JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE

The all-new 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee, the company's first all-new model since announcing its alliance with Fiat early last year, is currently undergoing final testing in Australia ahead of its local debut in February next year.

Chrysler Group has also confirmed in recent weeks that it will not have a display at this week's Australian International Motor Show, so Jeep fans eager to see the new Grand Cherokee still have a few months to wait.

A few hopefuls got an early Australian-first glimpse of the new Jeep last week however as it was put through its paces at the 2010 National Jeep Jamboree in Victoria.

Aiding its efforts at the Lardner Park course, the Grand Cherokee made use of its new Selec-Terrain system and Quadra-Lift air-suspension system.

Speaking at an industry conference in the US earlier this year, Fiat and Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne confirmed that US sales of the new SUV will begin this month.

The 3.6 litre Pentastar V6 produces 209kW and 352Nm of torque. A 5.7 litre Hemi V8 making 260kW and 528Nm of torque will top the Grand Cherokee range in the US, but its availability for Australia is not yet clear.

The new Grand Cherokee is the opening salvo in a plan that forecasts Chrysler Group sales figures doubling by 2014, and with more than a dozen new models built on Fiat-developed platforms.

Marchionne said he is pushing for “an attention to quality that is probably unprecedented in Chrysler.”

Chrysler says the new Jeep Grand Cherokee offers improved handling both on and off the road, describing the ride as better than BMW's X5.

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• reply ” like !

  says,
  2 years ago

  Compared to an X5, lets be honest the Jeep looks like a brute. The whole appeal of Jeep is its history in ww2, a tradition of making simple agricultural cars that are easy to fix, that's Jeep. Maybe this 'Jeep mystique' doesn't cut it anymore in the real world, that's understandable but why try to run with the Germans? Jeep and BMW people live in different suburbs, its an image thing. Jeep should stik with what they know and make cheap rugged true offroaders for the working class.
• reply ” like !

  

  MotoWebbi says,
  2 years ago

  
  
  Marchionne said he is pushing for “an attention to quality that is probably unprecedented in Chrysler.”
  
  “It needs to be flawless; our definition of quality.” Marchionne said at the conference today.
  
  Wow!...that coming from a FIAT man!!!
  Chrysler quality must really be U.S.
• reply ” like !

  

  Wheelnut says,
  2 years ago

  According to Marchionne; Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep will soon be running with the Italians; as a number of future Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep models will be using FIAT platforms engines brakes suspension etc..
  
  
  
  
• reply ” like !

  says,
  2 years ago

  Fiat is about 5-10 years ahead of Chrysler in R and D department so its probably a good thing for Chrysler. I suspect the merger is more for the development of a hybrid platform. As for the quality of FIAT cars I had a chance to 'kick the tires' on a Fiat punto and I would say the build quality is about the same as Hyundai Getz but where it differs is design value. Punto has much better shell design and mechanical layout is much more thought through (wiring looms, piping, position of starter motor etc).
• reply ” like !

  

  288gto says,
  2 years ago

  Nice looking ride, but judging by the pictures it looks to have front and rear independent suspension. Very disappointing for such an iconic 4x4 brand!