Jeep Grand Cherokee

STEERING A SMARTER COURSE
Jeep’s latest Grand Cherokee still has plenty to offer. Andy Enright reports
Big, bold and surprisingly affordable, Jeep’s Grand Cherokee is a proper 4x4 vehicle that will cope with difficult off-road terrain but still maintain its composure on the tarmac. The V8 petrol is expensive to run but the 3.0-litre diesel is a very good unit. Build quality is reasonable and there’s been an improvement in some of the interior materials used which previously weren’t quite as plush as in pricier rivals. Overall, a good choice for the active family.

Jeep’s Grand Cherokee has been quietly eeking out its own niche in the UK, just below pricey family 4x4s like Land Rover’s Discovery3 and just above more mainstream models like Mitsubishi’s Outlander, Peugeot’s 4007, Chevrolet’s Captiva or Hyundai’s Santa Fe. To keep its momentum strong, the importers have added a recent well-judged package of improvements to the model line-up.

Smarter soft-touch interior dashboard materials, classier interior colours and finer textures all help to make this Grand Cherokee even more desirable. There are also some genuinely new features – a tilt and telescope steering column, improvements to the steering wheel and armrests for improved ergonomics and comfort, re-designed instrument clusters and a different floor console with improved cup holders. All this makes for a higher-class ambience.

Outside, a revised front fascia and grille surround with a body-colour front sill and air dam give the this Grand Cherokee a more modern look, together with a smarter range of alloy wheels and a fresh headlamp design. There’s another derivative from which to choose too – the S-Limited, a car which gives buyers of the 3.0-litre diesel much of the same visual impact normally reserved for the 6.1-litre petrol V8 SRT-8 range-topper.
Perhaps most importantly of all, this car is also still hard to beat off-road. Hill Descent Control now comes as standard on diesel models and is designed to mimic the safe downhill control offered by the ultra-low gearing usually found in hard-core off-road vehicles like the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon.

"Perhaps most importantly of all, this car is still hard to beat off-road"

Independent front suspension has helped the on-road ride of this generation Grand Cherokee and also pays dividends off-road, increasing wheel articulation and ensuring that the tyres sit squarely on the ground when the suspension is extended. On tarmac, the stability control set-up works in concert with the electronic rollover mitigation system that anticipates critical situations for the vehicle that may lead to a rollover scenario, nipping at the brakes and reducing engine torque to keep this high-sided vehicle dirty side down.

Despite the latest Grand Cherokee’s civility on road, a trick Quadra-Trac II all-wheel drive system uses three limited-slip differentials to direct drive in tricky off road situations. In fact, this vehicle can extricate itself from said sticky situation when only one front wheel has traction. The underside of the car is clean, Jeep tucking the exhaust and centre and front differentials well out of harms way, even utilising the rear crash protection beams as skid sections. The front air dam is even readily removable for tough off road duty.

Two engines are offered, with most models fitted with the 3.0-litre CRD diesel that most UK customers want. It’s a good deal more powerful than the 161bhp 2.7-litre CRD diesel fitted to the old generation Grand, pumping out a healthy 218bhp. This engine marked a change in philosophy between Mercedes and Chrysler, Jeep’s parent brand. Whereas in the past, many Chrysler products had to make do with what were effectively Mercedes hand-me-downs – witness the old SLK platform for the Crossfire – this 3.0-litre CRD engine is a state of the art unit, currently being installed in the factory fresh Mercedes M-Class.

This common rail diesel engine fires up with encouraging civility and only becomes vocal when fully extended. The midrange torque is predictably excellent, peaking at 376lb ft, making towing heavy loads no problem at all. It also makes crawling through tricky off road sections at little more than idle simplicity itself. Of course, there will be those who want eight cylinders and a big appetite for petrol from their ’American’ car in order to feel properly authentic and Jeep serve up the proper charisma with a 6.1-litre V8. This is a powerplant that develops some 420bhp and can run on four cylinders when cruising to save fuel. Mind you, even when running on four, it’s a vehicle that likes a slosh of juice. Above the standard model, trim levels run through Limited to S-Limited and plush Overland, with the V8 being reserved for the flagship SRT-8.
The MyGIG infotainment system is a tempting option that offers owners the very latest integrated onboard systems. There’s MP3 player compatibility, a touch screen controlled navigation system as well as the ability to store up to 1600 songs on an integrated 20GB hard drive.  The UConnect Hands-free Communication System uses Bluetooth technology to provide voice-activated wireless communication.

The Grand Cherokee tends to be overlooked by many customers in this sector of the market, hence Jeep’s need to refresh its market proposition. If you’d like a prestigiously badged luxury 4x4 but really can’t afford it, then this Jeep is well worth a look, presuming that you don’t need seven-seating capacity.