Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT 2014 Review
Jeep's Grand Cherokee SRT is a little like dining at Florentino's for the price of a Big Mac and a small bag of chipsRoad Test
If serious stomp is your thing in a full-size 4WD vehicle, then it is all but impossible to bypass the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT.
With a floored accelerator bringing up 100km/h in less than five seconds, the two-tonne-plus Jeep is as accelerative as just about any sports coupe worth its socks and – we've made this observation in the past – is lineball with the likes of BMW's X5 xDrive50i and the Mercedes-Benz ML 63 AMG.
All for an incredible price differential: The Jeep is $50,000 or so less than the BMW and more than $100,000 less (!) than the Merc.
No one except maybe Jeep would say the three are truly direct competitors: The Germans – particularly in the engine bay – are more high-tech, and the engineering refinement, build quality and interiors are a shuffle upwards on the prestige ladder. The fuel consumption/emissions outcomes show there's something to be said for engine sophistication too. Both Mercedes and BMW are notably less thirsty for fuel than the SRT, and output less CO2 into the bargain.
Mostly though, the functionality gaps are not huge, and when the time comes to investigate on-road behaviour, there are certainly not the percentage differences that show up in the brochure. The Jeep is every bit as quick to accelerate (marginally faster in fact than the BMW), and shows a pretty deft hand when it comes to being thrown around as well.
The SRT generally uses brains to overcome brawn: The 344kW/624Nm naturally-aspirated 6.4-litre HEMI V8 makes a brave fist of competing with the turbocharged, multi-camshaft, multi-valve German engines, and actually spins to a quite monumental (for a big road-going V8) 6250rpm to deliver maximum kilowatts. Torque comes in pretty high in the rpm range, however, at 4100rpm, but the US-built eight-speed ZF auto transmission always has a ratio on hand to keep the engine in its sweet spot.
The V8's cylinder deactivation, that puts cylinders 1, 4, 6 and 7 on hold when the SRT is on light throttle – and can be felt as a distant vibration coming through the driveline – contributes to economy too but, as it's only felt occasionally, the efficiency input is probably marginal. On test, we averaged 14.4L/100km which, although a bit above the official 14.0 claim, is still not in the same league as the 10.5L/100km BMW and 11.8L/100km Benz.
But, putting aside momentarily the tremendous serve of muscle residing within the SRT's brawny body, the 2289kg (kerb) SUV feels less like a lumbering, unwieldy beast than a massively overgrown MINI.
Well, maybe that's a slight exaggeration – but you never feel that the bulk of the mutha Grand Cherokee is all a bit too much to have any hope of on-road agility.
With its Goliath 20-inch polished alloy wheels and 295/45-series tyres, there's some sign of kickback and bump-steer through the wheel, but the SRT always responds with accuracy and the steering is assisted enough not to feel the vehicle's mass to any unacceptable extent, even if it takes 3.4 turns to spin the wheel from lock to lock.
Likewise the ride is firm, but understandably so. The low unsprung mass contributed to by the Bilstein adaptive all-independent suspension ensures the SRT never feels primitive on the road.
The SRT's driveline is different to other Grand Cherokees: It's the on-demand Quadra-Trac all-wheel drive system, utilising an electronic limited-slip rear differential, which is intended as much to maximise on-road grip as to take the SRT off-road. The system uses brake-actuated traction control on the front axle and decides electronically where to most judiciously distribute the power in the event of lost traction. Jeep says as much as 100 per cent can be sent to just one rear wheel if the system judges it beneficial.
But it's pretty unlikely you'll find an SRT rigged up for the bush. It's more likely to be used as a horse float/speedboat prime mover. The standard launch control and the Selec-Trak system that includes a “Track” mode in addition to Auto, Sport, Tow and Snow regimes speak eloquently of how owners are likely to see their SRTs.
Accommodation in the SRT reflects the fact it closely matches, dimensionally, the BMW X5 and ML series 'Benz. There's plenty of space for Grand Cherokee passengers to soak up the luxury: Thumping audio, seat heating in the back as well as the front, Uconnect touch-screen functionality (that allows the driver to access readouts for acceleration and braking times, power and torque outputs), as well as sat-nav, radar cruise control and adaptive bi-xenon headlights are just some of the standard features in this fully-charged SUV.
Our latest time spent with a Grand Cherokee SRT has done absolutely nothing to quell our enthusiasm. Even though it appears the SRT version of the Chrysler 300 sedan might be on the skids, let's hope the same fate isn't in store for this irreverent, captivating Yankee monster. Love it.
2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT pricing and specifications:
Price: $80,000 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 6.4-litre eight-cylinder petrol
Output: 344kW/624Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 14.0L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2:
Safety Rating: Four-star ANCAP
| What we liked: | Not so much: |
| >> Brawny V8 power | >> Fuel consumption |
| >> Interior bells and whistles | >> Limited oddment storage |
| >> Undeniable on-road presence | >> Parking it in tight spots |
Also consider:
>> BMW X5 xDrive50i
>> Mercedes-Benz ML63
>> Porsche Cayenne S
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