Jeep 4x4 capability and on-road refinement manifests for 2011 in an all-new SUV with more technical wizardry than ever to improve function and capability. This new generation Jeep Grand Cherokee projects a chunkier profile and a purposeful stance. Despite the huge Jeep grill, it’s not over-scaled in the Hummer mode, actually akin to the X5 in dimensions. But it’s a big, weighty-looking SUV of more macho styling than the late ‘90s model, which incidentally sold very well in SA.

The new model’s exterior is actually quite classically SUV; are US designers taking certain cues from the pesky Europeans? Chrysler say that every surface is new and treated for aerodynamics, which improves fuel efficiency and puts more fluidity into the design, thus delivering an 8.5% improvement in drag compared with the previous model (Cd of 0.370 compared to 0.404).

Inside, it’s quite understated and gentleman’s club-ish, not at all flashy, as can be the case with certain upper-end US-made offerings. There is soft hide, restrained veneer and not too much chrome trim; an appealing package that evokes a crafted feel of ‘establishment’ rather than ‘nouveau riche’.

May/June 2011 Issue

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