Photo Cred: Lesedi Mathabela
The Jeep Grand Cherokee L has finally made its way to South Africa and we recently got behind the wheel of the large 7-seater luxury SUV.
Exterior Design
The overall silhouette of the new Grand Cherokee L takes inspiration from the original Wagoneer. Full LED lighting is now standard across all trim lines for the first time on the SUV. Slim headlamps with unique signature lighting with Gloss Black bezels are present, complimented by LED fog lamps.
The rear also features slim taillamps with unique lit signatures. Also on offer are approach-lit door handles and puddle lighting projected from the rearview mirror. These are standard on the Summit Reserve. Overall, we quite liked the exterior design of the Grand Cherokee, and so did bystanders as we received a number of nods of approval along with thumbs up from other road users.
Photo Cred: Lesedi Mathabela
Interior Design
The interior of the Grand Cherokee evolves to create a more refined expression, with handcrafted materials with attention to detail to match. Upon entry, we were greeted by an all-new multi-functional steering wheel, of which behind it is a 10.25-inch digital cluster which features almost two dozen different menus which we could choose from. These include adaptive cruise control, highway assist, night vision (available on Summit Reserve model) and drowsy driver detection.
The infotainment system is comprised of the new Uconnect 5 system which features a 10.1-inch touch display. The system takes some getting used to at first however the shortcut buttons on the touchscreen make the entire experience quite enjoyable to operate. The system itself is crisp, bright and responsive to touch inputs. Complimenting the infotainment system is a world first - a 19-speaker 950 watt McIntosh audio system. The audio system also includes a 10-inch subwoofer.
The audio system sounds quite impressive, quite possibly one of the best systems which we have experienced in a vehicle. The only gripe we could report on would be a rattling sound that came from the rear of the vehicle. We believe it could be a loose panel which might not have been tied tightly. Overall, we were fond of the audio system.
Also featured in the SUV is a segment-exclusive 10.25-inch front passenger screen which offers co-pilot assistance with navigation, camera viewing and visual entertainment. Also on offer for the front passenger is the ability to monitor, stop, start and pause rear display content.
The cabin of the Grand Cherokee makes use of quite a high-level of quality materials which add to the premium and luxurious look and feel of the SUV. Most of the upper touch points were of an impressive looks and feel however if we are to nit pick, the lower down materials were a bit of a let down, more particularly, the lack of soft touch leather or plastic around the area where one rests their knee on the center console whilst driving. This over time caused a bit of discomfort.
Overall space in the cabin was one of the highlights of the Grand Cherokee L for us. The second row of seats boasted plenty of head, leg and knee room, even for tall passengers, with the third row of seats offering a decent amount of room. Smaller children will however be better suited for the third row of seats.
Photo Cred: Lesedi Mathabela
Engine and Drive
Powering the Grand Cherokee L is a 3.6-litre Pentastar V6 engine which is capable of 210kW and 344Nm of torque. Around town, the Grand Cherokee L's engine works fairly well. The 8-speed automatic transmission shifts quite effortlessly. The V6 motor produces quite a smooth and pleasing exhaust note which we quite loved. Where the motor falls short however is when power is instantly needed, such as in overtaking manoeuvres or when travelling on steep inclines. Furthermore, the quoted fuel consumption figure by the manufacturer is 10.6L/100km however we saw a return of 18.1L/100km. The naturally-aspirated motor left us unimpressed for these reasons. We couldn't help but ponder whether or not a turbodiesel motor would be a better fit, both for performance and fuel economy.
That said, as a long-distance cruiser, the Grand Cherokee L is quite superb. It offers really high levels of comfort thanks to its Quadra-Lift Air Suspension with electronic adaptive damping, which is able to automatically adjust the ride height based on road conditions and the speed of the vehicle. The large SUV manages to deal with road imperfections with great ease. Thanks to a well-insulated cabin, the overall ride experience from a comfort point of view is quite commendable.
Safety and Technology
The Grand Cherokee L is jam-packed with impressive safety and technology features such as full-speed collision warning with active braking and pedestrian/ cyclist detection, parallel and perpendicular park assist with 360-degree surround view camera system with built in washers, rear cross path detection, adaptive cruise control with stop and go, active lane management, lane sense lane departure warning with lane keep assist, advanced brake assist, blind-spot monitoring, park view rear back-up camera, park sense rear park assist sensors with stop, switch activated electric park brake, tyre-pressure monitoring & drowsy driver detection.
Pricing
The Jeep Grand Cherokee L range is priced from R1 299 900, with our middle of the range Overland test unit priced from R1 479 900. Included as standard is a 5-year/ 120 000km warranty and roadside assistance. Maintenance intervals are every 12 months or 12 000km, but 5-years/ 120 000km maintenance plan.
At R1 479 900 for the Overland model, our test unit is certainly the pick of the bunch in the range as the model features all of the niceties that customers may want. We also found the Overland to be quite the value offering considering how much pricier its German counterparts are.
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