Jeep India launched its flagship Grand Cherokee SUV in India, set to be sold in the country as a CKD unit. The Grand Cherokee sits atop the Jeep brand’s portfolio, with the 30 year old SUV’s 5th generational iteration in India said to be the first right hand driven variant of the American legacy off-roader.
Design of the new Grand Cherokee:
The new Grand Cherokee gets the characteristic 7-slot front grille, which Jeep says is the largest of any model. Up front it gets its fair share of chrome treatment along with an expansive mesh vent layout dotted with sensors. All LED headlamps flank the massive grille giving the SUV a modern yet rugged look. One might even say this looks like a grown up Meridian.
Down the side, Jeep has put new dual tone alloys with black plastic cladding along the trapezoidal wheel arches. As is with all Jeeps, one can see the prominent “Grand Cherokee” badging lower down the front door. The new off roader gets 20-in 50-profile tires for greater off-road performance.
Out back, the understated design continues with LED tail lamps flanking the gloss-black trim housing the Jeep logo. Lower down there’s a chrome strip running all across the width over a black plastic skid-plate.
Powertrain:
Perhaps the biggest let down of the Grand Cherokee, Jeep’s new rock-climber gets a measly 2.0L turbocharged petrol inline 4 cylinder belting out 272hp and 400Nm of muscle. To make matters worse, Jeep has opted not to provide a diesel engine option.
But in order to make up for it, the drivetrain gets an uptick in terms of capabilities, with the Quadratrac 4×4 system and an active transfer case for off-road dynamics. Jeep claims the Grand Cherokee’s 4WD system is intelligent enough that if it senses the need of traction to four wheels, the system can automatically switch between 4×2 and 4×4 without any driver intervention. The car gets ball-bearing front and multi-link rear suspension setups for a claimed improvement in chassis dynamics. Other specs include a 215mm class-leading ground clearance and a mediocre 533mm water wading capacity.
Interior of the new Grand Cherokee:
Among the highlights of the Grand Cherokee, the interior gets well decked out with luxury features. Headlining the list, literally, is the huge dual pane panoramic sunroof. The new Jeep gets a first in segment 10.25in passenger screen on the dashboard in addition to the usual 10.1in central infotainment screen that gets placed in the centre console, unlike the floating displays on other Jeep models.
The Grand Cherokee also gets a digital driver’s display and a 10in HUD out front; if you count the rear camera view in the IRVM as a display, this new SUV gets a mind-boggling assortment of 5 screens! Other tech blings include wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, 3D maps for navigation, 360-degree surround view as well as wireless charging. It even gets 33 connected features in form of the UConnect 5 system, which also boasts a 24/7 dedicated assistance offered by Jeep.
As for the rest of the interior, you’ve got leather-clad heated and cooled seats that are 8-way electrically adjustable with lumbar support and memory functions. The dashboard also gets leather touches and wood inserts too bump up the premium appeal (albeit some cheap, hard plastics lower down). In the 2nd row, leather dominates the upholstery as well with seat ventilation also on offer. Rear AC vents are present at their ideal position but without control knobs, with sun-blinds for the windows.
Safety:
On the safety front, Jeep has attempted to not keep any stone unturned. The Grand Cherokee comes with 8 airbags and the usual shenanigans of ESC and hill hold assist that you get in pretty much all cars these days. This new behemoth now also gets level 2 ADAS functionality, wherein the safety catalogue includes drowsy driver detection, adaptive cruise control, emergency braking, and blind spot detection along with active lane management.
The Jeep Grand Cherokee has been launched for an introductory price of INR 77.5Lakhs, ex-showroom pan-India, with no word yet as of deliveries. While there are no direct competitors for this car, its price-point places it within striking distances of the Jaguar F-Pace, BMW X5 and the Audi Q7.
If you liked reading this article, do checkout our Car News section and YouTube channel for more!