It dominates the road and, like a schoolboy bully, exudes an air of menacing superiority, implying beware to any that dare enters its space.
It is the latest generation Jeep Grand Cherokee in the Overland trim specification, which is the middle of the three-option range locally.
Drivetrain and Dimensions
It is 5 204 mm long, 2 419 mm wide, 1 816 mm high and has a wheelbase of 3 091 mm. Unlike large vehicles from European or Japanese manufacturers that often try to make the driving experience feel like a smaller vehicle, the Jeep screams its American heritage and that nation’s love of big things.
The design of this latest version harks back to the original Jeep Wagoneer, the company’s first full-size luxury SUV – this is a nod to Jeep’s 81-year history of building off-roaders. Thus, the Cherokee gets a bonnet long enough for a runway with the cabin moved back slightly – without infringing the legroom in the two rear compartment rows.
On the road in city driving – doing the shopping, parking – you are constantly aware of its size, and it does take some getting used to trying to ‘toothpaste tube’ it into the generally small South Africa parking spaces.
On and offroad capability
Jeep continues its reputation for offroad ability with three 4x4 systems – Quadra-Trac I, Quadra-Trac II and Quadra-Drive II with rear electronic limited slip-differential (eLSD).
All three systems are equipped with an active transfer case to improve traction by moving torque to work with the wheel with the most grip. The Grand Cherokee L’s Selec-Terrain traction management system lets customers choose the on and off-road setting for optimum 4x4 performance with five available terrain modes (Auto, Sport, Rock, Snow, Mud/Sand).
Unprecedented, the Grand Cherokee L offers Quadra-Lift Air Suspension, featuring electronic adaptive damping. The Quadra-Lift Air Suspension delivers ground clearance of 277 mm, while automatically adjusting the height based on road conditions and speed to reduce drag and for better fuel economy.
Interior design with new comfort and convenience features
The new interior exhibits luxury and comfort. I particularly liked the electronic operation of the second and third-row seatbacks. The function allows the operator to lower the seats to create the desired load space configuration – luggage capacity varying from 1 328 to 2 396 litres.
The centre stack houses a 10,1-inch display for the new Uconnect 5 system. Also new is a 10,25-inch frameless digital gauge cluster with nearly two dozen menus from which the user can select, including driver-assist technologies such as adaptive cruise control, highway assist and drowsy driver detection.
The system allows different drivers to set up their profiles, but I found some of the functions less intuitive or buries within menus that were harder to find than ideal.
Available first in the Jeep Grand Cherokee L, Stellantis is currently the only automotive manufacturer in the world to carry a McIntosh audio sound system, which comes standard with the Overland. The advanced, high-performance audio system features a 17-channel amplifier with a maximum output of 950 watts and 19 speakers, including a 10-inch subwoofer.
Front-row passengers have access to a wireless charging pad, plus standard dual USB Type C ports that allow devices to charge up to four times faster. The Jeep Grand Cherokee L has12 USB Type A and Type C ports for all three rows.
With Iron Maiden at indecent volume playing ‘Run to the Hills, I would love to.
Pentastar V6 petrol engine, performance, and fuel consumption
The Cherokee struts a 3,6-litre Pentastar V6 petrol engine producing 210 kW at 6 400 r/min and 344 Nm of torque at 4 000 r/min, and Jeep claim an average consumption of 10,6 l/100 km. The Carshop test average stood at 14,1 l/100 km – excluding any off-road work.
With a GVM of 3 039 kilograms, that 14,1-litre figure is neither surprising nor unexpected when the vehicle operates as a daily commuter facing plenty of stop/start activity in city traffic. On the open road, the figure did drop, with the best coming in at 10,8 l/100 km at a cruise control average of 120 km/h.
And, with a tank capacity of 87 litres, prepare your credit card for a beating.
Test drive verdict
Naturally, it comes with a gamut of driver aids, cameras, beeps, and buzzers. To make this simple, the Cherokee likes lots of space on an open road where it can stretch its legs and head off into the next sunrise – with equally plenty of aids, including cruise control with autonomous braking, lane change alert and driver drowsiness alert among them.
According to Jeep, engineering in the new Jeep Grand Cherokee L focuses on optimising comfort, handling, reducing weight, improving fuel economy, and delivering improved 4x4 capability with unrivalled premium on-road driving dynamics.
