FEATURE - 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee L
Words and Photos: via PracticalMotoring.com.au
All of the best automotive brands have a following - a “people,” if you will. Ferrari famously has its tifosi. Porsche fans might be a touch more subdued, but they are equally passionate about the brand from Zuffenhausen. And then you’ve got the flamboyant Lamborghini followers.
In its US homeland, Jeep has a following to rival that of the abovementioned sports car brands and it’s a following that has started to spread throughout other markets.
Since AMC’s takeover and makeover in the late 1980s, Jeep has really harnessed its reputation as a premium SUV maker with rugged roots. For the first-generation Grand Cherokee, that capability away from the tarmac was demonstrated in a stunt that arguably changed the nature of new vehicle launches forever.
Back in 1992, senior Chrysler executive Bob Lutz and the Mayor of Detroit, Coleman Young, drove a new, pre-production Grand Cherokee from Chrysler’s Jefferson North assembly line in Detroit to Cobo Hall for the annual North American International Auto Show. Mounting the steps of Cobo Hall (now known as Huntington Place) in four-wheel drive, Lutz smashed the new Grand Cherokee through a plate glass window to the amazement of the waiting media inside.
While the link between luxury and rugged in that example is a little creative at best, TV advertising for the Grand Cherokee in the late 1990s was more direct. Traversing a rugged pile of rocks to enter the grounds of the mansion beyond showed that the Grand Cherokee, while it was fitted with all the bells and whistles expected from a Range Rover, could also tackle the toughest trails… and at a better price than the British maker could ever muster.
Gen 5 Drive
The fifth-generation Grand Cherokee L that I’m driving before the crack of dawn to our vantage point near Lake Eildon in Victoria carries the same bloodline as the original, although, for the first time in Grand Cherokee history, it has a third row of seating (the ‘L’ signifying an extension of the wheelbase).
I don't love early morning winter starts like this because I live outside Melbourne in the mountains where it gets cold and icy and there’s plenty of wildlife on the road. But this ultimate Summit Reserve specification, which is the only Grand Cherokee L priced a lick over $100,000, comes equipped with heated seats, a heated steering wheel and, most importantly for my pre-dawn drive, night vision from the optional front infrared camera (although it works equally well in the daytime, too).
The specification list alone shows that this new Grand Cherokee is competing against the best in class, just like when that first ZJ model from 1993 signalled the launch of a capable 4×4 that could compete in the realm of prestige.
Today, the Grand Cherokee L lands bang in the middle of a pack of mostly European wolves. BMW has the upsized X7 and Land Rover has finally released a new-generation Defender which is far more premium than its old off-road boots. Likewise, Mercedes-Benz with its GLS and Audi with its Q7 both throw their hat in the ring, but there’s no denying this new Jeep has the right to compete with the best.
Quilted sections of the leather-trimmed seats and doorcards are fitted from front to rear, and the electrically controlled adjustments inside the cushions move to a better ergonomic mould than most. The quality of the timber grain that spans the dash and door panels has a lovely wax-smooth finish that’s nice to touch, and there’s polished metal striping but only just enough that it craftily blends cowhide and panels together. Higher up, the whole upper dash is clad with a darker stitched leather in contrast to the suede headlining. Each piece feels meticulously placed to emphasize the premium ambience, and nearly all of the cabin’s special material elements feature on the steering wheel as a reminder.
Premium Tech
Technology is not let down by the focus on comfort, with the new Grand Cherokee placing a digital instrument cluster in front of the driver for the first time. Amongst its many setting and display options, this 10.25-inch screen shows vision from the optional infrared camera. Adaptive cruise control and automated steering assist functions also pop into the display, while digital speed remains a permanent fixture.
Between driver and passenger is a 10.1-inch infotainment display running a fast Android operating system. If that’s not enough screen for the front seat occupants, an additional 10.25-inch display can be slotted into the passenger-side dash. As standard, the infotainment screen is hooked up to a thumping (but hi-fi-quality) 19-speaker sound system from McIntosh – another quintessential American company.
It is the sort of cabin that journalists, drivers and photographers enjoy having on a cold day shooting, making getting out of the comfy interior to survey a river crossing a sad affair...
Performance and Capability
As we traversed the tarmac en route to the rough stuff, the Grand Cherokee L’s standard 3.6-litre Pentastar petrol V6 proved surprisingly flexible in terms of power delivery and economy. The 210kW at 6400rpm and 344Nm at 4000rpm figures are not going to challenge a V8 or the old diesel six on paper, but in the real world it responds with some proper shove when you put the boot in and the SUV’s 2270kg mass is impressively hidden.
Equally impressive is the overall refinement inside – it’s a seriously quiet cruiser. It’s comfy, too, majoring on a plush ride with its air suspension rather than firming things up for a bit more agility. Similarly, the steering is set up more for ease of use than feedback. Over some pretty horrible-looking lumps, bumps, holes and ridges on B and C roads, the Grand Cherokee L remained composed and carried on its way serenely.
Where that chassis set-up also pays dividends is off-road, ensuring the Grand Cherokee L lives up to the expectations you have of a Jeep, with a huge amount in reserve. Again, tech plays its part here with Quadra-Trac I, Quadra-Trac II, Quadra-Lift air suspension and Selec-Terrain traction management all combining to enable the Grand Cherokee L to go further into the bush than its predecessors could go and further than most owners would probably ever want to go.
The large 21-inch rims suggest discerning owners won’t push hard on rough trails, but 275/45 Continental Cross Contact rubber on our vehicles found great grip when it got a little more slippery and the smarts of the traction control system sprang to life.
Go Smaller?
As the biggest SUV currently in Jeep’s line-up, the Grand Cherokee L is the pick of the litter for a large family that needs room and appreciates the finer things, while the Grand Cherokee (not L, and not seven-seats) is soon arriving in Australia and offers much the same for less money.
By way of comparison, Jeep’s smaller Compass SUV was also with us on this test and showed its change of co-ordinates, having undergone considerable cosmetic surgery to elevate it up the ranks towards the same premium end of the market that its larger siblings occupy.
The Compass interior is endowed with the same feel and some similar appointments as the Grand Cherokee, like the leather heated steering wheel (optional on the S-Limited variant), a familiar design and fully digital dash. Upholstery is a tight black leather with good adjustment on the seats, which also feature heating and ventilation functions.
Compass drivers get the same 10.1-inch infotainment screen with the same wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and very crisp graphics as the Grand Cherokee, but with a narrower dash.
Compass rear seats are, of course, a touch shorter for legroom and shoulder space than those in the Grand Cherokee, but it’s a spacious cabin considering the urban-friendly size. In fact, the Compass served as the photography car for this media drive, with all the tripods and gear that take up space quickly packing in neatly – the 438-litre boot is comparatively huge in this segment.
Pigeon-holing the Compass as an urbanite SUV with the rest of ’em isn’t entirely fair. We were driving the S-Limited that majors on comfort and premium appointments, but its 2.4-litre petrol four-cylinder mated to a nine-speed automatic kept up the pace well.
A short wheelbase and pointy steering made it much nimbler over twisting roads, which the four-wheel drive system grabbed well despite slimy conditions left over from the morning dew.
More notable though was its willingness to venture farther than expected, following the proper four-wheel drives through a water crossing and onto muddy trails. The limiting factor here was the Compass’s ground clearance and tyres, which were adequate for going off the beaten path, but prevented us from exploring where the toughest of Jeep can go.
Sitting alongside the Compass S-Limited in Jeep showrooms is the Trailhawk variant, which has a diesel engine for long-haul remote driving, increased ground clearance for scrambling over rocks and tailored 4WD modes including low range which circumvents a traditional transfer case but works quite well. The system even includes an additional Rock mode for those who are extra adventurous.
Like the Grand Cherokee above it, the Compass takes on more upmarket rivals with confidence and retains that unique Jeep USP. It’s the right accompaniment for the urbanite who appreciates touring and venturing farther than just the winery carpark.