► Plug-in hybrid Grand Cherokee driven
► Now on sale in the UK from £70k
► Does it deliver on its plush promises?
Jeep’s latest Grand Cherokee has aspirations of grandeur. Over its generations, it’s gone from sensible-and-more-road-friendly Jeep to something that’s much plusher.
But then it has to, especially if it’s going to compete properly in Europe with us fussy lot and with some properly fierce competition. Think BMW X5, Porsche Cayenne, Range Rover Sport. Cars that look at home at a movie premiere as well as half way up a country club gravel track.
Jeep’s here to attempt to boldly muscle into that territory once again with an all-new Grand Cherokee and now we’ve driven it in the UK.
At a glance
Pros: Surprisingly good off-road, basic ones are well-equipped, loads of space, a calm long-distance cruiser
Cons: Fiddly and slightly chintzy interior, powertrain isn’t anything special, not that fun to drive
What’s new?
This is now the fifth generation of Jeep Grand Cherokee, with a history that stretches back to the ZJ back in 1992. Jeep is making some big claims with this one, calling it the safest and most technologically-advanced Grand Cherokee ever, filling it with up-to-date tech and a plug-in hybrid powertrain for the European market.
What are the specs?
For the UK, there are four trim levels: entry-level Limited (starting from £69,915), off-road-focused Trailhawk (from £73,915), upper Overland (£76,615) and flagship Summit Reserve (priced from £85,615). It’s worth pointing out that, at the time of writing, only Overland or Summit Reserve were open for order on the Jeep UK website.
Every Grand Cherokee includes a 10.1-inch central infotainment screen and digital instrument cluster, digital rear-view mirror, active noise cancellation tech, heated and ventilated front seats, a powered tailgate and wireless charger.
Trailhawk adds mostly off-roady things like smaller wheels on chunkier rubber and additional engineering like an electronic limited-slip diff for the rear axle and the ability to disconnect the front roll bar. Overland goes tartier with Nappa leather, a 19-speaker McIntosh audio upgrade, head-up display and air suspension, while Summit Reserve builds on that by throwing in some fancy snitching on the seats, walnut trim, massaging seats, a passenger display (that you can plug devices into via a HDMI port and pair headphones to) and a load of extra driver assistance tech.
Regardless of trim, your sole power option in Europe is Jeep’s 4xe powertrain that’s shared with the Wrangler 4xe. Combined, you get 375bhp and 463lb ft of torque from a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine and electric motor, which is more than the aforementioned V8 model, and more efficient, too. Its 20-30-ish miles of electric range from its 17.3kWh battery is a bit last-gen PHEV but, when the battery is full, it provides suitable urban waft. The North American market can also spec a 3.6-litre Pentastar V6.
What about the interior?
We’ve tried Trailhawk and Summit Reserve models in the US, Europe and now the UK and, overall, it feels plush – but in that slightly tired chintzy American stereotype kinda way. The interior when you first get in is a lot to absorb – there are a lot of buttons, switches and settings to get your head around and, in the Summit Reserve models, it’s awash with no end of different materials and details.
That’s not entirely a complaint – we welcome the fact Jeep is maintaining a certain level of physical switchgear, but it feels a little clumsily laid out so it can take a while to get your head around. For example, there are buttons above the dashboard but they’re angled almost horizontally in glossy black plastic, so they’re barely readable from your seat (and a quirk from the port to right-hand drive means the passenger display switch is on the driver’s side). The climate dials are chunky and useful, but they too are angled weirdly downward.
Many of the actual touchpoints feel solid, though, including some satisfyingly thunky paddles used to change the drive mode or air suspension height. But then it’s counteracted with details like a weirdly tinny lid for the wireless charger.
Rear space is good, even if you’re sat behind a tall driver, but you’d expect so for an SUV with such girth – this is a big boy on the road. Boot space is good, too, with a large load area – albeit one that’s got quite a high floor. Over the pond, the Grand Cherokee can also be had as a three-row SUV, but not in the UK.
How does it drive?
The Grand Cherokee is B-I-G. It feels very wide when you’re at the wheel, and that PHEV system adds 350kg to an already heavy SUV. While the powertrain’s tech is mitigated a little by being situated low down, there’s no escaping its mass. Navigating it down skinny roads are a little nervy to squeeze your way down. Even so, body roll isn’t particularly prominent for what is a heavy car, which is good.
The steering’s nothing special, though. It’s relatively consistent as you apply lock, but there’s no communication from the wheel on twistier roads. Very much a two-finger-resting-on-a-spoke kinda deal.
Active noise cancelling does its best to reduce drone but the resulting soundtrack is a thin and whirring tone that makes the motor sound like it’s far away. On the motorway, the Grand Cherokee really is a proper cruiser – it’s where the ride is at its most compliant and that engine noise isn’t a huge distraction. And, even at slower speeds, the ride quality remains good – even if larger-wheeled versions introduce the odd sharper jolt here and there.
When you’re at those slower speeds in town, the 134bhp electric motor provides enough power for some smooth progress. But on faster roads you’ll more often than not tempt the four-cylinder petrol engine into life. It’s quick enough, but you’re still at the mercy of the gearbox juggling cogs, even in electric mode (it’s so the Grand Cherokee’s off-road prowess is uninterrupted), and it can feel a little laggy from a standstill to kick into gear. Once you’re moving, though, it’s smooth and punchy enough – fitting that American Interstate cruiser vibe nicely.
And, even in dolled-up Summit Reserve spec, it can really handle off-road driving. Our UK test included a tough off-road course that was spent alongside facelifted Jeep Wrangler models. And while the Wrangler models practically walked it, the steep rocky inclines, river fording, gravel tracks and muddy ruts were also completely shrugged off by the much more tarted-up Grand Cherokees. Impressive stuff.
Before you buy
Naturally, you have to consider all sorts of rivals at this price. An entry cost of, at minimum, £70k, feels steep at first glance. But a basic Porsche Cayenne e-Hybrid and BMW X5 50e M Sport are another £10k, while a Mercedes GLE 400e is £17k more and a Range Rover Sport P460e is £20k more. Jeep is at least attempting to undercut its European rivals at the lower end of the spec list, and that base-spec Limited offers plenty of kit for the money.
The snag is that, if you’re a keen driver looking for a posh family bus, the Grand Cherokee will feel stodgy and remote – particularly when compared to the Porsche or BMW.
Verdict: Jeep Grand Cherokee
Jeep’s latest Grand Cherokee excels at being a laidback cruiser of an SUV – a relatively practical one at that – and can boast about its off-road presence until the, er… bison come home. It’s got presence and you get a lot of equipment on the basic Limited model.
Even if we’d feel more comfortable taking this up a rocky track than an X5 or Cayenne, the Grand Cherokee is pretty bland to drive on the road compared to the Germans. And, let’s be honest, that’s where the Jeep will spend most of its time. Its plug-in hybrid powertrain is also pretty uncompetitive when compared to something like an X5 or a Mercedes-Benz GLE PHEV.
In order to compete in a hotly-contested segment, you get the impression Jeep has thrown everything at its latest Grand Cherokee. But we’re not quite sure all of it sticks.