DRIVEN: Jeep Grand Cherokee blends style and luxury with impressive off-road ability

WHEN you think of Jeep you conjure up images of far-away mountain passes, views that last forever and getting there in low-range 4x4 mode.

And that’s exactly what the brand stands for, and in a Grand Cherokee you can also do it in luxury and style, which we discovered on the local launch drive between Gauteng and Limpopo.

Now in its fifth generation, with sales of more than seven million since its introduction in 1992, it’s exactly what Jeep intends with the launch of the five-seater Grand Cherokee Limited, Overland and Summit Reserve.

The reveal of the five-seater follows on the launch of the longer Grand Cherokee L seven-seater last year.

It’s 127mm shorter between the wheels and 289mm less in length than the L model which means its departure and break-over angle make it more suited for the rough stuff.

It’s still very much a big vehicle with a larger iconic seven slot grille with active grille shutters, tapered and lowered roof line, elongated level-set hood and an impressive front end that will fill your rear view mirror if you’re faffing about in the fast lane.

Unlike most of its competitors the Grand Cherokee is a unibody construction rather than a ladder frame.

The interior is very much a grand affair with handcrafted materials, a plethora of soft touch surfaces, 16-way adjustable heated and cooled front seats and, as you would expect, it’s all digital with a 10.1-inch digital cluster and touchscreen infotainment system, and an optional 10.25-inch front passenger interactive display in the Overland version that we drove.

And to keep you entertained in these fine surroundings is a superb McIntosh sound system with 19 custom-designed speakers, exclusive to Jeep.

Powering the Grand Cherokee is the tried and tested 3.6-litre Pentastar V6 engine with 210kW and 344Nm connected to a TorqueFlite eight-speed automatic transmission.

Towing capacity is 2,812kg.

A handy new feature is front axle disconnect. Sensors determine driving conditions and if it doesn’t require all four wheels, the front axle automatically switches the car to two-wheel drive, reducing drag on the drivetrain and improving fuel economy.

Talking of, on the N1 towards our overnight stop in Limpopo we set the adaptive cruise control to 120km/h and averaged 9.6l/100km and at one stage it dropped to 8.6l/100km.

Granted, we were trying our best to see what we could average and, loaded with a heavier foot or towing, those figures will increase significantly but for a vehicle that weighs just over 2.1 tons that’s pretty impressive.

The Grand Cherokee is a superb car to drive, especially on tar and gravel roads.

The lane keep assist proved to be quite intrusive but it’s easily switched off by a button above the touchscreen, rather than having to dig into various sub menus.

It wafts along, not in a 1960s Cadillac way, but sure of foot thanks to the Quadra-Lift air with electronic semi-active damping suspension doing its thing on all four wheels. Road imperfections are easily taken care of and while we didn’t exactly throw it around corners with gay abandon, it held the line well with very little fuss or body roll.

Jeep’s solid front axle Wrangler sibling is the more recognised go-anywhere vehicle but the Grand Cherokee certainly doesn’t hold back in the 4x4 stakes.

It’s Quadra-Trac II 4x4 system with an active transfer case, Selec-Terrain traction management system and air suspension that will raise the vehicle to provide 287mm of ground clearance and a wading depth of 610mm all combine to provide a proper 4x4 experience that will get you to places its exterior looks defy.

On a fairly technical course that included a river crossing or two, steep rocky ascents and descents with a couple of steps along the way the Grand Cherokee took it all in its stride even with road-biased tyres set for highway cruising.

There are five settings: Auto, Sport, Rock, Snow and Mud/Sand.

We found that Mud/Sand Mode provided the best compromise for all conditions, even over rocky climbs, but I reckon once you’ve experimented a bit you’ll get a better feel for throttle control.

Over the bumpy bits the air suspension felt rather firm but that’s to be expected when the suspension is fully extended.

Downhill Descent Control is one of the best in the business. It seamlessly lets the car go down rocky parts without the brake disc grind and squeaks so often associated with the handy 4x4 addition.

Much of the road home was on gravel, which after the recent rains made the maize plants stand tall and green but left the roads with muddy pools and serious washaways, which it handled with aplomb.

While the Grand Cherokee has every off-road trick in the book, back on the tar it again showed what a superbly comfortable drive it is, exactly the kind of vehicle you want to take on a road trip to Namibia and still be able to engage low range to visit the real hard-to-get-to parts.

It comes with a five-year/100,000km maintenance plan and a five-year/100000km warranty

Jeep Grand Cherokee Pricing (May 2023)

Limited 3.6L 4x4 auto – R1,329,900

Overland 3.6L 4x4 auto – R1,539,900

Summit Reserve 3.6L 4x4 auto – R1,735,900

IOL Motoring