Test Short: Jeep Grand Cherokee 3.0 CRD V6 Overland

The American auto industry does not have a very high reputation for its vehicles. Yet right above, high above the others, is the Jeep. The SUV specialist has ditched (temporarily?) A broad European car offering in recent years, but the owners' financial problems, Chrysler, have now been resolved and thanks to a refreshing investment from Fiat's European auto industry, Jeep has emphatically backed out. financial and miscellaneous dirt. The fourth generation Grand Cherokee (since 1992), which has been available in the US for over a year, is also to blame for such good performance. In our country, Jeep will probably need four-wheel support in addition to the new Grand Cherokee in order to become more popular.

In terms of technology and offering, there is not much to say here, the Grand Cherokee in the form of a black giant, which we were able to briefly test, offers a lot. Overland stands for the richest equipment and the designation 3.0 CRD V6 is a fresh and new three-liter six-cylinder turbodiesel with modern direct injection technology and Common Rail (with a pressure of 1.800 bar) and modern injectors with modern Fiat MultiJet II technology. The variable geometry Garrett blower makes the "turbo port" really insignificant and the engine with its 550 Nm at 1.800 rpm is absolutely convincing. Paired with the five-speed automatic transmission, we have nothing to complain about, it feels completely independent in all driving conditions.

The appropriate driving program is selected directly on the center console, just behind the gear lever, for normal road or off-road driving. Five programs are available, the drive equipment (all-wheel drive) allows flexible power transmission to be selected at any time. With the help of sensors, the center differential automatically regulates the distribution of tractive effort to both pairs of wheels; if they detect slippage of one pair, the drive goes completely (100%) to the other pair. When the optional transmission (4WD Low) is selected, the center differential closes the power distribution in a 50:50 ratio, and there is also an electronic differential lock on the rear differential. In normal driving, the rear power-to-power ratio is 48:52.

The time-tested Grand Cherokee offers high comfort thanks to its air suspension. This, in addition to comfort on smooth roads and potholed roads, of course allows the car to behave well on the ground. Together, it can be raised 10,5 centimeters from the parking position and reach a maximum distance of 27 centimeters from the underside of the vehicle to the ground, usually the underbody is 20 centimeters from the ground, and automatically lowers another 1,5 centimeters when driving fast.

And back to the Overland label. It's actually one that adds prestige and added value to the regular Grand Cherokee. The interior convinces with its appearance (abundance of wood veneer and leather parts) and spaciousness (including the trunk, since now under the bottom of the spare wheel), accessories providing comfort, a top view (for the first time with a two-piece glass roof, the front section provides freshness and reclines), entertainment for small and large rear passengers (two LCD screens and a DVD player), in short, almost everything you think is needed in a high-end car.

When we “count” all this, the Jeep Cherokee's price even seems justified, although it is true that it will be an obstacle that will continue to prevent more of these Americans from driving on Slovenian roads.

Text: Tomaž Porekar

Test Short: Jeep Grand Cherokee 3.0 CRD V6 Overland

Basic data

Technical information

engine:	6-cylinder - 4-stroke - in-line - turbodiesel - displacement 2.987 cm3 - maximum power 177 kW (241 hp) at 4.000 rpm - maximum torque 550 Nm at 1.800 rpm.
Energy transfer:	the engine drives all four wheels - 5-speed automatic transmission - tires 265/60 R 18.
Capacity:	202 km/h top speed - 0-100 km/h acceleration in 8,2 s - fuel consumption (ECE) 10,3/7,2/8,3 l/100 km, CO2 emissions 218 g/km.
Mass:	empty vehicle 2.355 kg - permissible gross weight 2.949 kg.
External dimensions:	length 4.822 mm – width 1.943 mm – height 1.781 mm – wheelbase 2.915 mm – trunk 782–1.554 93 l – fuel tank XNUMX l.