Jeep Grand Cherokee changes gears

In 1992, Jeep did the unthinkable and imagined the Grand Cherokee as an upscale sport-utility vehicle. Strand days indeed for a manufacturer that would have been hard-pressed to list a luxury feature on any of its vehicles up until that point. And guess what, it worked.

Today, the 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee steps out of the shadow of its newly minted sibling Grand Cherokee L and Grand Wagoneer to assert its personality as a two-row SUV with all the luxury appointments you could want and as you might expect – a very capable 4x4 system.

My recent Grand Cherokee tester was the top-end Summit Reserve trim that checked every box offered by Jeep. The Advanced ProTech (1,995) package featured a heads-up display with night vision capabilities that can discern between animals and people, as well as a night-dimming rear-view mirror feature that displays a live feed of what’s behind you.

I mention these unique tech features to emphasize just how elite the equipment is on the Grand Cherokee, but it doesn’t slowdown from there. Opt-in for the Summit Reserve and the interior gets Palermo leather seating and accents, an exclusive feature for this SUV, an amazing 950-watt audio system by McIntosh with 19 speakers embedded in every crevice of the cabin, and 21-inch painted aluminum rims.

Exterior

On the outside, the first thing you will notice is the two-tone scheme on the Grand Cherokee. You only get a black roof, but the lower half can be countless colors; if you do desire a single color, well, black is all you can get. While I do like the two-tone approach, especially how much it separates itself from the other big SUV in the stable, it feels a bit off-putting to not have the choice (especially at these prices).

The Grand Cherokee is a handsome SUV with a base price of $59,365, though my tester elevated it to $73k when all the extras and destination charges were added on. That being said, it sure looks like it’s worth it on the outside. A signature Jeep grille sets the tone up front and far more conservative body lines sweep back to a refined and elegant rear treatment with thin taillamps and sharp dual-exhaust ports.

The stance on the 21-inch rims (19-inch are standard) does not scream athletic, but rest assured this is a capable off-road vehicle, Jeep bets its heritage on it, regardless of the Palermo leather comforts inside.

Interior

The Grand Cherokee’s cabin is posh and put together with great care. Every button and control knob is well-thought-out, within easy reach and a thrill to look at. Materials are soft-touch and in many cases covered by the soft Palermo leather. Seating is just firm enough with any number of power adjustments to find your perfect seating position. A front passenger 10-inch interactive screen is a nice addition to allow everyone to stay in the loop. Look for heated and ventilated seats, including in the back.

Keeping the cabin feeling open is a large sunroof. Passengers in the back are taken care of with huge seatback video screens that were easy to operate with individual headphone sets to allow everyone to watch Amazon’s Fire TV, or whatever they want via a wireless device. Look for plenty of charging ports and an upfront charging pad for new model phones.

It’s funny how you can be so satisfied with the dynamic sound of the base Alpine sound system, an amazingly capable audio package, only to test the 19-speaker McIntosh system and be forced to raise your bar yet again.

I must say I was disappointed by the lack of second-row fold control in the cargo area. Most SUVs in this price range don’t make you walk to a rear door and use a seat-mounted lever to fold the rear bench. There is a lot of utility space behind the second row, and even more when you decide to flip down those seats.

Performance

Jeep does offer hybrid Grand Cherokee variants, but when it comes to old-school fuel you can opt for one of two engines: the 3.6-liter Pentastar V6, delivering 293 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque, or a Hemi V8 plant with 357 hp and 390 lb-ft.

My tester featured the Hemi V8 and it was a blast to drive, refined and capable, and a befitting match to the accommodating cabin. Both of the engines are paired to a ZF 8-speed automatic transmission. My tester had a few hiccups while in the Sport mode, exhibiting some noticeable lag time when jumping on the pedal.

The Grand Cherokee handles any road surface with great poise. The extremely quiet cabin is a dream to ride in, while the huge 21-inch rims and 275 rubber surface make cornering and stopping a serious afterthought for the driver.

Jeep may be taking another leap by implementing a more luxurious standard theme for their iconic Grand Cherokee, but the execution of the plan is definitely on point. The real question is, will buyers pony up the luxury price for a bit of off-road capability? I think if you have a Hemi in it, they just might be happy to.

• John Stein is a freelance journalist based in Chicago. He has more than 25 years’ experience driving, testing, and writing about the automotive industry, its latest innovations, and vehicles.