Jeep Grand Cherokee

Introduction:

Jeep has got a firm footing in markets around the world. The company has had a less-than-average position here in India, and its clear that the brand's gearing up to set this right. At the Auto Expo 2016, the brand showcased its upcoming launch for the market, the muscular new Grand Cherokee. As we took a look at the machine, we felt overwhelmed by the bold, menacing design and the smooth build. Information about the machine has been widely circulated, but there are bits and pieces to it that we had to put together from speculation and guesswork. 

Pros:

1. Intimidating exterior design, something very few can turn down. 

2. Customers would love the wide range of comfort and entertainment features within it.  

Cons:

1. The lack of some features across all variants could deter appeal for some. 

2. Its heavy size takes a toll on the balance and handling at high speeds. 

Stand-out Features:

1. A large field of aid programs such as ABS, ESC Hill hold assist and many others together make for a secure, well shielded drive. 

2. It comes with a truly massive boot area, and this is be a definite thumbs-up for many customers,

Overall:

The vehicle is said to come with both petrol and diesel variants, with a 6.4-litre V8 engine for the petrol trim, and a 3.0-litre V6 engine on the diesel side. We expect some brazen performance figures that we're sure will surpass most other SUVs in the domestic market. Its inner comfort looks promising as well, with many features such as a Touchscreen system, a Harman Kardon 19-speaker system, a 7-inch LCD instrument cluster, leather dressed seats, power adjustment for the seats, and many others. All in all, even prior to its launch, this vehicle has got us curious and waiting for more, and we'd agree that many other auto-enthusiasts feel the same. 

Exteriors:

This here, ladies and gents, is a monster. One glance at its tall, muscular design is enough to leave you with a breathless impression. We'll be honest here, never before have we laid eyes on a vehicle with such a pronounced, masculine characteristic, which is, at the same time, imbibed with a delicate, feminine touch. 

The overall composition of the body reflects a balanced layout, and this certainly does hike up its appeal. Its profile has a streamlined element that most people would find attractive, for it does add a sporty touch to the overall look. At the front, it wears a massive grille that comes with some noticeable silver elements for a more rejuvenated look. 

The front portion has been imbued with a more charismatic and powerful expression with the wide front skirt that drapes down all the way to the lower bumper. A large air intake section at the bottom of the skirt harmonises the entire image, and we thought it fit perfectly into the look. 

On either side of the grille, there are attractive headlamps that come with all necessary lighting units. Moving upwards, the hood spreads over a large area, and when you stand before the vehicle, you can feel an exalting, majestic demeanour with this. 

The refined curvatures that flow inwards into the hood added a rich touch to the design, and we'll tell you here itself that it's small aspects such as these that bring out the younger car lover in you. The windscreen has been swept back, and we could feel a strong aerodynamic agility here, allowing the right airflow when driving. 

On the side, the region surrounding the wheels comes with a more heavily toned effect, and we loved the distinctive impression this creates. The heavy lines that streak the door-sides are gorgeous, and the well sculpted body cladding adds to the vibrant effect. 

The roofline of the vehicle slides upwards, engaging a more beefed up rear area. The tail-lamps on either side of the boot trail into the side portion, and we thought this struck a rather good look. 

The fine lines that run through the boot-side add to the refined look, while at the base, the sporty exhaust pipes pack a more thrilling look that we know few people would turn down.

Interiors:

We've glossed through some photos on the web and gathered all we could about the machine. The cabin is more spacious than most people would desire. 

At the front, you're given more than enough room to stretch your legs out, while headroom and shoulder room are also fine. The second row could have been improved slightly according to some sources, although it's quite possibly more comfort-oriented than most other SUVs of its class. 

The layout and styling of the cabin is pretty marvellous, but you might want to keep your expectations in check, because it's not the type that you'd find within Audi/BMW/Mercedes-Benz. We definitely adored it, with the fine treatment and the expensive highlights. There is an edge of sophistication that you can trace in the design, and we personally thought it was very well done. 

We aren't too sure about the colour scheme, but we get the idea that there could be a two two colour scheme. At the front, the upper section of the dashboard is to come in a lighter colour, while the lower portion that flows down towards the leg area would be darker. AC vents are present on either side of the dash, and on either side of the console by the centre. 

A thick wooden garnish runs the length of the dashboard, stretching into the doorsides as well. This definitely does rake up the glamour within, and we thought that it was unlike other models that we see today. 

At the focus of the console is a 8.4-inch Touchscreen display with the buttons aligned below it. The placement and arrangement of the system was great, bringing a modern pulse to the interior that most people would find enthralling.

The area surrounding the console is wrapped in the same silver embellishment, making for a more opulent and energetic look. At the bottom of the console, the gear-shift lever has been placed right next to a bottle storage region. 

By the corner, the steering wheel is to come with fine leather dressing, and we're sure few people would turn down this thrill. Paddle shifters have been incorporated by the wheel, allowing for easier shifting. 

Coming to the seating arrangement, you're sure to love the black leather upholstery that lavishes the seats, and it comes along with Suede inserts for a more affluent touch. When you take a seat here, you're sure to feel more relieve than in most other cars, with the strong ergonomic design, along with many reliable comfort facilities. 

This includes seat heating, 4-way adjustable lumbar support, split folding for the rear seats, and ventilation for the front seats. With all of these and more, we can safely say that riding in this vehicle, upon its release, is going to be quite a breeze.

Performance:

Diesel:

Meagre information about the specs are available on the net. On the diesel side, the machine comes along with a 3.0-litre V6 EcoDiesel engine. Reliable sources place its power somewhere around     700bhp, and this makes the vehicle quite the monster. It is known to come along with an 8-speed Paddle-Shift automatic transmission, and we're sure that shifting couldn't get easier than with something like this. The vehicle's drive is said to be strong and confident, with an easy cruising and sprinting capacity, together with a sound acceleration as well. We're sure that most Indians would love to get their hands on a machine such as this, with good performance along with a reliable handling to come along with it. 

Petrol:

On the petrol front, the vehicle comes along with a 6.4-litre V8 engine, and this gives you some pretty raw performance.  It pumps out a healthy 474bhp, and is meshed with the same 8-speed automatic gearbox. We hear that the machine can zoom from 0 to 100kmph in just 4.8 seconds, and we've got to tell you folks, that is a pretty intense figure for a vehicle of this size and structure.  

Ride and Handling:

Like we do in our other reviews, we weren't able to ride the vehicle personally. But we did unveil a lot about its inner infrastructure, and we can't say we weren't impressed. A steel suspension is present for two of the lower end variants, while an active damping suspension is present for the top end trim. A conventional front axle differential, along with a conventional rear axle differential has been equipped onto both arms of the chassis, helping to further bolster stability and handling. An electro-hydraulic power steering system augments the handling, and we hear that the steering response is just as clean as a driver could want it to be. Its rugged composition is sure to relieve occupants of the regular road hassles that come from potholes and other road anomalies. Passengers on the inside could feel occasional hitters with the more punishing road formats found in our country, but the overall ride quality is said to be okay. As for the braking part, 4-wheel disc brakes help to ease out the halting and cornering process, ensuring that you meet little strain during tighter situations. A low level of body roll is naturally expected, given the vehicle's bulky size, but we're confident that conventional Indian audiences can take it without breaking a sweat. 

Safety:

We're happy to tell you that the list of safety facilities is massive in this vehicle, and most people would have no reservations about the security set-up when seated in here. Strong drive programs help strengthen the drive, including the ABS, rain brake support, ready alert braking, hill start assist, hill descent control and electronic stability control. The more conventional list includes a keyless entry system, remote keyless entry security alarm, airbags by the front as well as the side, park view rear back-up camera, front passenger seatbelt assist and many more. Altogether, we've got to tell you, there's very little that the vehicle lacks in terms of safety, and this is sure to come as one of the model's strongest aspects for its buyers. 

Variants:

The model series is expected to come with three trim levels, Limited, Summit and SRT. Of these, Limited is the entry level variant, and it comes with a passable list of features, including a 5.0-inch Touchscreen display, 6 speakers, dual USB ports for charging, an integrated voice command that comes along with Bluetooth, a remote SD card slot, 3-point centre rear seatbelts, 4-wheel traction control and many more. Meanwhile, the mid variant, Summit, comes with a rear seat dual screen Blue ray/DVD player, GPS Navigation, 9 amplified speakers with a subwoofer, a ParkSense park assist system, leather trimmed perforated seats that come along with edge welting, and ventilation system for the front seats. The high end variant, SRT has it all, people. You get an SRT high performance audio system, 5-spoke wheels, an electronic rear limited-slip differential system, a Selec-track system and many more that's sure to woo anyone to step into the ride.

Verdict:

We'll be honest with you, it's hard to judge a vehicle with such amazing depth. The Grand Cherokee is displaying promise like no other vehicle has, and its response in other markets is pretty good. We're sure that a major class of Indian car lovers would enjoy this vehicle's enthralling exteriors, luxurious interiors and the never ending list of comfort. Its handling and performance would charm the sportier section of the crowd, and youngsters would definitely love the overall style and glamour. In the end of the day, we're going to have to wait for the machine to be launched here before we can ascertain whether it's destined to fly or to flop.