2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT

Overview: Yet another example of how much the Jeep brand has diversified from the spindly, knobby-tired WWII replacement for the cavalry horse is this pumped-up version of the Grand Cherokee. Now five years into its second-generation design, this fat-tired “Street and Racing” SUV with nearly 500 horsepower resides atop the Jeep food chain. At a base price of $66,690, the Grand Cherokee SRT is the most expensive domestic FCA product short of the stray Viper or the insanely optioned heavy-duty Ram pickup. It runs with some fast company—the BMW X6M, Mercedes-AMG GLE63 and GLE63 S coupe, Porsche Cayenne Turbo, and Land Rover Range Rover Sport Supercharged. All of those luxury-brand competitors are at least $35,000 more spendy, with some commanding more than double the money. The Grand Cherokee checks all the comfort and convenience, infotainment, and safety-feature boxes on the Jeep menu, along with bringing to the party standard Bilstein adaptive dampers, selectable driving modes, on-demand all-wheel drive, Brembo brakes, and available humongous Pirelli P Zeros. Not to mention that ever-present thunder from under the hood, home to a 475-horsepower 6.4-liter Hemi V-8 with a potent exhaust note. The Grand Cherokee SRT is quicker, faster, and grippier than it looks or feels. If there is such a thing as a value-priced mid-size luxury performance SUV, this 2.5-ton Jeep is exhibit A.

What’s New: The introduction of an eight-speed automatic transmission in 2014 improved the SRT’s flexibility, shaved nearly half a second from the zero-to-60-mph time, and boosted EPA fuel-economy ratings. In 2015, Jeep added active noise cancellation that operates through the audio-system speakers to reduce low-frequency booming in the cabin, which was previously a problem when the Fuel Saver mode deactivates the valves of four engine cylinders under light loads. Also in 2015, Jeep recalibrated the 6.4-liter Hemi, bumping up horsepower a skosh to 475 hp and torque to 470 lb-ft. For 2016, the configurable electronic gauge display was redone, putting the tach front and center and moving the analog speedometer to the left corner, and the Selec-Track drive modes added a custom setting that lets the driver personalize throttle, shifting, all-wheel drive, and other parameters. Also new is a valet mode that, when activated, reduces the performance of the SRT toward pedestrian Grand Cherokee levels, making it more difficult for parking attendants to wrap your car around a light pole.

What We Like: The Grand Cherokee SRT offers serious bang for the muscle-truck buck, even though it doesn’t have quite as fine an edge as some European-brand performance SUVs. The Hemi’s rumble is omnipresent—great, if that’s how you roll. With eight gears and no turbos to spool, throttle response is quick and decisive. The seats with velour inserts are grippy, enveloping, and suitable for everyday driving. The Jeep drives like a jacked-up Charger SRT with an insane amount of traction and stopping power. Steering is quick and linear, although a bit insular. As one of the last projects Daimler and Chrysler collaborated on, the Grand Cherokee shares DNA with the Mercedes-Benz GLE-class, and the structure is sound, free of squeaks and rattles. Overall, the SRT feels unbelievably nimble for a truck that weighs more than 5000 pounds.

What We Don’t Like: The Hemi’s lusty bellow, intoxicating at first, can grow tiresome—you won’t be sneaking up on anyone. And the cylinder-deactivation system, combined with the selectable Eco mode of the Selec-Track drive system, seems a bit silly in a vehicle of this type, doing little to save fuel while creating odd driveline vibrations and a sour engine note during light-load cruising conditions. The SRT’s ride can get coarse over uneven pavement, although large events are handled capably by the adaptive dampers.

Verdict: An all-roads achiever in mixed martial arts. And yes, it’s got a Hemi.

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Specifications >

VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, 4-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door hatchback

BASE PRICE: $66,690

ENGINE TYPE: pushrod 16-valve V-8, iron block and aluminum heads, port fuel injection

Displacement: 391 cu in, 6410 cc
Power: 475 hp @ 6000 rpm
Torque: 470 lb-ft @ 4300 rpm

TRANSMISSION: 8-speed automatic with manual shifting mode

DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 114.8 in
Length: 189.8 in
Width: 76.5 in Height: 67.6 in
Passenger volume: 106 cu ft
Cargo volume: 36 cu ft
Curb weight (C/D est): 5300 lb

FUEL ECONOMY:
EPA city/highway driving: 13/19 mpg

C/D TEST RESULTS FOR:
2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT
Zero to 60 mph: 4.6 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 11.9 sec
Zero to 130 mph: 24.7 sec
Rolling start, 5–60 mph: 5.2 sec
Top gear, 30–50 mph: 2.8 sec
Top gear, 50–70 mph: 3.3 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 13.2 sec @ 105 mph
Top speed (drag limited): 157 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 162 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad*: 0.88 g
Curb weight: 5331 lb
C/D observed fuel economy: 14 mpg
*Stability-control-inhibited