Technical
There is a choice of three engines for the Grand Cherokee. The first one is
the 3.7L V6 borrowed from the Liberty. It puts out 210 hp at 5 200 rpm and 235 lb/ft of torque at 4000 rpm. The next, first introduced with the 1999 Grand Cherokee, is the 4.7L V8. It develops 235 hp at 4 000 rpm and 305 lb/ft of torque at 3 600 rpm. The last, but not the least, is the 5.7L Hemi V8. In the Grand Cherokee, it growls out 330 hp at 5 000 rpm and 375 lb/ft of torque at 4 000 rpm. The Hemi has another trick up its sleeve and it is called Displacement on Demand. This is a system that basically deactivates 4 of the 8 cylinders when cruising. This will reduce fuel consumption to the likes of a V6, according to DaimlerChrysler, and the transition from 4 to 8 is seamless. All Grand Cherokees are equipped with a 5-speed automatic transmission that can be shifted manually. The front suspension is independent where as the rear still uses the old solid axle setup. Stopping duty is handled by 4-wheel disc brakes.
There are three AWD systems on the Grand Cherokee. The Quadra-Trac I is a standard full time AWD drive-train. Quadra-Trac II adds a 2-speed transfer case. The Quadra-Drive II system uses front and rear electronically locking differentials and a 2-speed transfer case.
On the road
At this point, I have now had the opportunity to test almost every Chrysler product that has a Hemi somewhere on their technical spec sheet, standard or optional. The Hemi is certainly the crown jewel of Chrysler's line up of engines. It was mind blowing in the 300C and the Magnum RT and impressive to say the least in the Durango. My few days behind the wheel of the Grand Cherokee were marred with disappointment. At just over 2 100 kg, the Jeep felt slower than the 2 300 kg Durango. I even noticed for some strange reason, that when the traction control was deactivated, the Jeep seemed to be quicker. Regardless of the road condition (wet, snowy, dry), it was as if the Hemi was taken off the leash. In this condition, the Hemi will pull strongly all the way to the redline. The 5-speed automatic transmission does a very good job of smoothly working through the gears.
Real-world fuel consumption is almost devastating. The lowest number I got was of 18.2 litres per 100 km in 50/50 mixed driving. The highest was just over 21 litres per 100 km in a cold morning where 75% of driving was done in the city. Many people know that when an engine idles, fuel consumption increases. On a similar cold morning, when we taped our short videos, the meter was indicating over 27 litres. Where will the madness end?
The Quadra-Drive II AWD system worked flawlessly during our short drive on snow covered roads. It faultlessly travelled on ice and through snowy surfaces without ever missing a beat. The Trail Rated badge is well deserved in this case.
The brake pedal is very soft, travel is long and the response is confidence
crashing. Taking this into consideration and adding the fact that the truck was still equipped with the thoroughly useless (on anything but dry surfaces) Goodyear Wrangler SR-As, the Grand Cherokee was quite a handful to drive. Thankfully, steering is unexpectedly precise even if feedback is nearly non-existent.
The ride is very soft, almost floaty. The dealership that handles DaimlerChrysler's test fleet has speed bumps throughout its lot. As I drove over them at 5 km/h, the truck, under its weight and because of its lifeless shock absorbers, would come crashing down onto its bump stops.
There is a choice of three engines for the Grand Cherokee. The first one is
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There are three AWD systems on the Grand Cherokee. The Quadra-Trac I is a standard full time AWD drive-train. Quadra-Trac II adds a 2-speed transfer case. The Quadra-Drive II system uses front and rear electronically locking differentials and a 2-speed transfer case.
On the road
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Real-world fuel consumption is almost devastating. The lowest number I got was of 18.2 litres per 100 km in 50/50 mixed driving. The highest was just over 21 litres per 100 km in a cold morning where 75% of driving was done in the city. Many people know that when an engine idles, fuel consumption increases. On a similar cold morning, when we taped our short videos, the meter was indicating over 27 litres. Where will the madness end?
The Quadra-Drive II AWD system worked flawlessly during our short drive on snow covered roads. It faultlessly travelled on ice and through snowy surfaces without ever missing a beat. The Trail Rated badge is well deserved in this case.
The brake pedal is very soft, travel is long and the response is confidence
 |
The ride is very soft, almost floaty. The dealership that handles DaimlerChrysler's test fleet has speed bumps throughout its lot. As I drove over them at 5 km/h, the truck, under its weight and because of its lifeless shock absorbers, would come crashing down onto its bump stops.