Jeep Cherokee rough and tumble

The 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee

The Chrysler people in the DaimlerChrysler group are talking up the latest Jeep Grand Cherokee in an all-American "Ain't this the best thing since sliced bread" kind of way.

Listen to Thomas Hausch, Chrysler's international sales and marketing director: "Jeep Grand Cherokee sets the benchmark with its on-road refinement, off-road mastery and overall performance in key areas of customer satisfaction."

The Daimler people in the group are talking it up, too. But their praise is more studied. They point to the new fit and finish, the classier interior, the better ride and handling mix, the improved switchgear ...

They don't say it out loud but the message is clear: German Daimler had more influence on the design of Jeep's new off-road flagship than American Chrysler might like to admit.

For Daimler, read Mercedes-Benz. But Daimler's role won't count for a hill of beans when Chrysler Jeep in New Zealand starts getting backsides on third-generation Grand Cherokee seats this week.

Why? Because under a Jeep bonnet for the first time is an engine born in the United States - a 5.7-litre Hemi V8, as American as Budweiser beer. The irony is that Daimler's hands-on role has allowed Jeep to become even more of an American icon. They say they planned it that way.

The Grand Cherokee was launched near Queenstown the other day on sealed roads, rough-and-tumble tracks and icy streams at the back of Glenorchy. A few hundred kilometres all up, including slalom runs on the ice at Wanaka. Nothing like the 11.3 million kilometres DaimlerChrysler engineers said they did during testing. The only annoying interior aspect is the handbrake, which is on the passenger's side of the gearshift - at the right hand of American drivers but at the left for right-hand-drive markets.

Some things will never change, not when 77 per cent of the world drives left-hookers.

Briefly, the Grand Cherokee is an altogether different vehicle - bigger, stronger, quieter, considerably more refined with more interior room - in a familiar body.

"It was important we stayed true to the Grand Cherokee's design heritage as well as the elements customers tell us they love about the vehicle," says design executive Rick Aneiros. "We've taken some of the traditional design cues and moved them forward to capture a look and feel that's refreshing and timeless. The result is an authentic modern Jeep."

This model is 139mm longer, 12mm wider and rides on a 90mm longer wheelbase. Although body width is only slightly increased, the track is up by 64mm for a wider stance and improved handling.

The overall design of the body shell, which DaimlerChrysler says is 60 per cent torsionally stiffer than the previous model, is said to deliver improved vehicle aerodynamics (Cd is 0.41) and better fuel economy.

The Grand Cherokee and its five-star crash test rating comes with the choice of three engines: a revised version of the old model's 4.7-litre V8, the new Hemi V8, and a 3-litre V6 turbodiesel based on the upcoming 3.2-litre oil-burner in the new M-Class Mercedes-Benz.

The diesel V6 won't be available until late next month.

The 5.7-litre Hemi ($78,900) produces 240kW (326bhp)at 5000rpm and 500Nm of torque at 4000rpm. The 4.7-litre unit ($73,900) delivers 170kW (231bhp) at 4500rpm and 410Nm at 3600rpm. No output figures on the diesel yet, but expect peak torque to be around 450Nm. Transmission is a five-speed automatic.

The Grand Cherokee, with 17-inch standard wheels, uses the latest full-time Quadra-Drive II four-wheel-drive system as standard.

DaimlerChrysler says upgraded electronic limited-slip technology in both axles and in the transfer case direct power to the wheel or wheels with the most traction faster than in previous models. The system worked without fuss over some demanding ground around Glenorchy.

The suspension has been revised. The Grand Cherokee now uses an independent set-up in the front, which improves handling and offers 10 per cent more wheel travel. It retains the live axle in the rear, although it has been heavily reworked.

More accurate rack and pinion steering replaces the recirculating ball unit.

The 5.7-litre Hemi engine comes with a cylinder cut-off system, which deactivates four cylinders for improved fuel economy when the engine is not under load. DaimlerChrysler says it cuts fuel use by as much as 20 per cent.

Right-hand-drive models are being built at the Magna Steyr plant in Graz, Austria.