Jeep’s 2011 Cherokee much Grander

SUV uses Mercedes platform but still offers multiple 4WD systems

Jun 25, 2010

Special to the Star

HOLLISTER, CALIF.–The trail to the top of the hill is rocks, and the sandy wash down the other side is so steep that only the seatbelt keeps me from falling into the windshield. Naturally, the redesigned Grand Cherokee takes it in stride — that’s the whole idea of a Jeep, after all — along with considerable improvements for a smooth asphalt ride as well.

The 2011 model SUV uses a platform from Mercedes-Benz, has a selectable terrain mode similar to Land Rover’s, and throws in Chrysler’s newfound attention to interior quality.

On sale now, it starts at $37,995 for the base Laredo E, followed by Laredo X at $42,995, Limited at $46,995 and Overland at $49,995. The trim levels are differentiated not only by features, but by off-road capability.

The platform is from the upcoming redesigned Mercedes ML350, courtesy of Daimler’s previous ownership of Chrysler.

It has the backbone of a body that’s considerably stiffer than the previous Grand Cherokee, rigidity being integral both to off-road competence and better cornering on the paved roads where most SUVs spend their lives. Also new is independent suspension at all four corners.

Chrysler calls this a full-size SUV, but it’s really not all that big. Marginally longer overall than the old model, it has a considerably longer wheelbase, which gives it a smoother ride.

It’s also strictly a five-passenger. The current three-row Commander will soldier on for a while, but an upcoming seven-passenger will be an entirely new model instead of simply a stretched Grand Cherokee as the Commander is now. If hints by company reps are any indication, it’ll be a sister vehicle to a return of the Dodge Durango name.

Grand Cherokee’s 5.7 L Hemi V8 is unchanged, but the previous 3.7 L V6 is replaced with the first appearance of Chrysler’s all-new Pentastar 3.6 L V6 (that being the name of the company’s five-pointed logo). It makes 290 hp to the previous 210 horses, while torque grows to 260 lb.-ft. from 235, but with an improvement in fuel economy.

The 420 hp SRT8 is gone, but it seems there are enough fans of a top-heavy go-fast SUV that there’s a “strong possibility” it’ll return in a couple of years, the company says.

Not so the V6 diesel, last seen for 2009. That fuel’s high cost in the all-important U.S. market dooms it, and while the new V6 doesn’t offer the diesel’s low-end torque, it actually gets slightly better mileage.

The V6 is a stout little engine, smooth-running and quietly competent at highway speeds. It starts out fine from a standing stop, but then hits a flat spot between first and second gear, the result of tuning the five-speed automatic for fuel economy. Many automakers get around that by adding a sixth gear, but Chrysler has to watch its pennies and it dipped into the existing parts bin, hooking the five-speed to both engines.

The carmaker plans to leapfrog competitors with an eight-speed automatic, built in the U.S. through a venture with German transmission manufacturer ZF, but that Chrysler-exclusive gearbox is still a few years away.

Not all 4x4 systems are created equal, and Grand Cherokee offers three different ones:

•  The base Quadra-Trac I, standard on the two Laredo models, is full-time four-wheel, with a 48/52 torque split front to rear, more than enough for most snowfalls.

• Quadra-Trac II is optional on Laredo X, and standard on Limited and Overland; it adds low range, and when necessary, can send all engine power to the front or rear axle, depending on traction.

• Quadra-Drive II, optional on all but the base model, is similar but adds an electronic limited-slip differential that’s able to send full power to a single wheel if the other three are helplessly spinning.

Two other items add off-road cred. Selec-Terrain, included with Quadra-Trac II and Quadra-Drive II, uses a dial similar to Land Rover’s variable system. It tweaks various vehicle systems for optimal traction when dialed in to Snow, Sand/Mud and Rock settings, along with Auto for most driving, and Sport mode that adds more rear-wheel bias.

The final trick is an optional air suspension, which provides as much as 27 cm of ground clearance, or drops down for easier climbing in and out.

The interior design doesn’t break any new ground — I like the simplicity of the big-buttoned centre stack, but some might find it too austere — but it’s light-years ahead of its predecessor in materials and finish.

The previously cramped rear seats are now fine for six-footers, thanks to the stretched wheelbase and a reclining feature, and the cargo area is larger, including two nifty removable storage bins tucked around the spare tire, and flat-folding rear chairs that drop easily, without fussing with the head-restraints.

The base model features dual-zone a/c, power driver’s seat, pushbutton start and active front head-restraints to prevent whiplash.

Luxury touches in other trim levels include ventilated seats, backup camera, power liftgate, xenon headlamps, blind spot and cross-traffic monitors, and heated steering wheel. That feature was soundly mocked as unmanly when first seen on Dodge Ram pickup, but only by those who’d never grabbed one on an icy morning.

Here in the dusty hills, there’s nothing unmanly about Grand Cherokee: it can do almost anything off-road that Wrangler can do, but on the street, it rides and drives like a Chrysler 300 sedan.

For most owners, the upper-level 4x4 systems are overkill, but that’s the whole Jeep thing: you may never climb the mountain, but at least you know you can.

Travel was provided freelance auto reviewer Jil McIntosh by the automaker. jil@ca.inter.net

2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee

PRICE: $37,995-$49,995

ENGINE: 3.6 L V6, 5.7 L V8

POWER: V6 290 hp, 260 lb.-ft.; V8 360 hp, 390 lb.-ft.

FUEL CONSUMPTION: V6: city 13.0 (22 mpg), hwy 8.9 (32 mpg); V8: 15.7 (18 mpg), 10.6 (27 mpg)

COMPETITORS: Acura MDX, Audi Q7, BMW X5, Cadillac SRX, Chevrolet Traverse, Ford Explorer, GMC Acadia, Honda Pilot, Hyundai Santa Fe, Infiniti QX56, Kia Borrego, Land Rover LR4, Lexus RX 350, Mazda CX-9, Mercedes-Benz M-class, Mitsubishi Outlander, Nissan Pathfinder, Porsche Cayenne, Subaru Tribeca, Suzuki Grand Vitara, Toyota Highlander, Volkswagen Touareg, Volvo XC60

WHAT’S BEST: Off-road ability, on-road manners, improved interior

WHAT’S WORST: V6 acceleration is the trade-off for fuel economy

WHAT’S INTERESTING: Overland trim is named for Willys-Overland, which made Jeeps during World War II