Right-hand-drive markets are not afforded the courtesy of a handbrake and bonnet release on the driver's side. Standard equipment in the 5.7 Hemi Limited also includes six airbags, automatic air-conditioning, an in-dash six-stack CD, sunroof, rear-parking assistance, power-adjustable, heated front seats, rain-sensing wipers, tyre pressure monitoring and roof rails. It's slippery and shiny, so it complements (sort of) the rest of the vinyl upholstery. An excess of hard, tacky plastic is jarring, as is the leather on the seat faces. Inside, the new Grand Cherokee has improved fit and finish quality but it doesn't feel anything like $70,000 worth. Hits are felt as though from far, far away. Ride comfort on any surface is excellent. The steering, though accurate, is also indirect and remote. When cornering, you learn quite early that it's time to back off, which is a good thing from a safety standpoint. It won't see which way a BMW X5 or new Mercedes-Benz M-Class went.ĭynamics remain characterised by body roll, bounce and float. However, the Grand Cherokee is still much slower around corners than it is in a straight line. Handling on bitumen is light years ahead of the gyrations of the previous model. The Grand Cherokee can kick and flinch at the rear if it hits the wrong combination of bumps and potholes. ![]() On corrugated dirt roads the live rear axle is able to maintain better roadholding than most other similar suspensions, but is still less secure than the independent rear ends fitted to the Jeep's luxury rivals. On large humps, the middle of the Jeep scrapes first. The Grand Cherokee is a proper 4WD, so you get a full-sized spare, underbody protection and more than 20cm of ground clearance. It incorporates a Mercedes-style left/right sequential shift lever, which allows you to avoid another less welcome Mercedes trait - a reluctance to kick down unless you give the long-travel accelerator pedal a big prod.Ĭonditions were benign for the off-road part of our test but the Jeep climbed and descended extremely steep grades with ease, refinement and complete control, assisted by the optional off-road 245/65 M&S Goodyear Wrangler tyres on 17-inch alloy wheels. The five-speed auto is also smooth and unobtrusive in most situations. That's very fast in this heavyweight 4WD class - quicker, for example, than the Porsche Cayenne S. At the same time, its surfeit of top-end power produces a zero-100kmh time of only 8 seconds. Ninety per cent of the V8s 500Nm of torque is produced from 2400-5100rpm, so it works well in towing (up to 3500kg) and low-range off-road applications. The Hemi tag is one of those retro gimmicks from the 1960s Chrysler catalogue. The 5.7 might like a drink but it's still a sweet engine, with that unmistakeable American V8 sound, smoothness and soul. On the Limited, three electronic limited-slip differentials allow torque to be moved across the vehicle as well as along it, depending upon traction. All models incorporate a five-speed automatic with electronic selection of high- and low-range, a wet centre clutch and variable front/rear torque splitting. Sophisticated drivetrains maintain the brand's signature off-road credibility. Independent suspension and rack and pinion steering are now fitted at the front. The larger unitary-construction body rides on a longer wheelbase and wider tracks. The previous model was a technological antique. Like the engines, the rest of the Grand Cherokee range is virtually all new from the wheels up. ![]() At the bottom of the range, the 4.7-litre, 170kW V8 Laredo is $56,490 the Limited is $66,490. And there is a genuinely economical alternative, a Mercedes-derived 3.0-litre, 160kW turbo diesel V6, priced at $59,090 in Laredo specification, or $69,090 for the Limited. In hilly terrain, this rose to 15-17 litres/100km.Īround town, and in low-range/off-road driving, the Jeep gulped 21-25 litres/100km - average for this "fill 'er up, for tomorrow we die" end of the consumption scale. Drive's test car returned 14.5 litres/100km cruising at 100kmh on the open road. Thank God for that, because the Jeep chews through enough juice to run a small country. The new Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited 5.7-litre Hemi V8, priced at $71,990, shuts down half the engine's cylinders when cruising, or under light throttle loads, to reduce fuel consumption by up to (a claimed) 20 per cent. And it's fitted to a 2.2-tonne, 4WD wagon. In fact, the engine in question is a 5.7-litre, 240kW, V8. OK, so we're not talking Toyota Prius-like frugality here. You know that the rising price of oil is becoming a critical issue when Americans start incorporating fuel-saving technology into their cars.
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