Everton Football Club has had hundreds of great players who pulled on the royal blue jersey, but I never thought all-rounder Alan Harper got the praise he deserved. During the mid Eighties, while starring for the championship winning side, his versatility proved invaluable. He was a solid, if unspectacular, professional. If he was a car, he'd be the Jeep Grand Cherokee — tough, reliable, dependable and always willing to go that extra yard.
These days, we are spoilt for choice when it comes to buying a family hauler but if you are looking for something with real capability and performance, then suddenly, your shortlist of ten is whittled down to about three. And since you probably won't want to splash your entire savings on one, the new 2011 Grand Cherokee may be what you are crying out for.
I was invited by Chrysler to put the newcomer to the test in the dunes of Al Ain and when I arrived, I was greeted by a row of sparkling Grand Cherokees ranging from the Laredo and Limited to the fully loaded Overland models. They looked dazzling as the sun's rays caught the freshened up, seven slot chrome grille. The new squinting bi-xenon High Intensity Discharge eyes with auto-levelling and dedicated daytime running lights — standard on all models — featured a streamlined design. The sculpted body and athletic profile looked sleek and aerodynamic and better than ever.
In the engine bays lie a choice of two powerplants: the new 3.6-litre Pentastar V6, and a 5.7-litre Hemi V8. There were five of each and I grabbed one finished in Gold Metallic Clear Coat, an understated and classy new exterior colour. When the other hacks decided to show up, there was a royal scramble to claim the remaining four V8s but there needn't have been because the six-pot is pretty good too. With double overhead camshafts, a high-pressure die-cast aluminium cylinder block and variable valve timing, it offers more than a ten per cent improvement in fuel consumption while producing 286bhp at 6,350rpm and 347Nm of torque at 4,300rpm. The Hemi on the other hand also has VVT, and develops 352bhp at 5,200rpm, 520Nm of torque at 4,200rpm and it'll tow up to 3,500kg. But, despite the monster living under the bonnet, Jeep's new multi-displacement system means it is fuel-efficient too. Paired to the V6 is a five-speed automatic which includes an electronically modulated torque converter clutch.
The V8 is mated to a five-speed auto which has three planetary gear sets rather than the usual two you'd find in a slush box, one over-running clutch and an electronically controlled torque converter clutch.
Inside the Overland, it's luxury like you've never seen in a Jeep. A stitched dash pairs up with a heated, real wood steering wheel (not that you'll need the extra heat here) and the comfortable and supportive six way adjusting leather seats are also heated and cooled.
A power lift gate is standard in this trim, and even the cargo area is plush and plated in chrome accents. A rear view camera helps out when parking because the rear roof pillars are thick and restrict your view when looking back.
The blind spot warning system also is very handy, because again, visibility is somewhat restricted by the chunky B-pillar. I also noticed that the driver's side air vent reflected into the side view mirror which was a little distracting and the massive A-pillars also reduce visibility, especially when turning left.
A new Command View dual-pane sun roof, that extends from the windshield to the rear of the vehicle, lets in plenty of light and opens up the cabin so you never feel claustrophobic in there. The LED lighting in the door handles, floor and cup holders give it an elegant look. The neat wood trim isn't exclusive for just the front; it extends to the rear doors while the beautiful dash and chunky steering wheel help to put this Jeep on an equal footing with the competition.
Thanks to a longer wheelbase, the back seats offer more legroom and have more cushioning, while improved interior insulation and glass coatings help to reduce noise levels. Unlike the previous generations, it doesn't have a body sitting on top of a ladder frame like most off-roaders. It has a steel uniframe design making it an incredible 146 per cent stiffer than the previous Grand Cherokee.
It sits higher and has a wider stance than its predecessor, which gives it a more stable and commanding presence on the road. A stiffer chassis and a far more versatile suspension help to tame dunes, wadis, mountains and probably everything else that gets in its path. And the best bit is, it can do all of that while behaving like a refined saloon under normal driving conditions. It certainly offers the best of both worlds.
How has it become so good? Well, that may have something to do with it riding on a Mercedes-Benz ML chassis because Jeep was part of Daimler Chrysler during the new SUV's early development days. That was a stroke of luck because what we have here is a tough yet refined off- and on-road beast.
The rigid chassis works in perfect harmony with the new front and rear independent suspension when the going gets rough. And it certainly did out in the desert. I could have been sipping a nice cup of tea while climbing dunes the size of Everest.
The Grand Cherokee was simply sublime. That was down to the revised Quadra-Lift air suspension which you can adjust with a push of a button and the Quadra-Drive 4x4 system. You can select the best settings for the terrain that you are on (there are there are five to choose from, including rocks, sand or mud) by twisting a knob on the centre console.
The sand and mud mode raises the ride height by 2.5in giving you 10.6in in total ground clearance, and it also adds a little more rear bias to the four-wheel drive system. This makes crawling up scary dunes a doddle as you allow the technology to give you more than a helping hand.
The power rack and pinion steering is perfectly weighted, it's direct and you get great feedback from it on the road. For a tall vehicle, it handles corners pretty well but it does start to wallow when you push it really hard, but remember, this is an SUV, not a sportscar — but you may just forget that because of that awesome V8. The vented discs with a two-piston floating calliper and ABS at the front and single-piston floating calliper and single-channel ABS at the back bring this 2,949kg leviathan to a safe stop.
This 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee can do everything that other off-road SUVs can do in the rough, yet it's much better than most when you're driving on the road. It's a big improvement on the previous generation and it should be able to bring Chrysler back into the game.
Just like the former Everton star, it's a great, understated, all-rounder.
Weld done
Just how is the new Jeep Grand Cherokee so rugged? Well, 5,400 welds in the body alone sure help. It has a 53 per cent increase in spot welds, a 42 per cent increase in arc welds and a 38 per cent increase in structural adhesive compared to the previous model.
Specs & ratings
Model Grand Cherokee Overland
Engine 5.7-litre Hemi V8
Transmission Five-speed auto, AWD
Max power 352bhp @ 5,200rpm
Max torque 520Nm @ 4,200rpm
Top speed 224kph
0-100kph 8.4sec
Price Dh174,000
Plus Smooth, comfortable and powerful
Minus Poor outward visibility
Rivals
Ford explorer
Based on the Taurus's front-wheel drive platform, it brings lighter weight and better fuel efficiency. Towing capabilities are less then the Jeep at 2,267kg. Equipped with a new "Terrain Management System" for off-roading, you can choose between four different settings: Snow; Sand; Mud; Hill Descent; and Normal. Yours for just Dh140,000.
Nissan pathfinder
Tries to be both a capable off-road vehicle and a family SUV and has old-school macho looks. It can tame the wilderness with its off-road skill, but it's not as adept in the concrete jungle. Features a 4.0-litre V6, offering up to 266 horsepower while you can select up to three settings on the 4x4 system.
Buy it for Dh149,950.
