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Vehicle of the Week
Grander Cherokee
Dan Lienert
DaimlerChrysler's new, 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee is almost here--but the company has not ironed out all the details of its arrival.
While the company said in a statement released in April that the vehicle would go on sale in the third quarter of this year, a spokesman said in a telephone interview on Aug. 9 that Jeep is only committing to "fall" as the vehicle's on-sale date, and that no estimated price is available for the sport-utility.
Jeep has made headlines recently for its radical plans to outsource labor. Rather than build the next-generation Wrangler SUV itself, Jeep will have suppliers handle 60% of the vehicle's production--that is, the suppliers will pay for the cost of tools and labor. While Jeep will build new Grand Cherokees for North America, as usual, at its plant in Detroit (one of the few car factories remaining there), a company called Magna Steyr will build Grand Cherokees in Austria for outside markets. Magna Steyr builds BMW's X3 sport-utility as well.
The most important addition to the Grand Cherokee is DaimlerChrysler's (nyse: DCX - news - people ) very powerful 5.7-liter, HEMI V-8 engine, which will be optional. Although Jeep has not announced the horsepower figure for this application of the HEMI, the engine makes 345 hp in the Dodge Ram pickup. If that figure carries over into the Jeep, it would mean a power increase of 30% from the current Grand Cherokee's top engine option, a 4.7-liter, 265 hp V-8. Jeep will continue to make that engine available, but will replace the base, 4.0-liter six-cylinder inline engine with the Jeep Liberty's more powerful, 3.7-liter V-6. A new five-speed automatic transmission is also available.
After the HEMI, the other main selling point of the new Grand Cherokee is its off-road capability. Jeep likes to emphasize this for credibility because it is, like Ford Motor's (nyse: F - news - people ) Land Rover subsidiary, a brand dedicated entirely to sport-utilities.
You want to talk about off-road chops? The new Grand Cherokee will have three different, optional four-wheel drive systems (rear-drive models account for about 25% of sales). The base four-wheel drive system uses a single-speed transfer case (the auxiliary gearbox of a four-wheel drive vehicle which transmits engine power to both axles simultaneously); "single-speed" means it does not have a shift lever in the cockpit.
Another system does have a shift lever, and a third has a serious off-road credential: An electronic limited-slip differential. A differential is a gear system which sends power from the transmission or driveshaft (the shaft which runs along a car's longitudinal centerline and connects the transmission to the differential) to the driving axles or half shafts, the rotating shafts which connect to and power a car's wheels. A differential allows the driving wheel to turn more quickly than the inside wheel during cornering, which prevents skidding and scrubbing the tires, and a limited-slip differential can lock the car's two axles together, forcing both sets of wheels to put out torque regardless of traction at the moment. If you're in an SUV with a button that says "Differential Lock," use it as a panic button when you're stuck in murky conditions.
Jeep has also equipped the new Grand Cherokee with a new suspension. The front suspension allows for a 13% improvement in wheel travel, a better sense of precision and control, more precise steering, a better turning diameter and lower vehicle weight. The rear suspension improves lateral stiffness to match that of the front suspension. This will also be the first Grand Cherokee to offer an electronic stability program, which automatically adjusts the brake and gas to keep the car stable in severe driving maneuvers.
In terms of looks, Jeep wisely chose not to tinker with its iconic vehicle too much. The design is dominated by Jeep's famous seven-slot grille, which is flanked by round, high-performance halogen headlights. The hood is proportionally longer and the windshield is flatter, lending the car a look that is more athletic, yet boxier, than the old model's. The car now has larger rear tail lamps as well.
The interior features increased headroom, a new two-tone instrument panel and several upscale, new amenities, including GPS navigation, rear-seat DVD entertainment, a Boston Acoustics (nasdaq: BOSA - news - people ) stereo, a hands-free communication system and rear-parking assistance.
Jeep has added a few important touches to the Grand Cherokee without dramatically changing the look of the car. The new model must be unified with the old as the Grand Cherokee continues its assault on the driveways of American homes with teenagers.
Forbes Fact
Because of the HEMI, Jeep says that the new Grand Cherokee will be the first SUV to offer cylinder deactivation during cruising and light acceleration. This will improve fuel economy by up to 20%.
E-mail | Print | Comments | License Reprints | E-Mail Newsletters | RSS
Vehicle of the Week
Grander Cherokee
Dan Lienert
DaimlerChrysler's new, 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee is almost here--but the company has not ironed out all the details of its arrival.
While the company said in a statement released in April that the vehicle would go on sale in the third quarter of this year, a spokesman said in a telephone interview on Aug. 9 that Jeep is only committing to "fall" as the vehicle's on-sale date, and that no estimated price is available for the sport-utility.
Jeep has made headlines recently for its radical plans to outsource labor. Rather than build the next-generation Wrangler SUV itself, Jeep will have suppliers handle 60% of the vehicle's production--that is, the suppliers will pay for the cost of tools and labor. While Jeep will build new Grand Cherokees for North America, as usual, at its plant in Detroit (one of the few car factories remaining there), a company called Magna Steyr will build Grand Cherokees in Austria for outside markets. Magna Steyr builds BMW's X3 sport-utility as well.
The most important addition to the Grand Cherokee is DaimlerChrysler's (nyse: DCX - news - people ) very powerful 5.7-liter, HEMI V-8 engine, which will be optional. Although Jeep has not announced the horsepower figure for this application of the HEMI, the engine makes 345 hp in the Dodge Ram pickup. If that figure carries over into the Jeep, it would mean a power increase of 30% from the current Grand Cherokee's top engine option, a 4.7-liter, 265 hp V-8. Jeep will continue to make that engine available, but will replace the base, 4.0-liter six-cylinder inline engine with the Jeep Liberty's more powerful, 3.7-liter V-6. A new five-speed automatic transmission is also available.
After the HEMI, the other main selling point of the new Grand Cherokee is its off-road capability. Jeep likes to emphasize this for credibility because it is, like Ford Motor's (nyse: F - news - people ) Land Rover subsidiary, a brand dedicated entirely to sport-utilities.
You want to talk about off-road chops? The new Grand Cherokee will have three different, optional four-wheel drive systems (rear-drive models account for about 25% of sales). The base four-wheel drive system uses a single-speed transfer case (the auxiliary gearbox of a four-wheel drive vehicle which transmits engine power to both axles simultaneously); "single-speed" means it does not have a shift lever in the cockpit.
Another system does have a shift lever, and a third has a serious off-road credential: An electronic limited-slip differential. A differential is a gear system which sends power from the transmission or driveshaft (the shaft which runs along a car's longitudinal centerline and connects the transmission to the differential) to the driving axles or half shafts, the rotating shafts which connect to and power a car's wheels. A differential allows the driving wheel to turn more quickly than the inside wheel during cornering, which prevents skidding and scrubbing the tires, and a limited-slip differential can lock the car's two axles together, forcing both sets of wheels to put out torque regardless of traction at the moment. If you're in an SUV with a button that says "Differential Lock," use it as a panic button when you're stuck in murky conditions.
Jeep has also equipped the new Grand Cherokee with a new suspension. The front suspension allows for a 13% improvement in wheel travel, a better sense of precision and control, more precise steering, a better turning diameter and lower vehicle weight. The rear suspension improves lateral stiffness to match that of the front suspension. This will also be the first Grand Cherokee to offer an electronic stability program, which automatically adjusts the brake and gas to keep the car stable in severe driving maneuvers.
In terms of looks, Jeep wisely chose not to tinker with its iconic vehicle too much. The design is dominated by Jeep's famous seven-slot grille, which is flanked by round, high-performance halogen headlights. The hood is proportionally longer and the windshield is flatter, lending the car a look that is more athletic, yet boxier, than the old model's. The car now has larger rear tail lamps as well.
The interior features increased headroom, a new two-tone instrument panel and several upscale, new amenities, including GPS navigation, rear-seat DVD entertainment, a Boston Acoustics (nasdaq: BOSA - news - people ) stereo, a hands-free communication system and rear-parking assistance.
Jeep has added a few important touches to the Grand Cherokee without dramatically changing the look of the car. The new model must be unified with the old as the Grand Cherokee continues its assault on the driveways of American homes with teenagers.
Forbes Fact
Because of the HEMI, Jeep says that the new Grand Cherokee will be the first SUV to offer cylinder deactivation during cruising and light acceleration. This will improve fuel economy by up to 20%.
