Jeep launches the all new Grand Cherokee

Jeep has launched the all-new Grand Cherokee in India with prices starting from Rs 77.5 lakh (ex-showroom, India). Unlike the previous-gen Grand Cherokee that was imported to India as a fully built unit, Jeep is now locally assembling its new flagship SUV. In fact, India is the first market where the Grand Cherokee is being assembled outside of North America.

Exterior
The new Jeep Grand Cherokee has a design that resembles the larger Grand Wagoneer sold abroad, and as such, wears the typical Jeep family look. And while the design has matured beautifully with modern details, it's still identifiable as a Grand Cherokee.

Up front, the Grand Cherokee is characterised by the traditional seven-slat grille flanked by sleek LED headlamps and a protruding bumper down below with wide side and central air intakes. The two-box profile gets a prominent belt line that runs from the headlamps to the tail lamps, squared wheel arches and a floating effect for the roof with a blacked-out portion in the C-pillar. At the rear, the Grand Cherokee boast slim LED tail lamps, a prominent number plate housing on the tail gate and a chunky rear bumper.

Interior and features
As is the case with most modern interiors, the multiple screens are the highlight of the Grand Cherokee’s interior. There’s a central 10.1-inch touchscreen that seamlessly flows into the stack of HVAC controls below, which have retained physical buttons and dials. Additionally, there is a 10.1-inch screen embedded in the dashboard dedicated to the front passenger.

The dashboard also has a layered effect and looks plush and premium with its leather, wood and gloss black inserts. The minimalist AC vents and the neatly designed centre console further add to the level of sophistication.

Like its predecessor, the new Grand Cherokee continues to be offered in a 5-seater guise, although globally it's also available in a three-row version which is known as the Grand Cherokee L.

In terms of features, the flagship SUV comes equipped with a configurable 10.25-inch fully digital instrument cluster, a 10-inch head-up display, a wireless charging pad, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, rear seat entertainment screens, panoramic sunroof, leather upholstery, ventilated front seats and a powered tailgate.

Powertrain
Unlike the previous-gen Grand Cherokee that was offered with both petrol and diesel engine options, the new model only gets a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine option. This unit produces 272hp of power and 400Nm of peak torque, and comes paired to an 8-speed automatic gearbox as standard, sending drive to all four wheels via a four-wheel drive system. The new Grand also gets selectable terrain modes – Auto, Sport, Mud/Sand and Snow.

Rivals and competitors
The new Jeep Grand Cherokee will go up against luxury SUVs like the Mercedes-Benz GLE, BMW X5 and the Land Rover Discovery in India.