Most of us by now know that SRT is the high-performance branch of the Chrysler group. We especially remember the exciting Chrysler 300C SRT8 as well as the previous-generation Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8. The combination of eight cylinders and lots of cubic inches, added to excellent value for money, did the job very nicely, thank you.
More of everything
With the latest Grand Cherokee that is selling very well in South Africa (in fact, the Chrysler group is growing significantly in sales and market share around the world) we have more of everything – more quality, more features, more refinement, more power, more fuel efficiency and more value. The styling is even more aggressive, while the supportive sport seats include a suede/nappa leather mix, there‘s hard drive and sat-nav, and carbon-fibre interior trimming.
What now propels this beast is a naturally aspirated, inline Hemi V8 of 6,4 litres, with 344 kW and 624 N.m of torque between 2 800 and 6 000 r/min, which is 36 kW and 55 N.m more than the previous 6,1-litre Hemi.
2,3 tonnes? Pah!
Jeep decided to show off the abilities of this high-performance SUV by letting us loose on the Kyalami Racetrack – a bold step considering the strain on the braking system and tyres when you try to race a large vehicle weighing in at over 2,3 tonnes! Well, there is a lot to be said for the six-pot Brembos in front and the four-pots at the rear. Being used to conducting emergency brake tests as part of CAR’s testing procedure, we often see smoke from brakes because the 10-stop test is harsh. Not as harsh as a few hours of heavy braking on a track, however. So, I was expecting the worst. But, there was not one sign of smoke, so those Brembos are definitely designed for the job.
The tyres, too, are up to the job. The latest Pirelli Scorpion Verde ZR20s are fitted to mean-looking 20-inch alloys with a 295/35 profile. Most of these survived the “racing” but with some degradation on the nearside fronts. These all-season tyres were chosen for better suitability and longer all-round life but if a client should prefer the stickier P Zeros, just ask for them. Another thing: the tyres use Pirelli’s run-flat technology, but there is also a spare (not 20-inch but capable of higher speeds than the usual space-savers) as a back-up for those long journeys.
Four modes equal huge fun
Instead of the air suspension and off-road settings of the Grand Cherokee range, the SRT8 has sport-tuned suspension with the rotary selector now used to choose between auto mode, snow mode, sport and full track. In the latter mode, you have to use the paddle shifters to swop cogs and traction control is deduced to a minimum, but will still keep you out of trouble.
As far as features go, there are no options. The SRT8 is fitted with everything, including two glass roofs, adaptive cruise control with radar, Harman Kardon 19-speaker audio; even metallic paint is free. The on-board central display is enhanced to give you a 0-to-100 km/h readout and braking from 100 to zero, claimed to be a very low 35 metres. Our display relayed the best 0-to-100 km/h time as 5,4 seconds at 2 000-metre altitude. Claimed top speed is 255 km/h and fuel consumption is a subject that is verboten.
So, is the SRT8 good value? Well, with all options already included in the price and the performance on offer, at R799 990 we would say – yes!
See DriveSRT.co.za and www.chryslersa.co.za for more info.