Jeep unveils 9-speed transmission for Cherokee

The transmission, the world's first nine-speed automatic transmission for passenger vehicles with a front-wheel-drive layout, was developed by ZF and will be assembled, along with the rest of the new Cherokee, at Chrysler's plant in Kokomo, IN. Last year, ZF said that nine speeds is the "natural limit" for transmissions, given the law of diminishing returns.

Chrysler says the new Cherokee gets "up to 31 mpg," which is certainly better than the 19 miles per gallon combined that the six-speed, two-wheel-drive 2013 Cherokee gets, per the EPA.

Earlier Wednesday, Chrysler took the wraps off the 2014 Cherokee at the New York Auto Show, complete with a simulation of a "trip" through Moab in the Trailhawk version. The model will have both front- and all-wheel-driver versions ranging from 184 to 271 horsepower and is based on a platform developed by Chrysler's sister company Alfa Romeo. Check out Chrysler's press release below.

Courtesy of autoblog.com