Grand Cherokee cockpits have always been fairly inviting spaces, and the new GC is no exce
How Well It Works
So much for gut instincts.
We spent a full day wheeling the 3.6L-powered Grand over the slickrock fins and rock slabs of Moab's Hell's Revenge and Fins 'N Things trails, and we are happy to report that the new Grand Cherokee has lost none of its previous off-pavement capability. Quite the opposite-the new adjustable Quadra-Lift suspension and Selec-Terrain drive system give the driver the ability to adjust suspension height on the fly in low-range. In all but its maximum (stiffest) settings, the airbags provide a great deal of absorption against washboard irregularities, and our time spent on dirt at medium speeds was much smoother and vibration-free than we'd expected. The rear limited-slip is remarkably well dialed-in, engaging almost immediately whenever the slightest degree of wheel slippage is detected. (If only the new GC's tires were so adept-more later.) As a caveat, we should note that we removed the front air dam for our excursion, which improves the Grand Cherokee's approach angle to a quite-respectable 35 degrees. And yes, some of you might think that's cheating, but then again, it's designed for quick removal and re-attachment via four easily accessible plastic twist clips. And if you feel like you need a little more off-road armor, Mopar already offers heavy-gauge steel rock rails as an accessory, as well as wheel locks, side steps, and splash guards.
As mentioned, the unitbody Grand Cherokee evinces minimal suspension travel on off-camber
If we had any gripes at all, they would boil down to tires and gearing: The Grand Cherokee's two OE tire offerings (which shall remain nameless, until you read the specs) offer acceptable traction and extremely low levels of noise on pavement, but are next to useless in loose dirt, and iffy on low-tractive stretches of slickrock; we found ourselves often leaning on the throttle more aggressively than we'd have liked to ascend not-so-steep rock faces that a more square-shouldered tire would have gripped with ease. We'd also like to see a six-speed transmission with the smaller engine, or at least a deeper First gear for the five-speed in the 4:1 range. (A Rock-Trac transfer case in place of the Magna box? Better yet.) With a street-biased 3.06:1 axle ratio (3.47:1 with the Hemi), the Grand's 29.29:1 compound gearing is nothing to write home about. On the other hand, the V-6 generates up to 90 percent of its usable torque below 2,000 rpm (so power was seldom lacking at trail speeds) and the Hill Descent control does such a terrific (and rattle-free) job of mimicking engine compression braking, we found ourselves, in First gear low-range, wanting to actually go faster on some of Moab's steepest downhill fins-and unlike some other Hill Descent systems we know of, the Jeep system allows you to modulate throttle to your liking without disabling Hill Descent altogether. Still, you may find yourself wishing (as we did) for a little extra torque multiplication on steep hills.
Nitpicks aside, we came away impressed with Jeep engineers' ability to enhance the Grand Cherokee's levels of interior refinement (yes, it has all the digital BluePod goodies) and overall build integrity without compromising its still-considerable trail prowess. Oh, and as you might expect, the Grand Cherokee rides like a dream on the street, with the kind of steering feel and lateral stability at higher speeds that one would expect from-well, an X5. Of course, a fully kitted Overland model may end up costing as much as an X5, but that's to be determined later. Chrysler folks assured us that entry-level pricing for the 2011 Grand Cherokee would be some $200 less than the base 2010 model. We'll have a lot more to say about the new Grand when we give it some more severe-duty wheeling chores at our 2011 Four Wheeler of the Year test, a few months hence. But for now, rest assured-the new Grand has definitely not gone the way of the soccer pitch.