AUTO RED BOOK REVIEW: 2011 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE

On The Cover Review: 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee

Since its introduction in 1992, the Grand Cherokee has been one of the most successful vehicles ever to wear the Jeep badge. And, with such gradual evolutions along the way, if you were able to transport the new 2011 version back 17 years, people in the past could probably identify it as a Grand Cherokee. That’s good and bad. On the plus side, the Grand Cherokee has often been a winner for Jeep (and parent company Chrysler). For years they’ve sold huge numbers of this classic SUV design. On the negative side, it doesn’t exactly break new ground. In a time when people expect revolutionary changes from the Pentastar group, the Grand Cherokee has the outward appearance of a mildly tweaked iteration of an antiquated SUV. Back on the positive side of the line, a 2011 mode with a 3.6-liter V6 is expected to get as much as 11 percent better fuel mileage than the outgoing model. A full-arsenal of standard and optional equipment will include the “Quadra Lift” air suspension, which will lift the Grand Cherokee 11.1-inches off the ground for off-roading. There’s no doubt that the 2011 Grand Cherokee is the best Grand Cherokee ever. Shoot, it may be the best mid-sized SUV ever. But it may have more challenges resonating with the public than ever before as well.