|
Jeep Grand Cherokee totes a V8 Hemi that varies engine size
Bob Plunkett
Date Posted: 5/10/2005
|
LOS OLIVOS, Calif. -- The four-wheeling obstacle course, pitched across sandy loam on a California cattle ranch in the Santa Ynez Mountains near Santa Barbara, runs through a vast trench deep enough to bury tandem trailers and the big-rig truck that tows them.
Driving a four-wheel-drive (4WD) SUV into this pit is easy because a trail leads directly to the bottom of the hole and the vehicle simply rolls down the grade as the force of gravity pulls it into the earth.
Driving out of the trench is another matter, however, because the steep exit ramp runs not only up to the surface but several stories higher as it climbs the mound of dirt displaced by dozers digging the trench.
It's a daunting slope to scale with loose sand and dirt to spin the tires before reaching a precarious teeter-totter ledge on top of the mound.
Not just any 4WD vehicle can climb this track from pit to pinnacle: For such a tricky challenge we're steering the most powerful and surefooted wagon in the motor pool of Jeep, the DaimlerChrysler brand devoted exclusively to 4WD traction.
It's the flagship for Jeep, Grand Cherokee in a dramatic new generational design for 2005 with deluxe Limited edition packing plush leather in the cabin, sophisticated 4WD controls at the wheels and the power of Chrysler's fabled Hemi V8 engine in a high-tech rendition.
This deluxe wagon represents the original sport-utility vehicle and it traces for decades in Jeep history with innovations like the Quadra-Trac automatic full-time 4WD system with limited slip differential, introduced in 1973, and a watershed design in 1984 for the first unibody four-door SUV.
The nameplate of Grand Cherokee came in 1992 in a new wagon which demonstrated that a SUV could conquer rugged challenges of the off-road world and still transport riders in comfort due to cushy cabin appointments.
A larger version appeared in 1999 on a new chassis with a sleek shell added and a luxury-lined cabin plus mechanical systems aboard which raised the bar for SUV performance.
Now comes the new scheme for Grand Cherokee of 2005. It's built on a longer and broader platform with stronger structural systems aboard to establish even higher SUV benchmarks.
Wheelbase of the new Grand Cherokee grows by 3.6 inches and the track expands by 2.5 inches, which adds more room to the five-seat cabin and also helps smooth out the ride quality at speed on pavement.
Styling of the sheetmetal seems evolutionary rather than radically different, and the design incorporates familiar hallmarks of Jeep such as the seven-slot grille and large round headlamps which become focal points on a chrome-clad face.
Grand Cherokee stands tall in the traditional two-box format of a wagon but with all corners contoured and the horizontal lines chiseled and planed in streamline fashion. Wheel openings are shaped in a trapezoidal design now with wheels pinned at corners of the platform and front and rear overhangs crimped to make transitions easy on steep slopes.
In back, the liftgate window tips forward while the lower metal section falls vertically for a squared rump.
On the prow the hood extends further than before to accommodate larger engines.
A unibody structural design creates a rigid container that resists flexing and twisting when set in motion on pavement or dirt and ultimately enhances the smooth-riding manners of Grand Cherokee.
Precise rack and pinion steering -- first application for Jeep's luxury wagon -- brings quick-response turns and produces a tight 37-foot turning diameter for maneuvering.
And the new independent suspension system, with short/long arms up front and a live axle in back with five-link suspension geometry, enables front wheels to move vertically up to 13 percent more than in the previous design.
For rolling over off-road obstacles, chassis clearance is also better than before at 9.5 inches.
Grand Cherokee for 2005 puts luxurious appointments in the five-seat cabin and sophisticated electronic controls on the optional 4WD hardware.
It also earns a hunk of an engine option with Chrysler's 5.7-liter Hemi V8 pushing best-in-class power -- 325 hp at 5100 rpm plus torque of 370 lb-ft at 3500 rpm.
Yet this Hemi also comes with a multi-displacement system (MDS) which can switch seamlessly and transparently to four-cylinder mode for conserving fuel when full-force power is not needed.
Other engines serve as standard powertrain for the wagon's trim tiers of Laredo and Limited.
For Laredo the plant is a 3.7-liter single-cam V6.
It develops 210 hp at 5200 rpm with 235 lb-ft of torque at 4000 rpm.
For Limited there's a single-cam 4.7-liter V8 producing 230 hp at 4700 rpm and torque of 290 lb-ft at 3700 rpm.
A five-speed electronic automatic transmission applies to each of the three engines in Grand Cherokee.
For wheel traction on off-road forays, more choices appear with three full-time 4WD systems.
On Laredo with the 3.7-liter V6 engine, the Quadra-Trac I system has a single-speed transfer case for full-time 4WD management and no levers to pull.
With Limited and the 4.7-liter V8, the Quadra-Trac II system contains a new two-speed electronic transfer case for full-time active 4WD operation and locked 4WD low range.
With the 5.7-liter Hemi V8, Jeep adds the automatic Quadra-Drive II system with front and rear electronic limited slip differentials (ELSD) for infinite torque management at each of the four wheels plus an electronic stability program (ESP) for checking lateral slippage and a dynamic handling system (DHS) to decouple suspension stabilizer bars when not needed.
The smart 4WD system works to our benefit on the sand track climbing out of the pit because it precisely manages wheel slippage at each wheel.
That means if three wheels are sliding in slippery stuff and only one wheel gets a traction bite, all power goes to that gripping wheel to propel the wagon forward. And everything's automatic with this system so a driver never has to shift a lever or punch up a particular traction mode to keep on moving forward.
Jeep sets price points for the revised Grand Cherokee as low as $26,130 for Laredo trim and $31,455 for Limited.
|
| Vehicle Specifications: |
| 2005 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE Specs |
| Description: |
Mid-size SUV |
| Model Options: |
Mid-size SUV |
| Wheelbase: |
109.5 inches |
| Overall Length: |
186.6 inches |
| Engine Size: |
SOHC 3.7-L V6, SOHC 4.7-L V8, OHC 5.7-L V8 Hemi MDS |
| Transmission: |
3.7: Auto/5 W5A580, 4.7: Auto/5 545RFE, 5.7: Auto/5 545RFE |
| Drive: |
2WD Rear, 4WD, 3.7: Quadra-Trac I, 4.7: Quadra-Trac II, 5.7: Quadra-Drive II ELSD/ESP/DHS |
| Braking: |
Power 4-disc, 2WD: ABS opt. ESP, 4WD: ABS/BTCS |
| Airbags: |
2 (front) plus opt. (side curtain) |
| Towing Capacity: |
6500 pounds |
| Gas Mileage: |
3.7: 16/21 mpg, 4.7: 14/20 mpg, 5.7: 14/21 mpg |
| Price: |
Laredo 2WD: $26,130, Laredo 4WD: $28,100, Limited 2WD: $31,455, Limited 4WD: $34,045, Limited 5.7: $37,215 |
|
|
