The Jeep Grand Cherokee is a classic 'Yank Tank'. Big and less than subtle, its silhouette represents the whole four-wheel drive craze so well.
The top of the range Jeep is bulky and in your face but attractive thanks to its chunky iconic shape. Boxy and tough best describes the rather old school exterior.
It is easy to recognise the Grand Cherokee as a true Jeep thanks to that famous seven-slot grille.
The car sits high off the ground and features puffed out wheel arches and a high shoulder line that makes the car look very strong. The Grand Cherokee isn't that tall, as it continues with the very low roofline of its forerunner. When compared to rivals it almost looks customised!
Inside the low roof makes the cabin feel a little claustrophobic as the glass area is somewhat robbed, especially when compared to the ultimate posh four-wheel drive Ranger Rover.
The relatively modest cabin area comes as a surprise to most passengers, this is because despite the vehicle’s large exterior the floor is high too thanks to the complex four-wheel drive system underneath. The five-seat Jeep is still a fine car but if you are not going to use the cars off road ability then you should get a Chrysler 300C saloon instead.
The quality of materials used in the cabin is improved, but still nowhere near any of the class acts in the sector. The layout of switches is as ever ‘excentric’, but you get the hang of the secondary and auxiliary controls after a few days.
The quirky stereo is a unit similar to those found in high end Chryslers, Jeep's sister manufacturer.
There are no party tricks to write home about and the usual luxury extras are present. Grand Cherokee has some nice touches however like auto-dimming side mirrors and automatic entry/exit electric seat setting, handy for drivers with a super-size frame.
On the road the Grand Cherokee is enhanced as expected, but I’d still prefer to tackle twisty roads in an X5 or Range Rover Sport ahead of it.
The diesel 3-litre Mercedes sourced ‘CRD’ is pretty quick off the mark thanks to Jeep’s permanent four-wheel drive set up, which is an evolution of the original ‘Quadradrive’ system, cleverly called ‘Quardradrive 2’!
The big car corners surprisingly flat and the overall ride is fine on motorway and national routes. A hot 420bhp petrol powered ‘SRT-8’ (Street Racing Technology) eight-cylinder version is available that can sprint from 0-100km/h in a shade over five seconds!
Sadly in this day and age a 6.1 litre petrol engine attracts the wrong kind of attention, so buyers can expect to have Greenpeace follow them home from the dealership!
It is great that Jeep offers a hot Grand Cherokee version but sadly ‘SRT-8’ versions will be a rare sight on Irish roads.
If you’re bored with the best Europe and Japan has to offer the Jeep Grand Cherokee is a genuine alternative.
Michael Sheridan
