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Chrysler tipped its hand when it brought out the 1997 Jeep Wrangler.

The automaker long held that consumers were ready, willing and able to accept physical and mental punishment in exchange for driving what looks like the taxi used in the Big War.

The same boast held true for the Cherokee, on the market since 1984 and a Chrysler product since 1987, when the automaker purchased it along with American Motors Corp.

For those of you who don’t recall AMC, it was the only automaker in the world that posted sales declines after production fell off when a nude bar opened across the street from the Kenosha assembly plant. It was such a novel situation we drove to Kenosha to check out the problem–twice.

But we digress.

For the 1997 model year, Chrysler kept the rugged Wrangler look, but corrected most of the ills under the hood and in the cabin. The engine is quieter, the suspension more forgiving, the brakes quicker, the ride less harsh, the handling less of a puzzle.

And dual air bags and anti-lock brakes were added to bring Wrangler into the 21st Century, or at least into 1997 and the company of the other automakers offering two bags and ABS in sport-utility vehicles.

So, for 1997 Chrysler applied the same formula to Cherokee, one of the founders of the sport-ute movement and the first four-door entry in the field.

Like Wrangler, Cherokee looks about the same as it always has, except for a more Grand Cherokee-type grille. But it doesn’t act the same. Cherokee has been refined.

It’s a much more quiet vehicle, not so much from tweaking the suspension as from adding more insulation and sound deadeners and stiffening the body to eliminate the typical ear-splitting decibel levels that were the real reason for the term–“Only in a Jeep.”

The quieter a vehicle is, the better it feels andappears to act. It’s like that pair of shoes that look great, feel comfortable and fit like a glove, but squeak with each step. Suddenly, the shoes are annoying.

We tested the ’97 Cherokee in Sport trim and with Up Country suspension for off-road access. For the most part, Sport simply means a decal and a bunch of options that weren’t aimed as much at sportiness as convenience, such as air conditioning, power mirrors and rear-window wiper/washer.

Because the machine has toned down the noise, the ride is more enjoyable. And handling is fine, thank you, in part from offering 15-inch all-terrain tires that admirably contained lateral wandering not uncommon in earlier Cherokees.

Be advised, however, that if relegated to the back seat, where you sit almost directly over the rear axle, you may find Up Country a tad Third Worldish in terms of comfort.

Of course, if relegated to the back seat, you face one woe before the harsh ride, and that’s the difficulty of getting into the vehicle. Chrysler didn’t widen the door opening or lower the step-in height on this 4WD machine so you’ll have to crawl over the wheel-well to slip inside. Crude.

Our vehicle was powered by a 4-liter, 190-horsepower, inline 6-cylinder engine with 4-speed automatic. It, too, is quiet, and fairly peppy, a rather pleasant performer that steps from the light without hesitating or wheezing. The mileage rating is 15 m.p.g. city, which is low when the streets are clean, no concern when the roads are packed with snow, and 21 m.p.g. highway, a respectable level that would please us even more if about 23 m.p.g.

Base price is $20,460. For those who have heard SUVs cost $30,000 and more, the $20,460 window sticker is quite an attraction. You get dual air bags and four-wheel-drive security in a fashionable SUV for a minimum investment.

But then you have to add the more popular comfort and conv nience features, such as power windows/locks that are part of a $675 package, ABS for $600, automatic transmission for $945, rear-window defroster for $165 and the $1,510 sport package. Those and a few other goodies, and you’ve topped $27,000 and have to give serious thought to a larger, plusher, more responsive Grand Cherokee–or a used sport-ute.

In a matter of weeks you’ll have another choice, a new Honda CR-V sport-ute that starts at $19,300. Perhaps the folks at Chrysler better keep that in mind.