As for the styling changes, at the front the Grand Cherokee features a shorter upper grille, slimmer headlights, more pronounced fog lights and a front fascia that's been slightly elevated.
The rear end boasts larger tail lamps with LED lighting, a larger and more aerodynamic rear spoiler and a re-sculpted tailgate that offers greater rear-ward visibility.
In the UK the new Grand Cherokee will be offered in five trim levels, with the entry-level Laredo variant being followed by Limited, Limited Plus, Overland and Summit.
Laredo, Limited, Overland and Summit each features mild styling variations to distinguish them, and the higher-specification cars get Jeep's more sophisticated four-wheel-drive system and air suspension.
Limited Plus is a UK specific level that adds extra toys such as satnav and 20in alloys to the Limited trim. It is expected to be the biggest seller in the UK range.
Although UK prices are still being finalised, it is expected that the range will start at about £37,000 and rise to just under £50,000 for top-of-the-range editions. Right-hand-drive cars will reach the UK in the middle of July.
What's it like?
Appreciation of styling is subjective, but to our eyes, the minor exterior styling changes work much more effectively in the metal than they do in pictures. The new Grand Cherokee remains unmistakably Jeep, but the refresh has softened off some of the bluff edges enough to give the large SUV a touch more Euro-centric appeal.
Like the outside of the outside Grand Cherokee, the cabin has benefited from a mild makeover and features some higher quality materials. Three rear passengers won't be left wanting for leg, shoulder or head room, and there's a 782-litre boot space with the rear seats in place.
One of the stand-out features in the cabin is a new infotainment and multimedia system, which is controlled via a modern-looking 8.4in touchscreen.
The big and bold graphics make it easy to use on the move without diverting attention from the road, and its useful that regularly adjusted systems such as aircon and seat heaters can be operated from the touchscreen without having to fumble around the cabin for switchgear.
Another new piece of technology, the TFT instrument display, gets a more cautious thumbs-up. It can be configured in hundreds of ways to show a seemingly endless torrent of information about the car – pretty much everything apart from what the driver had for breakfast, it seems – but at a quick glance the on-screen clutter can make it difficult to ascertain vital signs like speed and fuel levels.
On the road, it doesn't take long for the qualities of the eight-speed automatic to become evident. It is a good match to the Grand Cherokee's flexible 3.0-litre V6 engine. The set-up is more suited to cruising than sporty driving; although the engine has a substantial amount of grunt from low revs, it still has to haul almost two-and-a-half tonnes up to speed, and the 0-62mph sprint takes 8.2sec and feels comfortable rather than exhilarating.
When the Jeep Grand Cherokee has selected the biggest cog and settled into a steady pace, it feels very composed. The engine sounds very refined apart from during heavy acceleration (such as the kind you might employ during an A-road overtaking move) when it coarsely grumbles about the extra demands.
Join the debate
Matthew Tortellini
Tiny eyes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oe5dWZ6eVH8
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al_a_cart
very funny tortellini
very funny tortellini
al_a_cart
bonifa
Ridiculous that the petrol
Ridiculous that the petrol engines are ignored
Maxecat
No one buys SUV's with petrol engines in Europe
They do not bother to import Jeeps with petrol engines into Europe as there is no demand for them.
What percentage of Range Rovers, Discovery's, X5's, Land Cruisers, Mercedes ML's sold in Europe are petrol, maybe at most 5%? Hardly worth the effort.
The reason why the diesel version is so expensive in the US is probably due to the engine being "not made in the USA".
maxecat
SamC
Underrated
Usually I'd instantly head straight for the Discovery in this segment, but I really like this. It seems like such a vast improvment. Hopefully this makes for good underpinnings for the Maserati Levante.
artill
looks aside (being
looks aside (being subjective) this sounds a huge step forward.
In the states the 3.0 diesel is $5,000 more than the 3.6 Petrol, and $2,000 more than the V8. That buys an awful lot of fuel at US prices, and quite a bit here. So its a shame they dont offer us the option.
If you prefer the looks of the current car, and can cope with the old auto box you can get one for under £29k, no doubt as they try to shift the current stock
MikeSpencer
No seven seat option
Might limit appeal to some. X5, Q7 and Disco can now be had with seven seats, while Jeep, Touareg and M-Class can't (I think I'm right about that, but not certain!).
Flash Harry
This seems like a vast
This seems like a vast improvement on the outgoing Cherokee.No mention of the Japanese or Korean rivals in the article.Do Land Rover and the Germans dominate the SUV market?? I think not !!
TBC
Business
For business users the MPG and Co2 figures look very impressive compared with the LR Discovery. Looks like LR need to up their game.
Dark Isle
Yes, but!
To be fair to LR, the Discovery is at the tail end of its life. There's a brand new model coming next year, and like the Range Rover and RR Sport, it'll be much lighter. So the question now is: has Jeep gone far enough?
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