Hot on the heels of the Jeep There & Back Guarantee, the updated Grand Cherokee range has touched down in Australia. As Jeep tries to make over its image after falling sales they welcome the new Grand Cherokee Trailhawk to the range. The rest of the line-up receives a refreshed look, as well as performance, safety and equipment revisions. Jeep Australia Director Guillaume Drelon has commented, “The updated Grand Cherokee range is not only more refined on-road and more capable offroad, we’ve bolstered its safety credentials and made it even better value for money.”
The revised Grand Cherokee range could have an uphill battle though as pricing has been announced. With prices starting at $47,500 the new line up isn’t exactly cheap, which may make it difficult for the brand to recapture market share. At the top end of the range the SRT comes in at a whopping $91,000, and that’s before on-road costs.
The new addition, the Grand Cherokee Trailhawk, is priced from $74,000 plus on-roads. It comes with the Quadra-Drive II 4x4 system. It is powered by a 3.0-litre turbodiesel V6 which is matched with an 8-speed automatic transmission. Add to this underbody skid plates, ‘red’ front tow hooks, Offroad Pages in the 8.4-inch Uconnect touchscreen and some cosmetic enhancements, the Trailhawk tries its best to look distinctive.
All other Grand Cherokee models get a modified version of the trademark seven slot grille, new headlamps, front fascia, LED fog lamps, 18 or 20-inch wheels and the choice of six new colours on the outside.
The interior now has a new gear selector, acoustic windscreen and front door glass, LaneSense Lane Departure Warning Plus, and Parallel and Perpendicular Park Assist.
If you’re interested in towing, the range has a maximum braked towing capacity of 3,500kg and includes a Rear Trailer Hitch Camera View.
There are still four drivetrains available with updates only to the 3.6-litre Pentastar V6 which increases the power output slightly and aims to slightly improve fuel economy with stop-start technology.
The updated Jeep Grand Cherokee range goes on sale this month.
2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee pricing (excludes on-road costs)
Laredo V6 RWD – $47,500
Laredo V6 4×4 – $52,500
Laredo TDV6 4×4 – $59,000
Limited V6 4×4 – $62,500
Limited TDV6 4×4 – $69,000
Trailhawk TDV6 4×4 – $74,000
Overland TDV6 4×4 – $80,000
SRT V8 4×4 – $91,000
Let’s start a Car Conversation, are these improvements value for money? Do the safety features enhance the appeal? Does the ‘there and back guarantee’ give you peace of mind?
