Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT 2016 Review

Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT
Road Test

What happens when you combine a stonking 6.4-litre HEMI V8 with a well-kitted five-seat family SUV? The fourth-gen Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT, of course. Four-pot Brembo brakes and 20-inch wheels help keep the shiny side up, while ‘launch’ and ‘track’ modes ensure the kids will get to school quickly – very quickly. As the fastest Jeep ever built, the GCSRT races to 100km/h in 4.9 seconds, and with a pricetag less than half that of its German rivals there's no wonder it's racing out of showrooms just as quickly. The Grand Cherokee SRT is priced from $90,000 plus on-road costs.

Australians have a fondness for the Jeep Grand Cherokee. It’s a regular top-five sales performer in the large SUV category and currently holds the number-four slot behind Toyota’s LandCruiser Prado and Kluger, and the Subaru Outback.

Add to this our proclivity for a V8 engine and it’s no surprise the flagship SRT version is equally well-loved, accounting for up to 10 per cent of Grand Cherokee sales in any given month.

No doubt helping the GCSRT’s success is its bang-for-buck quotient that’s something of a bargain compared to other SUVs offering the same size and performance.

A BMW X5 M will set you back more than $185K while Mercedes-AMG’s GLE 63 S starts from just shy of $190K. Before options, the GCSRT starts from $90K; and as tested is priced at $93,900 plus ORCs. Bargain.

Compared to those models the GCSRT is a tad slower, however. Accelerating to 100km/h takes just 4.9sec (!), while the BMW and Mercedes-AMG do it in only 4.2sec apiece. Again, considering the price difference of almost $100K, I don’t think too many people will mind hanging around for three-quarters of a second.

But the GCSRT isn’t a one trick pony. Acceleration from standstill is one thing, but it’s the HEMI’s flexibility than impresses most. Happy to saunter through traffic with just a tickle of throttle, the 6.4-litre V8 is equally unstressed in its run to redline.

This tractability is delivered courtesy of clever cam phasing and an active intake manifold that alters the engine’s breathing as the call for performance intensifies. It’s a similar system used in MotoGP bikes -- essentially using more of the rev band as required while inhibiting fuel wastage at lower engine speeds.

Jeep claims 344kW at 6250rpm and 624Nm from 4100rpm, but around 80 per cent of that value is available from just before 2000rpm. It makes both city driving and highway cruising totally effortless, yet also allows brilliant acceleration when the mood – and the right stretch of road – permits.

Yep, it’s the family SUV that will very quickly see you in loss-of-licence territory. It sounds absolutely incredible getting there too, and though launch control is fitted (along with five engine/transmission control modes) the GCSRT is so useable in Drive, that most of the ancillary controls are rather redundant.

Save for the paddle shifts… We like those; and in truth they are quite necessary when you’re really having a crack. In 90 per cent of driving the GCSRT is more than capable when left to its own devices. But we found in Sport or Track mode the eight-speed auto can be slow to downshift, and has a habit of ‘hanging’ on over-run for a few seconds after you lift foot off the loud pedal.

Perhaps it’s one of those traits that will lessen as the car ‘learns’ its driver, since the GCSRT’s transmission features more than 90 shift maps.

The other annoying (though not as pronounced) driveline quibble comes from Chrysler’s Fuel Saver, or cylinder deactivation, technology. When cruising at highway speeds the system shuts down four cylinders (one, four, six and seven) to conserve fuel, essentially operating the engine as a V4. It’s an admirable economy measure, but one that generates an unwelcome low-frequency resonance and vibration we found a touch irritating.

ADR Combined fuel economy for the GCSRT is listed at 14.0L/100km. On test, we managed 16.3. In truth, we doubt most buyers will mind and, besides, there’s always the option of the diesel.

Considering its 2420kg (kerb) heft the GCSRT is reasonably agile, but with a higher centre of gravity and quite plush suspension (in Auto mode) prefers long sweepers and predictable-radius corners over snappy switchbacks and tightening bends. The adaptive dampers firm the ride a touch in Sport or Track mode but don’t do a whole lot to improve body control.

This is a big, heavy, high-set vehicle with plenty of articulation for off-road use. It takes time to settle over lumpy roads and takes a little wrangling to punt down a windy road with any pace. The lack of communication through the slow steering rack doesn’t help here, but again, this was an off-roader long before it was a sports car.

It’s here that understanding the various front-to-rear ratios offered from the Selec-Terrain driveline controller helps. In Auto mode drive is split 40:60, varying through 35:65 in Sport and 30:70 in Track (and 50:50 in both Snow and Tow modes; braked towing capacity is 2949kg). It also alters the severity of the chassis controls and electronic rear limited-slip differential.

Obviously the amount of ‘push’ or ‘pull’ in bends will alter with your preferred setting, changing the GCSRT’s dynamic characteristics accordingly. It really is best to learn (there’s that word again) your preferred program and use it when having a punt.

The GCSRT’s red-painted six-pot front, four-pot rear Brembo brake callipers do a fine job of hauling all that mass to rest, but with repeated use will begin to fade. After all, there’s only so much the stoppers can be expected to do with 2.4 tonnes and passengers on board.

The sticky 295/45-section Pirelli Scorpion Verde rubber is also pretty handy here, while also looking pretty slick on the GCSRT’s Goliath five-spoke 20-inch forged-aluminium rims (FYI: there’s no spare wheel, just a repair kit).

Away from the dynamics of the GCSRT it’s the long list of technology on offer that adds to its value. The infotainment and navigation array is pretty straightforward and pairs easily with your phone. The heated seats and steering wheel are another highlight and in conjunction with the dual-zone climate control make for a pretty cosy cabin.

Those functions – as well as the rear and wing-mirror demisters – are linked to the GCSRT’s remote-start function, automatically activating to precondition the cabin when the outside temp falls below 4.4C (40F).

Where the cabin does let itself down is in its lack of oddment storage and outward visibility. They’re legacy issues we’ve discussed at length previously, and ones that conspire with the lack of a dead pedal to detract from otherwise well sorted ergonomics.

Our test vehicle was further optioned with a dual-pane glass panoramic sunroof and 19-speaker, 825-Watt premium audio system adding $3900 to the pre-ORCs sticker price.

The GCSRT is backed by a three-year/100,000km warranty – which could come in handy given the number of recalls the Grand Cherokee has been involved in -- and requires six-monthly/12,000km visits to the service department. It’s covered by three years’ roadside assistance but is not backed by a capped-price servicing agreement.

If outright bang-for-your-buck is foremost of mind when shopping the large SUV segment, then the GCSRT is pretty hard to look past. Loaded with tech, and usefully practical, it’s a best-of-all-worlds car for family buyers who don’t like waiting around.

2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT pricing and specifications:
Price: $90,000 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 6.4-litre eight-cylinder petrol
Output: 344kW/624Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 14.0L/100km (ADR Combined), 16.3L/100km (as tested)
CO2: 327g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star ANCAP

Also consider:
>> BMW X5 M ($185,510 plus ORCs)
>> Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 S ($189,900 plus ORCs)
>> Porsche Cayenne GTS ($154,600 plus ORCs)