[Jeep News] The upgraded and refreshed Jeep Grand Cherokee has been launched in South Africa. This 2014 Grand Cherokee range features a new transmission, reworked exterior, a new touchscreen and enhances safety and 4×4 systems.
Among the design changes are new bi-xenon headlamps (HID bi-xenon for the SRT) with LED daytime running lights, new wheel designs and colour combinations both the inside and out. Exterior highlights include a shorter seven-slot grille, narrow headlamps and raised foglamps. At the back the taillamps are larger than before, as is the spoiler. There’s also a new rear bumper and a re-sculpted tailgate. Those mean-looking dual exhaust tips come as standard on the Limited and Overland models. The SRT model gets more aggressive styling with a black grille, a black surround with the taillamps, and 20-inch Black Vapor Chrome wheels.
On the inside there’s a new three-spoke steering wheel and the fresh UConnect multimedia system with 8,4-inch touchscreen and the seven-inch configurable cluster display. Depending on the specification level you choose, there are various interior grades to choose from – Morocco, New Zealand, Nepan, Grand Canyon and Mount Vesuvio. The default one is Morocco with black seats, instrument panel, console and door panels. The facia of the Limited model with a Morocco interior has a black walnut trim finish.
The upgraded safety package includes forward collision warning with crash mitigation, ESC, electronic rollover mitigation, ABS with off-road calibration, traction control and seven airbags. Other highlights include a rear parking camera, cruise control and Jeep’s Selec-Speed Control with hill-ascent control and hill-decent control.
With the new Jeep Grand Cherokee comes a choice of 4×4 systems − Quadra-Trac II and Quadra-Drive II with rear Electronic Limited-slip Differential (ELSD), as well as the Quadra-Trac active on-demand four-wheel-drive system that’s available on the SRT model. The latter system features rear electronic limited slip differential.
There are three petrol engines available in the Jeep Grand Cherokee − a 210 kW and 347 N.m 3,6-litre V6, a 5,7-litre V8 that delivers 259 kW and 520 N/m of torque, and the SRT’s 6,4-litre V8 Hemi with 344 kW at 6 250 r/min and 624 N.m at 4 100 r/min. Diesel power comes in the form of a 3,0-litre turbocharged V6 unit. All engines are mated with the new eight-speed automatic transmission system. For better consumption across the range, the Grand Cherokee features an eco mode that kicks in when the vehicle is started. This mode adjusts the transmission’s shift schedule as well as throttle sensitivity, while also activating the Quadra-Lift air suspension. The V8 models come with fuel cylinder deactivation that makes use of only four cylinders when the power of the V8 is not required.
Prices:
3,6 Limited – R584 000
3,6 Overland – R646 990
5,7 Overland – R679 990
SRT8 – R879 990
The 3,0-litre CRD pricing will be announced closer to date of launch.
