First impressions are that the family friendly 2011 Grand Cherokee looks set to raise the benchmark in the sub fifty grand SUV segment, with all-new styling, engines, and a raft of clever new technology and features. It’s an important vehicle for Chrysler, and one that counts ‘big time’ towards the company’s successful comeback, and it’s already winning the hearts and minds of buyers in the US where it was released in September 2010.
The designers have clearly paid a lot of attention to detail on the new Jeep. It’s not hard to see the design influence from likes of the BMW X5, which became a benchmark vehicle for the new Grand Cherokee. This is a more distinctive, yet bolder front-end design, complete with the trademark seven-slot grille and euro-style lines down the side of the car and a wraparound taillight assembly. The finishing touch is the five spoke polished alloys on the entry model Laredo, while the premium Limited and Overland editions get 20-inch wheels.
It’s not just the exterior skin that gets the euro treatment either. The panel gaps have been reduced, the doors close with a quality thud, and elements like the speed of the windshield and short front and rear overhangs come together to create what is a very polished, if not sporty SUV look. Inside, the package gets even better, with top class materials throughout, and an inventory of standard features that should put the Grand Cherokee at the top of its class. Features such as Selec-Terrain, Reversing camera, HID Xenon headlamps, 18-inch alloys, Dual-zone climate control, and Keyless Enter ‘n’ go and heated seats are only a sample of the standard kit.
The man behind this interior revolution is former Mercedes-Benz designer, Klaus Busse, who chose to defect to Chrysler in 2005, after 10 years managing exterior and interior design at Benz. After a couple of hundred kilometres across a mixed bag of tarmac and off road terrain, the all-new Grand Cherokee is a complete surprise in every way. That is, its on-road ability is now well and truly on par with its considerable off-road ability, and that’s only half of it. Our test car for most of the launch program was the base model (that’s hardly the right description given the level of standard kit on board this thing) Laredo with an all-new 3.6-litre V6 petrol engine, mated to a five-speed automatic transmission. Yes, you read that correctly, a five-speed transmission, but more on that later, as it’s by no means a deal breaker.
The Pentastar V6 is a brand new powertrain for Chrysler, and the Grand Cherokee is its first deployment. It’s an all-aluminium block with dual double overhead camshafts and Quad Variable Valve Timing developing a not too shabby 210kW and 347Nm of torque. That’s sufficient to get the big 2191kg Jeep moving along rather quickly, thanks to 80% of peak torque being available from 1600rpm to 6000rpm. It’s not quite direct injection, but it’s a big step in the right direction. Hit the keyless start button, and the V6 purrs away effortlessly with a surprising level of refinement and very low noise levels.
On the highway, cruising at 110km/h, it’s the same refined story, although high-speed overtaking and general hill climbing induces considerably more engine noise as the five-speed box works extra hard to accommodate the aggressive throttle input. An additional gear ratio or two wouldn’t go astray and would certainly enhance the driving experience further. We’re fairly sure that will come later in the car’s lifecycle, but it’s certainly no deal breaker.
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