Update keeps the ageing Grand Cherokee relevant in the hotly contested large SUV market.
Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited
Quick Spin
What’s it all about?The Grand Cherokee is a large SUV packed with plenty of standard gear and offers buyers a blend of family hauler, off-road tourer, and solid tow vehicle in the one package.
The Limited is the best-selling equipment level in the line-up, and gets significant improvements over the base Laredo such as leather seats, sat-nav, sunroof and power tailgate.
It also adds significant safety equipment over Laredo, such as forward collision warning, active cruise control, blind-spot monitoring and lane departure monitoring.
The 3.6-litre petrol is only available in Laredo 4×2 (or 4×4) and Limited 4X4. Up to 2017 it was also available in Overland spec.
Options include panoramic sunroof, Nappa leather seats and underbody protection plates.
How much will it cost?The Limited V6 petrol is $62,500 (plus on-road costs), but if you get in quick you’ll get a $2000 factory bonus on MY17 Limited V6 petrol (until January 31).
The Grand Cherokee Limited shimmies just under the ($64,132) LCT threshold.
Jeep introduced its ‘There And Back Guarantee’ last February, which includes five-year/100,000km warranty (in place of the previous three-year/100,000km cover), five years roadside assist and five years/100,000km Capped Price Servicing.
At the time of writing, with annual 15,000km services, the Limited will cost a total of $2625 over its five-year CPS period.
Why should/shouldn’t I buy it?The Grand Cherokee has surefooted handling and supple ride on road and has good traction, underbody clearance and low-range gearing for off-road work. Underbody protection is not great – you need the (3.0-litre diesel) Trailhawk if you want steel protection plates underneath.
The Pentastar V6 is a honey of an engine, with excellent power, torque and smoothness. Fuel consumption is not bad either, with a 11.2L/100km average on test (with mostly highway running).
Inside, there are excellent, clear and logical instruments and controls, occupants get plenty of room to stretch out. There are comfortable supportive leather seats and a generous cargo space (only limited by the swept back tailgate when carrying bulky, squared-off items).
When is it available in Australia?The Grand Cherokee Limited update has been on sale in Australia since May last year.
Key refresh ingredients include electric power steering, idle-stop, Eco mode and changes to the 3.6-litre engine, which result in minor increased power and fuel economy.
The refresh also saw new front-end styling and new wheels, as well as new windscreen and side glass to reduce noise levels. The Limited is one grade up from base grade Laredo 4×4, and $10,000 more expensive.
Who will it appeal to?The Grand Cherokee will appeal to families of four or five and to empty-nesters looking for a large yet easy-to-drive urban SUV with a knack for easy cruising on the highway and planted towing performance.
The V6 petrol won’t attract buyers who tow as much as the ($6500 more expensive) Limited diesel, given the petrol’s relative thirst when towing. The diesel has a better towing capacity too with 3500kg versus 2812kg for the petrol.
The Grand Cherokee can carry four adults in comfort, five at a pinch. Three sub-teenagers in the back will be happy campers on a trip, although a family of five will find the cargo area luggage capacity a bit tight for a long holiday.
Although the cargo floor is squared off with minimal wheel arch intrusion, the deeply sloping tailgate robs the cargo area of usable space when packing up to the roof.
Where does it fit?The Grand Cherokee competes in the Large SUV <$70k category. This category includes a diverse bunch of wagons; everything from the Volkswagen Passat Alltrack to the Mitsubishi Pajero.
The Grand Cherokee’s contemporary opposition, in price and spec, are the Ford Everest, Land Rover Discovery and Toyota Prado (although both Everest and Prado are diesel-only). Despite the current Discovery starting at $66,450 (plus ORCs), VFACTS lists it in the Large SUV >$70k category.
So, what do we think?The Grand Cherokee was first introduced here as the WK-series in 2011, so it is becoming dated. While it has had plenty of significant upgrades since, it still has old school features like a foot parking brake.
The Grand Cherokee has plenty of appeal; it’s laden with features and excellent refinement, performance and comfort. Even though it’s a good vehicle to drive, is it a good buying proposition? That’s not as easy to call, because the WK-series Grand Cherokee has been the subject of numerous recalls in Australia since launch in 2011.
Most of the recalls concern 2013-2014 models, and none since the pre-update 2016 model. Hopefully the Grand Cherokee’s bugs have been ironed out since then.
2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited pricing and specifications:
Price: $62,500 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 3.6-litre six-cylinder petrol
Output: 213kW/347Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 10.0L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 233g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star ANCAP
Price: $62,500 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 3.6-litre six-cylinder petrol
Output: 213kW/347Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 10.0L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 233g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star ANCAP
Also consider:
>> Ford Everest 4WD (from $52,990 plus ORCs)
>> Land Rover Discovery (from $66,450 plus ORCs)
>> Toyota LandCruiser Prado (from $53,490 plus ORCs)
>> Ford Everest 4WD (from $52,990 plus ORCs)
>> Land Rover Discovery (from $66,450 plus ORCs)
>> Toyota LandCruiser Prado (from $53,490 plus ORCs)
What we liked:
• Engine performance and refinement
• Ride quality
• User-friendly instruments/controls
Not so much:
• Foot-operated parking brake
• Cargo area proportions
• Numerous past recalls
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