We drove a $40,000 Jeep Cherokee SUV to see if the American icon is still one of the best in the business — here's the verdict (FCAU)

These days, crossovers and SUVs are ubiquitous. They can be found on every street in every town in America. However, the modern SUV as we know is a rather recent development in the automotive landscape.

According to Merriam-Webster , the term "sport-utility vehicle" wasn't used until 1969 and didn't appear in a car advertisement until 1974.

The SUV advertised in that ad was none otherthan the original SJ-series Jeep Cherokee.

Over the years, the Cherokee has become one of the iconic nameplates in the automotive industry with its off-roading street cred recognized from the streets of Beijing to the canyons of Utah.

But the Cherokee of today bears little resemblance to its spiritual ancestor. What started out as a rough and tumble two-door off-road wagon is now a polished crossover built on an Italian passenger car platform.

Read more : We drove a $42,000 and a $50,000 Toyota Highlander to see why it's one of the best family SUVs money can buy — here's what we discovered .

The current fifth-generation Cherokee debuted in 2013 and received a refreshed front fascia ahead for the 2019model year.

Recently, Business Insider had the chance to spend a week with a Billet Silver Metallic 2019Jeep Cherokee Limited 4X4.

For 2019 Jeep Cherokee is available in six different trim levels ranging from the base front-wheel-drive Latitude, which starts at $24,195, to the four-wheel-drive Overland with a starting price of $37,775.

Our well-equipped six-cylinder Cherokee Limited 4X4 started at $33,620 with options and fees pushing the as-tested price to $40,040.

Here's a closer look at the refreshed 2019 Jeep Cherokee Limited 4x4:

See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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