Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT The American Muscle SUV

•Mark Musutu A few months ago we did a review of the base Jeep Grand Cherokee. We had some reservations about it because there were a few more upper market Grand Cherokees in Jeep’s arsenal.

If the Jeep collection is a stack of cards, then the SRT edition is an ace. The SRT stands for Street Racing Technology, this is Jeep’s answer to Mercedes’ AMG, BMW’s M and Range Rover’s SVR. The top of the range SRT Jeep is a culmination of 75 years of passion, innovation and heritage.

The first Cherokee was manufactured in 1974 as a two-door coupe with off-road prowess. It got its name from the Cherokee tribe of the Native Americans.

In 1992, Jeep decided to go up market and they introduced the Grand Cherokee. It was made to take on the likes of the bigger 1991 Ford Explorer. The Grand Cherokee was an instant success thanks to its legendary Jeep off-road capability, a smoother ride, better looks and a more spacious interior than its smaller siblings. The Grand Cherokee got its features from the Jeep Commander concept.

You can tell an SRT by the black grille which resembles the face of a vulture, or the vulture look-alike harpy eagle. I also liken its face to one wearing Zorro’s face mask, the black grille is a simple yet excellent design finishing that makes it echo a dark or merciless aura.

Establishing this aura is another SRT signature – the two sunken air intakes on the bonnet which seem to be inspired by the heat sensing pits of a viper.

The Cherokee SRT is low-sitting with a sporty appeal, larger tires, red Brembo brake calipers, pronounced exhaust pipes and there’s the familiar American muscle car sound from the 6,4 litre Hemi engine. There is little or no decency in the SRT’s looks and sound.

Boarding the SRT, it’s a true American muscle car, very similar to a Dodge or Mustang’s interior; it has a host of chrome finishes, refined leather and suede, bright stitches and bucket seats.

While getting comfortable and ready to take off, I noticed the eye catching clusters and instruments are a mix of virtual and real. The interior is neat and drivers will enjoy a control layout that is very easy and plain. The Jeep Grand Cherokee displays its functions via a UConnect 8,4-inch touch screen, also found on Chryslers. This is one of the easier to use and quicker-responding systems in the industry, with large touch points and logical menus. And there’s an irresistible Harman Kardon sound system that kept me wanting to listen to anything it was playing.

Data connectivity is wired into the car as well, bringing streaming audio capability, as well as wireless connectivity to passengers and Bluetooth is standard.

The SRT packs a full suite of airbags, as well as trailer-sway control, hill-descent control, and hill-start assistance. Active headrests are standard as well.

Other aids and features include: Parking sensors and blind-spot monitors, adaptive cruise control which incorporates a frontal-crash warning system. The large Brembo brakes it wears give it amazing stopping capability.

The highlight of the SRT is its acceleration, coming from a land where drag racing is a way of life, it comes with a launch control feature. It runs with the agility and swiftness of something other than an SUV, it feels a lot more like small tuned sporty hatch. It accelerates from 0 to 100 kmph in 4,8 seconds thanks to its 4,6 litre, 475 hp Hemi engine. Grand Cherokees in general feel very light and Jeep claim to be the first car-maker to offer such a driving sensation. Jeep also hints that they are master of it. The Grand Cherokee in general remains true to its original blueprint, with its trademark unibody construction, seating five, and a longitudinally mounted six-cylinder engine.

One of the most amazing features is Jeep’s quadra-lift which is height-adjusting; it automatically lowers by 1,6 inches when the vehicle is parked and can increase ground clearance from 8,2 to a maximum of 10,4 inches. It results in a relaxing, floating ride. Which can be a little rocky but ever plush.

My test drive instructor insisted that I feel the SRT Cherokee on a very long stretch and we went for it. The SRT is a true kilometre eater and in no time, we had reached our destination and headed back. It’s made for the longer run and is the best long range cruiser I have driven. The Jeep has a firm handling feel and very responsive steering with very little lean. Despite its sporty prowess, the SRT also makes for good day-to-day use.

The Jeep is a hardcore off-roader going neck and neck with likes of Land Rover. Our test drive Jeep come with Quadra-Trac II, with a two-speed transfer case that adds a low range, hill-descent control, and Jeep’s Selec-Terrain dial. Similar to a system first seen on Land Rovers (even the buttons are alike), Selec-Terrain can optimise the mechanicals for different surfaces, such as pavement, sand, snow, rocks and mud. The third four-wheel-drive system, Quadra-Drive, comes only with the Hemi V-8 and adds an electronic limited-slip rear differential along with Selec-Speed, which functions as an ultra-low-speed off-road cruise control. Our SRT spec is a street biased edition, though.

For the 2017 model, Jeep has expanded the line-up to six separate models. They include the Laredo, Limited, Trailhawk, Overland, Summit and the SRT. The SRT sheds all decency, it embodies the American legacy of muscle cars and power, it is the hot-rod of SUVs, but decked with all the comfort of a mid-sized SUV. Simply put, it’s an awesome car.

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