Jeep Grand Cherokee Snow+Rock

A tempting package of lifestyle kit and fat discount aim to reawaken interest in Jeeps Grand Cherokee. Jonathan Crouch reports

Having driven a Jeep Grand Cherokee in extreme off road conditions, I can attest to its abilities on snow and rock. Not many owners can say the same but if they cant talk the talk, at least they can walk the walk, courtesy of the latest Snow+Rock special edition version.

Snow+Rock, in case you werent aware (I wasnt) are an outdoor clothing and equipment retailer. The sort of emporium that Chrysler Jeep obviously expect potential Grand Cherokee customers to frequent. I cant help feeling that a chain of garden centres would have been a better bet (and preferably one with more than 16 nationwide outlets) but hey, what do I know? Anyway, back to the car. The basic sales premise here is that you get £2,000 off either a Grand Cherokee Limited or the even plusher Grand Cherokee Overland, taking the starting price for the former to well below the psychological £30,000 barrier at £29,153 (or £32,569 for the Overland model).

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Since thats not much more than youd pay for a decently specified example of something from the class below (say a Land Rover Freelander2 for instance) for something far bigger and more prestigious, Jeeps proposition is worth taking seriously. Especially as a comparably specified version of their closest rival, Land Rovers Discovery, is nearly £10,000 more. If you want to save even more, you can order your Grand Cherokee without the Snow+Rock stuff on it and still get the two grand discount, which means that youll pay either £28,590 for the Limited version or £32,090 for the Overland. I cant see that many owners will want to do this however, since the package costs a reasonably nominal amount more and includes quite a lot.

By nominal, I mean £563.50 for the Limited or £479.50 for the already plush Overland which doesnt need quite as much tinsel. Sign the cheque for that and in return you get chrome tail lamp guards, black running boards, rear splash guards, a moulded cargo tray and a choice of ski carrier, roof box or bike rack.

 Limited models also get multi-purpose roof crossbars. Oh and you also get a Snow+Rock voucher for £250 which can be spent at any of the chains stores in the UK.

"If a £2,000 discount and all that Snow+Rock kit cant shift Grand Cherokees, then nothing else will"

If at this point youre quite tempted but are mentally equating a large, luxury Jeep with a ruinously expensive petrol engine, then fear not. Apart from the SRT8 model youll need a Texan oilwell to run, all UK-bound Grand Cherokees these days use the Mercedes-sourced 3.0-litre V6 CRD diesel youll also find in an M-Class. This 3.

0-litre CRD powerplant is a strong unit with 215bhp and a 376lb/ft torque rating. Its economical, with a 27.7mpg average, and it has a decent turn of pace (0-60mph takes 9 seconds) but most importantly its smooth and flexible. As I suggested at the beginning, the Grand Cherokee is quite capable of tackling rough stuff, even if most owners will subject it to nothing tougher than a slimy grass verge.

This is courtesy of an effective Quadra-Drive II active four-wheel drive system and no less than three electronic limited-slip differentials. Jeep also proudly boast that its the first vehicle on the market with an electronically-engaging torque bias front axle. If you know what that is, then youre probably in the market for a Land Rover Defender rather than one of these. So who does buy a Grand Cherokee these days? The answer to that question has changed quite a bit over the last decade.

Jump back to the late nineties and the Grand Cherokee was a Luxury 4x4. You know like a Range Rover rather than a Discovery. Buyers wanting the plushest offroad vehicle they could lay their hands on either bought the big Jeep or the Rangey. Today, the Solihull product is considerably more sophisticated in an attempt to justify a £50,000 asking price.

Jeep have chosen not to follow it up-market, so now competes with large Family-orientated 4x4s which have risen in sophistication to meet it. Apart from the Discovery, these include cars like Toyotas Land Cruiser and Mitsubishis Shogun. Both these rivals have the advantage of seven-seat carrying capacity and much more interior space but assuming thats not important to you, its hard to imagine either feeling as a good as having a Grand Cherokee in your driveway, particularly in Overland form. The Overland weighs in with a series of extras designed to pep-up the Grand Cherokees outward appearance.

Its already an attractive vehicle, or at least as attractive as big offroaders tend to get. The Overland just subtly raises the tone with platinum detailing for the grille, mirror housings, roof rails, window trim and 18" seven spoke alloys. Thats a lot of platinum but it does give the Grand Cherokee Overland a classier edge. Inside, theres less platinum but more wood and leather. Jeep are keen to point out that the material on the steering wheel, centre console and door bezels is real wood too, none of your mahogany-effect plastic here.

Leather adorns the gear and handbrake levers as well as the centre armrest. It also crops up on the door panels and the satellite navigation surround. Naturally, its on the seats too and the front ones feature the Overland logo on their backs - just to remind your rear passengers which Grand Cherokee theyve been lucky enough to wangle a lift in. The current Grand Cherokee is a world away from its predecessor when it comes to handling.

The steering is far sharper with a rack and pinion set-up introduced to replace the old recirculating ball. This is a substantial 4x4 vehicle that tips the scales at 2,310kg but body roll is less pronounced than youd expect and the ride is nicely composed. The maximum towing weight for all models is a substantial 3,360kg, so the Grand Cherokee is quite at home living up to its sports utility vehicle billing with a quad bike, a speed boat or even a 6-berth caravan hitched onto the back. All Grand Cherokee models feature ABS brakes with traction control and Jeeps Electronic Stability Programme.

Then theres the electronic rollover mitigation system which monitors driver inputs and the vehicles behaviour to spot potential rollover situations. It can then reduce engine torque or apply bursts of hard braking to avert disaster. Should the unthinkable happen, multi-stage front airbags and curtain airbags along with seatbelt pre-tensioners are on hand to help. It really comes down to whether you value high equipment levels, a fashionable look and that Jeep badge over interior space and practicality.

With the equipment list on the Overland variant featuring highlights such as satellite navigation, a six CD autochanger, parking sensors and a powered sunroof, in addition to the styling and interior upgrades, you can see why a number of buyers might be tempted. But there arent enough of them for Chrysler Jeeps liking, which is of course the purpose of the Snow+Rock package and the discount. If that little lot isnt enough to get Grand Cherokees rolling off the showroom floors, then you cant imagine that much else will.

FACTS AT A GLANCE

CAR: Jeep Grand Cherokee Snow+Rock
PRICES: £29,153-£32,569 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUPS: 14-15
CO2 EMISSIONS: 270g/km
PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph 9.0s / Max Speed 124mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: (urban) 21.6 / (extra urban) 32.8 / (combined) 27.7mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front and side airbags / ABS / ESP/ tyre pressure monitoring, electronic rollover mitigation system
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Heightmm 4755/2251/1742