One of the most American models at heart, the Jeep Grand Cherokee, returns in a completely new fifth generation. Its launch was originally planned for 2021, but was postponed to 2022. We are already used to delays of launches in the automotive world, and now it is coming to Israel. The brand’s impressive SUV presents large and respectable dimensions, with a length of 4.9 meters, a width of 2.1 meters and a wheelbase that reaches 3 meters.
Imagine how much space there is in the driver’s and passenger’s cabin – interior space that has grown in the new generation. The impressive dimensions are evident in all the other parts, for example the belly space, 20.3 cm, a weight of 2.7 tons that you will not feel, with the classic and familiar Jeep engine, with a volume of 3.6 liters, on which I will expand immediately. And another dimension – just to get your head in order about everything This big beast – its fuel tank has a volume of 87 liters.
On the other hand, the Grand Cherokee is a real bulldozer, which makes “small” urban tasks difficult due to the large dimensions of the new generation model, and it also knows how to make it difficult for urban drivers who occasionally want to park in the city center, or just get around like that. Whoever buys it must have an arranged, permanent and spacious parking lot.
The fifth generation comes in a five-seat version, and also in a seven-seat version – Grand Cherokee L. An SUV with seven seats can close the corner for those who have a budget of NIS 420,000 (starting price) – both for Saturday trips in the field, and for family mobility Large of three children and more. The LONG version can also be used by a smaller family, which will receive a trunk with a volume of more than 1,000 liters with folding of the seats in the third row.
The new Grand Cherokee has a lowered and sloped roof, for the benefit of improving aerodynamic performance, without compromising interior space and usability. Its “waistline” is low, with larger windows, which bring a greater amount of light into the passenger compartment, and also help provide a better field of vision for the driver. The front of the vehicle and the well-known grille of Jeep has become wider and larger, and it houses a long-range radar and other advanced safety technology features. The hood of the engine compartment has also been extended, creating beautiful and aggressive proportions. The LED lights, their shape and lighting are impressive, front and back.
Elegance and refinement, as well as quite a bit of progress and technology, are reflected inside the vehicle, with a new multimedia system and a large, colorful 10.1-inch touch screen, with a new operating system, which you can get used to quickly, but is not one of the most intuitive I’ve encountered. It is desirable that the home screen be wide, “clean” and clear and not composed of different parts and settings and displays that confuse the eye. There is a wireless connection to Apple Car Play and even Android Auto, but the connection to the Android device did not work smoothly, and I returned to a Bluetooth connection simply to listen to music and make calls. This is a matter Which is also repeated in other multimedia systems, so as an Android consumer I’m already used to it.
The introduction that went into the car is appreciable, but it came in quantities, which creates clutter in the center console. Above the large multimedia screen there is a row of operating switches, such as the one for turning off and on the “start and stop” system, the triangle switch and activating the lane departure correction system. Underneath the multimedia screen there are more external switches to activate the heating of the steering wheel and seats, below there are more switches to operate the climate control, two dials on the sides, and more switches. What is the purpose of having a new multimedia system in the car, if not to embed directions and settings in it?
Jeep offers as an option, for an additional fee, the addition of a 10.25-inch (26 cm) interactive display for the passenger in the front seat and ambient lighting with a choice of five colors. The test vehicle in the Limited version, second from the bottom, has nice lighting in the vehicle doors.
The seats in the car are upholstered in luxurious, beautiful upholstery. The front seats are adjustable in 16 directions, and have electric direction for lower back support (just in time) and massage memories. The high trim levels also have the option of massage in the front seats and seat ventilation. I didn’t get a car with the highest level of equipment, so instead of a massage I took care of my tight back by turning on the seat heating and adjusting the lower back area of the seat for maximum support.
The refinement and modernization did not “harm” the drive unit. The 2022 Grand Cherokee has a 3.6-liter V6 engine that produces 290 hp and a torque of 35.5 kgm. As an off-road vehicle, a permanent four-by-four system was implemented in it, with an electronic rear limited-slip differential and a unique air suspension system (Jeep Quadra-Lift) – which dampens the bumps in the road wonderfully and the trails in an exceptional way. The suspension means up to 27.7 cm of ground clearance, and there is the possibility of crossing water at a depth of 61 cm, in some of the trim levels. The system automatically adjusts the adjustment of the shock absorbers to the changing road conditions, but it can also be controlled manually.
One thing became clear during a fast drive on a highway: this is not a sports car. The steering wheel and suspension were not designed or calibrated for fast driving on the road. The steering wheel becomes too light, and the car only in the “Sport” mode felt grippy enough at high speed. It is possible to choose driving modes, in snow, sand, sport and automatic mode. The switch is to the left of the gear lever, but access to the switch is not convenient. So is the location of the car’s handbrake, to the left of the steering wheel, down, distant and uncomfortable.
The driver and passenger cabin is luxurious, truly luxurious. The seat is comfortable, pampering and supportive, electric, heated, with large screens in front of the eyes, an Alpine audio system, a large sunroof above the head, a large opening sun awning that can help on a sunny day, many useful storage spaces inside the vehicle, plenty of USB and C ports -USB, and V12, for external use also on trips (for example for inflating mattresses for camping). The test vehicle in the LIMITED level does not have front sensors nor a front camera, both of which should be mandatory in such a vehicle.
Driving the Grand Cherokee is quiet and fun. When driving, it provides a bubble: good noise insulation, suspensions that do the job and soften even at extreme amps, a purring engine and inexhaustible power. Although I was happy that the shifters were behind the steering wheel, they were not convenient to use – they are small and tall, and you can only press them from the top of the pedal, only my fingers reached the edges and not the entire shifter. Further behind the steering wheel – switches for selecting a radio station and adjusting the volume of the system. Only this thing doesn’t work and the idea is not smart, to say the least. It is better to have volume switches and the direction of radio stations in front of the eyes. Sometimes it’s the simple things that work.
The very simple paths I traveled on, even if they were a little steep – I passed with unbearable ease. If the Grand Cherokee could make a sound, it would laugh.
What about safety? The new Grand Cherokee includes original advanced safety systems, including collision warning in all speed ranges with active autonomous braking and pedestrian and cyclist detection, an aggressive lane keeping system, blind spot detection, adaptive cruise control with stop and go, ParkSense rear parking sensors with Stop, 360 degree surround camera and more.
Intercity fuel consumption is 10 kilometers per liter in combined driving, which I was able to reduce to 7 kilometers per liter in city and off-road driving. The price: from NIS 399,900 and NIS 449,900 for the test car, in the LIMITED five-seat version.
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