It has been quite some time since I had the chance to put my rear into the comfort of a Jeep Grand Cherokee seat, so the chance to spend a bit of time with the Summit Reserve L was taken up with alacrity – and it was time well spent.
There was a time, a generation or so ago, when Jeep and specifically the Cherokee seemed to have been well outpaced by Eastern and European automakers and was, in fact, becoming rather dated and dreary despite the inherent qualities of its four-wheel drive system.
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The Summit quite dramatically changes all of that with Jeep having stepped and risen to the challenge, putting itself on a par with its immediate peers, sitting between the Land Rover Defender 110 D350 X-Dynamic HSE and Ineos Grenadier 3.0T station wagon Fieldmaster Edition on the price ladder – R1,85-million versus R1,84-million and R1,62-million.
Now in its fifth generation, the SUV has expanded to offer seven seats for the first time and at 5204 mm long and 1 979 mm wide, is significantly larger than its predecessor and rivals the BMW X7 in size.
While American vehicles have long embraced the 'bigger is better' philosophy, the Grand Cherokee L has indeed grown in size and price, but the engine remains the same, to whit the 3,6-litre Pentastar naturally-aspirated V6 that produces 210 kW and 344 Nm, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. Fuel economy is rated at 10,6 l/100 km although real world use mostly in and around town with a little run fully utilising the Sport mode brought our test consumption to 15,6 l/100 km.
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The cabin offers plenty of soft-touch and stitched surfaces, with solid buttons and controls and padded sections where you rest your elbows. The front seats, with 12-way power adjustments, heating and ventilation, offer good comfort and a wide range of adjustments. The 10,25-inch digital instrument cluster and 10,1-inch touchscreen infotainment system run the improved Uconnect 5 interface, providing good response times and ergonomic menus.
The Summit Reserve includes a 19-speaker McIntosh audio system, delivering clear and deep sound, perfect for road trips. Connectivity options abound with USB-A and USB-C ports, an AUX input, and a 12V socket.
Storage is generous, with a deep cubby in the centre console, sizable cupholders and decent door bins. The second and third rows offer ample space, with heated outer seats in the second row and various amenities in the Summit Reserve. The third row provides good headroom and knee room, though the floor is quite high, making it less comfortable for adults over long distances.
Cargo space is substantial, with 487 litres behind the third row, expanding to 1 328 litres with the third row folded, and 2 395 litres with both second and third rows down.
Visually, what I really liked is the downsizing of the iconic 7-slot Jeep grille to a smaller and less aggressive look, allowing it to blend neatly with the narrowed horizontal front headlights – all-in-all a much more modern and elegant appearance in keeping with Euro trends and less American brash.
In terms of tech-spec, the Cherokee is losing nothing to its rivals and the Summit fairly bristles with the latest options but what I like the most is the Night Vision system that shows thermal imaging on the digital IP to help drivers spot pedestrians and animals on the road ahead.
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Camera-based systems include a digital rearview mirror, a FamCam rear-seat monitoring camera and a surround-view camera.
In use, the Active Driving Assist is mildly annoying. The steering inputs frequently do not correspond to the desired driver inputs and the lane-change function is too abrupt but it can easily be culled via a well-marked button on the dashboard.
In the local market, Jeep fully expects this variant to spend almost all of its time on the road with, perhaps, the occasional foray onto the dirt roads of the Kruger Park rather than owners making full use of the 4x4 system.
On the road, it feels secure and elevated, with smooth steering and a polished ride, especially with standard air suspension. The vehicle ride height can be adjusted by a centre-consol switch from low and easy to get and out position to almost need a stepladder – but which is great for fording rivers or easing your way over rocky terrain.
The Quadra-Trac I full-time 4WD system is fully automatic and features a two-speed active transfer case with low range and offers Selec-Terrain driving modes. Drivers choose between Auto, Sport, Snow, Sand/Mud, and Rock settings.
The engine itself is nearly a decade old and where much of the opposition has gone the turbo-diesel route, Jeep has stuck with the petrol option and with 210 kW and 344 Nm, the Grand Cherokee L’s outputs do not seem all that flash when several rivals with turbo-charged petrol and diesel powertrains quote nearly twice the amount of torque.
Still, it feels solidly constructed and impervious to our crumbling infrastructure. The Quadra-Lift suspension supplies a smooth ride while filtering out the majority of harshness from the road surface and this three-row SUV excels on the highway, where it proves quiet and resolute at speed.
Colin Windell
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