The most powerful and fastest Jeep model, the Grand Cherokee SRT-8, will soon be launched in SA. Powered by a 309 kW 6,1-litre Hemi V8, the performance SUV is said to roar from zero to 100 km/h in a Cayenne Turbo-trumping 5 secs!
The most powerful and fastest Jeep model, the Grand Cherokee SRT-8, will soon be launched in South Africa. Powered by a 309 kW 6,1-litre Hemi V8, the performance SUV is said to roar from zero to 100 km/h in a Porsche Cayenne Turbo-trumping 5,0 seconds and reportedly capable of reaching a top speed of 245 km/h!
DaimlerChrysler SA’s Jeep Chrysler brand manager Richard Sloman told CARtoday.com that two demo units of the SRT-8 had already been delivered to the company’s headquarters at Zwartkops and that the model was scheduled to be launched on the South African market, with a price tag of R549 900, by September.
“The SRT-8 will definitely be available before the Auto Africa Expo in October,” Sloman said, “but in small volume (UK reports suggested that a limited number of right-hand drive SRT-8 models would be available) – about a couple of hundred this year”.
The performance-tuned Grand Cherokee flagship has in-your-face beefy styling (we’d expect nothing less from an unabashed performance SUV!). The SRT-8’s paraphernalia includes a new front spoiler “to reduce lift”, air ducts “to help cool the front brakes”, sill extensions, two big-bore exhaust tips and 20-inch five-spoke alloys.
SRT (Street and Racing Technology) extracted a further 69 kW out of the Grand Cherokee’s Hemi by increasing its capacity by about 400 cm3, increasing the compression ratio (from 9.6:1 to 10.3:1), fitting higher-flow cylinder heads, an uprated intake manifold and induction system and exhaust headers with individual tubes encased in a stainless steel shell. The powerplant’s peak power output engine speed has been increased by nearly 20 per cent from 5 000 to 6 000 r/min.
The 6,1-litre unit churns out 556 N.m, which is sent through a special torque converter to an SRT-upgraded A580 five-speed automatic transmission. Torque is then channeled to front and rear differentials through a specially-designed transfer case. Under normal driving conditions, five to 10 per cent of torque is directed to the front wheels, but as much of the Hemi’s torque can be directed forward when additional traction or stability is required. Remaining torque is sent via a heavy-duty driveshaft to a Dana 44 rear differential upgraded with a larger ring gear within a new axle housing.
The chassis has also been modified, with tuned Bilstein dampers, specially tuned spring rates and suspension bushings and larger-diameter anti-roll bars, together with a 25mm lower ride height and a re-tuned ESP system. Four-piston performance brake calipers developed by Brembo, finished in gloss black, clamp down on 360 x 32mm discs up front and 350 x 28mm rotors in the rear.
Inside, the SRT-8’s cabin is distinguished by electrically-adjustable sports leather seats in the front (accentuated with patterned suede inserts), a “carbon-fibre” finish on the steering wheel, instrument-panel brow and shift knob and “refined aluminum” trim on the centre stack, gear selector stalk and door-switch bezels.
Full instrumentation includes a 300 km/h speedometer, tachometer and temperature gauges, trimmed with a unique blue accent and located within a “carbon fibre-trimmed” binnacle. Oil pressure and temperature can be monitored through a specially configured display unit located in the instrument panel.
Peter Lambert, managing director of Chrysler UK’s managing director, was recently quoted as saying that the SRT-8 has “the raw power to out-perform a Porsche Cayenne Turbo (R1,475 million) at a fraction of the price”. Several US publications suggest the Grandest Cherokee can dispatch the 0-100 km/h benchmark in 5 seconds, and Jeep claims “0-160-0 km/h in the low 19-second range, and 100-0 km/h braking distance of about 38m” for the SRT-8.
Although it is hard to imagine that the SRT-8 could match the dynamic capabilities of a Cayenne or the off-road prowess of the Range Rover Sport (both scores still need to be settled, of course), it’s unlikely that many performance SUVs will be able to equal or top the brute power and stand-out performance of the SRT-8 at its price.
