At the same time, its surfeit of top-end power produces a zero-100kmh time of only 8 seconds. Ninety per cent of the V8s 500Nm of torque is produced from 2400-5100rpm, so it works well in towing (up to 3500kg) and low-range off-road applications. The Hemi tag is one of those retro gimmicks from the 1960s Chrysler catalogue. The 5.7 might like a drink but it's still a sweet engine, with that unmistakeable American V8 sound, smoothness and soul. On the Limited, three electronic limited-slip differentials allow torque to be moved across the vehicle as well as along it, depending upon traction. All models incorporate a five-speed automatic with electronic selection of high- and low-range, a wet centre clutch and variable front/rear torque splitting. Sophisticated drivetrains maintain the brand's signature off-road credibility.
Independent suspension and rack and pinion steering are now fitted at the front. The larger unitary-construction body rides on a longer wheelbase and wider tracks. The previous model was a technological antique. Like the engines, the rest of the Grand Cherokee range is virtually all new from the wheels up. At the bottom of the range, the 4.7-litre, 170kW V8 Laredo is $56,490 the Limited is $66,490. And there is a genuinely economical alternative, a Mercedes-derived 3.0-litre, 160kW turbo diesel V6, priced at $59,090 in Laredo specification, or $69,090 for the Limited. In hilly terrain, this rose to 15-17 litres/100km.Īround town, and in low-range/off-road driving, the Jeep gulped 21-25 litres/100km - average for this "fill 'er up, for tomorrow we die" end of the consumption scale. Drive's test car returned 14.5 litres/100km cruising at 100kmh on the open road. Thank God for that, because the Jeep chews through enough juice to run a small country. The new Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited 5.7-litre Hemi V8, priced at $71,990, shuts down half the engine's cylinders when cruising, or under light throttle loads, to reduce fuel consumption by up to (a claimed) 20 per cent. And it's fitted to a 2.2-tonne, 4WD wagon. In fact, the engine in question is a 5.7-litre, 240kW, V8. OK, so we're not talking Toyota Prius-like frugality here. You know that the rising price of oil is becoming a critical issue when Americans start incorporating fuel-saving technology into their cars.
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