Dating over 75 years, Jeep is arguably the oldest mass-produced off-road vehicle. Years before Land Rover or Land Cruiser existed, Jeep was roving the rugged US terrain.
It all begun with John Willys, a New York-born bicycle entrepreneur who was awarded a contract to manufacture vehicles for World War II. This saw the introduction of the first Jeep in 1941 called the Bantam BRC Willys.
Down the line, Jeep introduced the first Cherokee in 1974, a two-door coupe with off-road prowess – borrowing its name from the Cherokee Native American tribe.
In 1992, Jeep decided to go upmarket and take on the likes of the big 1991 Ford Explorer, which heralded the introduction of the Grand Cherokee.
It 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 sibling. The Grand Cherokee has enjoyed four generations of multiple awards, accolades, and high sales.
In terms of design, the Grand Cherokee was inspired by the Jeep Commander concept, which was a boxy, simple and a large statement. Jeep seems to maintain a certain mildness and simplicity that plays out well for the Grand Cherokee; they keep it looking handsome with lasting appeal. Especially in recent times, Jeep has left all audaciousness to the Wrangler and smaller Cherokee.
The Cherokee has maintained the same look over the last couple of years with recent revisions on the exterior including changes to the front bumper, front grille and alloy wheels, to name a few.
Our featured Trailhawk edition is cut out for a rugged life, hence features like a skid plate, hooks and protective surfaces.
Boarding the interior, it’s a high-riding car with a highly raised seat doubling as command sitting or view effect. This gives a wonderful feeling of dominance and command without any compromise on headroom.
The interior includes a revision in colours, carpets and hard trim components; to the arm rest console, iridium silver accents and bezel finishes; a revised metal package on the Overland and SRT, and sport seats as standard on Overland editions. The interior is neat and drivers will enjoy the control layout that is easy and plain with clusters and instruments that are a blend of virtual and real.
The Jeep Grand Cherokee displays its functions via a UConnect 8,4-inch touchscreen, one of the easier-to-use and quicker-responding systems in the industry, with large touch points and logical menus.
Data connectivity is wired into the car as well, bringing streaming audio capability, as well as wireless connectivity to passengers, and Bluetooth is standard. Google Apple Car Play and Android Auto are recently added features.
The Grand Cherokee Trailhawk is driven by a Penstar 3,6-litre V6 with an output of 216kW, delivering 295 horsepower and 353 Nm, allowing it to run from 0 to 100km/h in seven seconds.
Buyers set on a Grand Cherokee who are seeking sporty experiences should go for the SRT or the world’s fastest MPV – the 6,2-litre Hemi V8, 527 kW, 875 Nm Jeep Trackhawk.
It recently hit Namibia and we are set for a test drive in the near future.
The Grand Cherokee runs with the agility and swiftness of a small sporty hatch, it feels very light and Jeep claims to be the first car maker to offer such a driving sensation. Jeep also hints that they are master of it. It’s worth noting interior noise has been cut by a very significant six to eight dBA for the 2019 editions.
One of the most amazing features is Jeep’s quadra-lift height-adjusting, it lowers the car by 1,6 inches when the vehicle is parked and can increase ground clearance from 8,2 to a maximum of 10,4 inches. This results in a relaxing float-like ride.
The Jeep has a firm handling feel and very responsive steering with very little lean. It’s a hardcore off-roader, especially our featured Trailhawk edition.
Going neck and neck with likes of Land Rover, it comes with Quadra-TracII, a two-speed transfer case that adds a low range, hill-descent control, and Jeep’s selec-terrain which optimises the mechanicals for different surfaces, such as pavement, sand, snow, rocks and mud.
Talking safety, the Grand Cherokee packs a full suite of airbags, rear park assist and hill-start assistance, amongst others. Active headrests are standard as well. Other aids and features include parking sensors and blind-spot monitors.
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