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2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee CRD Road & Trail Test

A Tale of Two Cherokees

I recently attended a Chrysler media event at which they introduced the all new Sebring, updates to the Chrysler Pacifica, and a wide range of vehicles to test on their Chelsea Proving Grounds Ride & Handling Course. As usual, I got entirely sidetracked. As much as I knew about the new diesel engine being fitted to the Jeep Grand Cherokee, I had no idea that it would be there, and be ready for a full road and off-road test. It was, and I got so excited that I pretty much forgot all about the Sebring. Some might say that a new Sebring would be entirely forgettable no matter how it was presented, although the new one is more interesting than the last, but when it gets introduced alongside a product as impressive as the GC with a common-rail diesel (CRD) sourced from Chryslers European cousin Mercedes-Benz (the Euros are light years ahead of us when it comes to oil-burning passenger vehicles), well the Chrysler four-door pretty much washed right through the synapses and left a vague, muddled image of Nissan meets Crossfire Sedan.

Enough about the

As one diesel bites the dust, Jeeps Liberty diesel, another is born. (Photo: Jonathan Yarkony, American Auto Press)

Sebring, though, because as I just mentioned, the Jeep Grand Cherokee was possibly the most revelatory experience of the day, and that is no short order since I also had the chance to drive almost the entire line of SRT products, including my first ever chance to drive a Viper. Yeah, the Viper is cool, and a pretty good race car, too, but the limitations of the autocross and lack of access to a long straight meant I couldnt explore its massive V10 powerplant and all 500 of its horsepower, and, of course, anything close to its top speed, which would have been a surreal enough experience to leave a burning Viper logo seared into my brain and likely visible through my eyes.

Rather, my mind keeps returning to the short off-road course, and the approach roads I sampled and the incredibly smooth,

It might not have the same flash as the SRT-8 Grand Cherokee, but the CRD is infinitely more useful in the real world. (Photo: Jonathan Yarkony, American Auto Press)

torquey engine that grappled and grunted its way through a smattering of typical obstacles courtesy of the convenient, though rather abbreviated Lyman Trail. Furthermore, on my way back to the starting point, I had a chance to stop it, rev it, and launch it as well as run the usual gamut of city maneuvers. There is so little to separate it from a standard gas-powered Grand Cherokee once underway, from ride and handling to noise, vibration and harshness, and it would even keep up with the Hemi-powered edition in typical non-racetrack traffic. The guttural diesel rumble gave no evidence of knocking or shaking or belching big black clouds of smoke, but it still managed to produce a hefty 376 lb-ft of torque from its modest 215-horsepower 3.0L V6.  I would have said that it has massive and spine-adjusting acceleration if I hadnt also experienced my first ride in a

This hill might look steep, but from the drivers seat, the 376 lb-ft engine makes it seem like a speed bump. (Photo: Jonathan Yarkony, American Auto Press)

Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT-8 only hours later. When I had the chance, I pulled the SRT-8 to a dead stop on a long straightaway, built up my anticipation by waiting for a couple of seconds, took a deep breath and then jammed my right foot down onto the accelerator as hard as I could and enjoyed the range of clichés washing over me as it spit out 100 miles an hour within a few short seconds. Thats right, 100. Normally I would measure its acceleration to 60 mph, but that was gone so fast that I didnt even notice it hit that mark. The only way I can describe it without sounding cheesy is to say it felt like somebody tossed a medicine ball the size of a sofa right at my chest.  No other car I drove that day equaled the GC SRT-8s slap-you-in-the-face-and-call-you-its-b!t(h straight line performance.
Once again, I didnt have a chance to do the same thing with a Viper, so there is room for re-education, and of course, if Bugatti or NASA wants to call me up and show

With Quadra-Trac, and plenty of wheel articulation, the Grand Cherokees excellent pedegree can only be improved with the Benz-sourced diesel. (Photo: Jonathan Yarkony, American Auto Press)

me what real acceleration feels like, Id be happy to oblige, but until then, Ill have to let the GC SRT-8 reign as my personal pimp-daddy of acceleration. Im almost inclined to say that it shouldnt be legal because God only knows what kind of behaviour that kind of performance might induce from me if I were ever asked to drive it in traffic. The kind of acceleration developed from its 6.1L Hemi is, perhaps, too much temptation for one as adrenalin craving as I am.

Why am I going on and on about the SRT-8 GC when this review is about the upcoming diesel variant? Well, I had to tell somebody... but it also serves as an example of what the CRD is not. It is not a mind-blowingly fast monster ute, nor is it a cone-carving madman hell-bent on rewriting the asphalt with stories of rubber burned and lost. However, it can ford you through 4-foot deep puddles (more like a pond Id say), up ridiculously steep steps and over logs and obstacles that are standard fare for the worlds most authentic off-roading brand--yup, this one is Trail Rated, and then some.
Plushness of the interior actually caught Mr. Yarkony off guard. So much so, he dropped the camera. (Photo: Jonathan Yarkony, American Auto Press) />It also offers a luxurious and hospitable cabin, with all the usual Jeep Grand Cherokee style and amenities, including climate control, wood trim, beautiful cream-coloured leather seating, steering wheel audio controls and even a nav system. Luxury Trail Rated is more appropriate. But what makes this vehicle valid luxury transportation is not the features or even a well balanced ride that straddles the comfort line on rough, even blasted roads and also manages to deliver great high-speed stability and excellent turning manners--its no SRT-8, but its easily the equal of many outright road-biased SUVs and also the luxury SUVs against which it naturally competes. Furthermore, the in-cabin noise is a muted blur, with the engine delivering its own unique character that has the same merits of a smooth-running V8. Never mind noise issues--I liked the way this engine sounded, a little gruff, but in a good way, and a subtle reminder of the intense power available from under the hood. 

All that power has to come from somewhere, and now its time to talk about the Mercedes-built 3.0-liter Common-Rail Diesel, originally designed for the Mercedes-Benz Groups luxury sedans and SUVs,

That one badge says a whole lot about whats under the hood. (Photo: Jonathan Yarkony, American Auto Press)

and now making its first appearance in a Chrysler Group product in North America. This V6 promises efficient, uncompromised power with an expected 30 percent improvement in fuel economy over an equivalent gas-powered engine. Its one of the first new-generation European diesels to hit North America, combining technologies like high-pressure piezo injectors, four valves per cylinder with dual overhead cams and two camshafts per cylinder, intake-port swirl control and variable geometry turbochargers. 

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