trim. The Altitude Lux is actually the complete opposite—it’s the new entry-level trim for the Jeep Cherokee.
That probably caught you by surprise, eh? Well, yeah. If you haven’t been keeping track of the Cherokee over the years, you may have missed that the previous entry-level trim for the Jeep Cherokee was the X trim for the 2022 model year. The year before that, the Jeep Cherokee’s entry-level trim was the Latitude. Additionally, the 2021 model year had a Lux edition in the form of the Latitude Lux, and—sure enough—it was a mid- to high-level trim offering. Previous years also had the Latitude as the entry-level trim and had the Lux tucked somewhere in the middle. 2022 was the odd year out, with the X trim being the first and last entry-level offering for the Jeep Cherokee in recent times.
For 2023, however, Jeep decided to reduce the number of trims by culling many of the familiar models, and that meant compiling a bunch of trim features into just two trims for the model year; that includes the Altitude Lux and the enthusiast-themed Trailhawk. This reduces any confusion about where the Altitude Lux fits into the equation, and about what trims may or may not work for you the next time you visit a Jeep dealer, given that you only have two trims to choose from for the 2023 model year.
What Does the Altitude Lux Feature?
When you’re condensing down trim options for a nameplate, it means you have to basically squeeze a ton of features from the previous model year trims into the remaining trims. And since the Trailhawk has always been considered the top-of-the-line trim for the Jeep Cherokee, it makes sense that the other trim features have filtered down into the Altitude Lux… or did they? Well, Jeep’s offerings for the new entry-level trim are quite interesting.
The Altitude Lux is only available as a 4×4, with the front-wheel drive configuration being axed out completely for the 2023 model year. Both the Altitude Lux and the Trailhawk are configured exclusively as 4×4 drivetrains. The Altitude Lux is also available with two different wheel designs: 17-inch ten-spoke gloss black wheels and 18-inch five-spoke gloss black wheels. The Altitude Lux is also available in a handful of different exterior colors and comes standard with premium Nappa leather-trimmed bucket seats.
To add further value to the Altitude Lux, you have an LED lighting array, piano black interior accents, heated steering wheel and heated seats, a gloss black grille surround with matching gloss black accents and badging, and lots of standard safety equipment. You have access to built-in Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop and Go, ParkSense with Park Assist for rear, parallel, and perpendicular parking, and Full-Speed Forward Collision Warning with Active Braking. LaneSense Lane Departure Warning with Lane Keep Assist cumulatively adds to the safety value of the Altitude Lux, and—of course—you have a complete infotainment suite courtesy of the Uconnect to keep you entertained and informed during your travels.
How Does the Altitude Lux Compare to Previous Lux Trims?
The new model year Altitude Lux actually fares great against past Lux trims. You get many of the same features from the 2022 model year Latitude Lux, with the exception of the outgoing V6 having been replaced by the 2.4L Tigershark four-cylinder. Additionally, the new Altitude Lux offers better fuel economy than some of the previous year Latitude Lux trims, as well as all of the standard safety and equipment features you would expect from an upper-end trim. Some people might say, “Well, if it’s similar or comparable to the other Lux trims, what’s the point?” Well, the point is that it’s no longer an upper-end trim but rather an entry-level one.
So instead of buying an entry-level trim and having to pay extra or buying additional packages to have access to a lot of the standard driver assist, safety assist, and tech features and luxury amenities, you now have all of those features built right into the Altitude Lux at the start. You don’t pay extra and you still have access to the 4×4 features that the Jeep brand is known for. It’s one of the benefits of the Altitude Lux being a base trim now, because instead of having to fret over whether it’s worth the price of entry, you now have it in the entry-level trim.
What Are the Pros and Cons of Only Having Two Trims for the 2023 Cherokee?
You can look at this in several different ways. For some SUV shoppers, going to a Jeep dealer and scouring through a dozen different trims for a model year can be extremely daunting. Instead of shopping for the SUV you want, you end up spending hours on the internet and at local dealers and contacting anyone who knows anything about cars to help you understand which trim is the right trim for you. It can be an overwhelming prospect depending on how familiar you are with the brand or how little you know about them.
For those diehard fans of the Jeep Cherokee, having more options is always better because you can pick and choose the features that best appeal to you through the trim that represents those features. For those who are unfamiliar with the Jeep Cherokee, reducing the options down to the Altitude Lux and Trailhawk means that you’re either going to buy a fully-featured cruising Cherokee or a fully-featured enthusiast off-road Cherokee. The complexity of picking the right compact SUV is reduced to an either/or solution.
Some people may not like the idea of only having two trims to choose from as they may feel like it’s taking away their ability to pick and choose features based on budget. Others might like the option because now, instead of having an entry-level base trim, a mid-level trim, an upper mid-level trim, a high-level trim, and a luxury or top trim, you now have simply the entry-level trim and the top-level trim. That’s it. And the entry-level trim for the 2023 model year Jeep Cherokee is essentially a feature-rich trim that combines all of the features from the previous model year trims below the Lux level into one package.
Regardless of whether you think that’s a good idea, it undoubtedly makes it easier for most Jeep shoppers—those who want as much as they can get wrapped up into one model for a simple base price instead of having to pick and choose and later feel buyer’s remorse over choosing the wrong trim. In a way, you can see how some shoppers see this as having fewer options, but in other ways, you can see it as getting more bang for your buck.
