Review
You've got to feel a bit sorry for Jeep. Having been one of the first companies in the world to start mass-manufacturing 4x4s, and after pretty much inventing the modern "SUV", it now finds that buyers are tending to desert its ultra-rugged core values in favour of more road-biased rivals.
Bigger and tougher than before, the Grand Cherokee is meant to reclaim the high ground for Jeep - yet it's still nothing like as good to drive on road as rivals like the BMW X5 and Mercedes ML. It's certainly an imposing looking device - big, tall and tough. It's the sort of brutal styling to win you a grudging respect - people won't get in your way driving this thing.
The cabin is better finished than the previous models, with good ergonomics and some reasonably upmarket looking materials, although some areas still seem very cheap for something that's being pitched as a rival to the genuine premium brands. It's not as spacious as some key rivals, either, with a cramped driving position and disappointing room in the back. At least the boot is massive.
It drives pretty much as you would expect - always feeling big and slightly inaccurate. Steering is too light and rapid cornering isn't something the GC can evince any enthusiasm for, but at least the ride quality is vastly better than that of the crashy old model. It's predictably good off-road, too.
Engine choice is between two vastly thirsty V8 petrols, which we can't see any point for in Europe, and a respectably refined and decently brisk 3.0 litre V6 diesel engine, which is definitely where the half-way-smart money goes.