- Doors and Seats
5 doors, 5 seats
- Engine
3.0DT, 6 cyl.
- Engine Power
177kW, 550Nm
- Fuel
Diesel 8.3L/100KM
- Manufacturer
4XC
- Transmission
Auto
- Warranty
3 Yr, 100000 KMs
- Ancap Safety
NA
2013 Jeep Grand Cherokee – Quick drive review
The car Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk
Price From $68,000, plus on-road and dealer costs.
Vitals 3.0-litre V6 turbo diesel, 177kW/550Nm, six-speed automatic, 8.3L/100km, 4WD.
What is it?
It’s a limited edition (only 160) of Jeep’s Grand Cherokee with a focus on off-road performance.
What isn't it?
Subtle.
What does it say about me?
That I want my Jeep to be even tougher than usual, but I don’t want to get aWrangler because I still need to drive this car to work and carry the family.
Who else is buying it?
Jeep says it has been tailored to ‘‘off-road enthusiasts’’ and that’s about it. All of the major changes are about making it more rugged, so if you don’t plan to go way off the beaten track, stick with a regular Grand Cherokee.
What colours does it come in?
The Trailhawk comes in white. But it’s paired with large black and red decals on the bonnet and red recovery-rated tow hooks. You also get some Trailhawk badges and grey accents on the mirrors and grille.
If it were a celebrity, who would it be?
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Dwayne ‘‘The Rock’’ Johnson. An all-American action hero.
Why would I buy it?
For its extra off-road muscle. Additions include underbody protection,Mopar rock rails, allterrain tyres and Jeep’s Quadra-Lift air suspension.
Does it cost too much?
That depends on how much value you put on genuine off-roading. The regular Grand Cherokee Limited (which this is based on) costs $60,000. The Trailhawk package adds $8000 to the price, so you’ve got to ask yourself how hard you really intend to drive it off-road to justify that extra money.
Any gadgets I can brag about?
The Quadra-Lift air suspension system is just the kind of thing to boast about around the campfire. It allows you to raise the ride height when the going gets rough. From the normal ride height of 205 millimetres, it can be raised to 238 millimetres (Off-Road 1 mode) and 271 millimetres (Off-Road 2). If you’re cruising on the freeway you can lower it to 192 in AeroMode, which Jeep claims will improve fuel economy, and when you park it drops to make it easier to get out.
What's the stereo like?
The infotainment system is pretty impressive. It includes a 6.5-inch colour touchscreen, 40GB hard drive, six speakers, Bluetooth and voice control. The Trailhawk gets satellite navigation as standard, too.
Does it go?
The Trailhawk is only available with the 3.0-litre turbo diesel V6, which is good for 177kW and 550Nm. On the plus side, it has plenty of pulling power, which gets the Jeep moving. The downside is it’s a noisy engine, especially when cold.
What about bumps?
Unfortunately, we didn’t get the opportunity to really test the Trailhawk’s mettle on some really rugged terrain. But given how comfortable and composed the regular Grand Cherokee is off-road, we’d expect the Trailhawk to be capable in most reasonable situations you’d find in Australia.
What about service stations?
It’s not a fuel miser, using 8.3 litres per 100 kilometres on the combined cycle, but it’s good for a car of this size.With peak torque from as little as 1800rpm, you can drive it gently with your right foot to get pretty close to that official figure.
Would I buy one?
I only make limited off-road excursions, so I’d stick with a regular Grand Cherokee. The Trailhawk is for hard off-roaders.
What else should you consider?
The Toyota Prado GXL (from $61,490) doesn’t have the same style as the Jeep, but is a serious offroader. And the Land Rover Discovery 4 TDV6 ($68,900) is comfortable and capable off-road.
The spin
‘‘Tailored to the four-wheel-drive enthusiast, the Trailhawk offers new off-road capability for the award-winning Grand Cherokee, while maintaining luxurious comfort and convenience.’’
The translation
Given our reputation as an off-road brand, we thought we’d better do an off-road model.