2011 Cherokee Spotted On Rubicon Test

Jeep takes a lot of pride in their “Trail Rated” badge. Sure, the notion of Jeep testing their own vehicles’ off-road capability might be a little self-serving, but we’ve found no reason to doubt those Jeep’s that are so endowed with the Trail Rated badge. After all, the current Cherokee, Wrangler, and Liberty are all surprisingly sure-footed when the going gets tough.

And from the looks of things, the 2011 Cherokee promises to be anything but just another pretty face. Spotted on the Jeep Jamboree Facebook page, these pictures show a pair of 2011 Cherokees picking their way along the Rubicon trail in what appears to be the SUV’s “Trail Rated” testing. With a group of Jeep engineers in tow, most of the pictures feature at least some impromptu trail modification in order to get the trucks over everything, but also showcase a few interesting features. While neither vehicle has its lower front fascia intact (and Jeep may want to reconsider their wheelwell affixing methodology!), the black truck seems to be endowed with a very serious off-road stance providing plenty of clearance, as well as a pair of equally beefy looking rock sliders. Could this be a precursor to a 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee Rubicon?