Pity the marketing types tasked with coming up with names for special-edition automobiles. In an era when even energy drinks and vacuum cleaners sport hyperbolic branding that makes them sound more like action-movie titles than workaday products, it?s a challenge to create genuine drama with a name. So it?s difficult to blame Jeep for taking the sequel route with its latest special edition by simply adding a ?II? suffix?hey, it worked for Iron Eagle and the Ford Mustang II, right" Officially named the Jeep Cherokee Night Eagle II Special Edition, it?s an overseas-market model that follows up on the theme started by last year?s Jeep Cherokee Night Eagle and Renegade Night Eagle models.
Based on the Cherokee Limited, the Night Eagle II Special Edition is essentially an aesthetic treatment that puts lots of black where previously there was none. On the outside, this means the front fascia appliqué, Jeep and 4×4 badges, roof bars, grille surrounds, and 18-inch wheels get the blacked-out treatment, the windows get darker tint, and a dedicated Night Eagle badge is added to the mix to make sure bystanders notice how under the radar you are. Standard equipment includes bixenon headlamps, a backup camera, front and rear park assist, automatic headlights and rain sensor, a power hatch, and folding mirrors. Inside, buyers get leather-trimmed seats (heated and ventilated up front), an eight-way power driver’s seat with lumbar adjust, two-zone climate control, a 7.0-i...