Here is a review in today's UK Sunday Times of the new Jeep Grand Cherokee.

http://driving.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,12929-1630542,00.html

I have reproduced the article below my signature for convenience.

What do you think?  Agree/disagree, bearing in mind the European context?

DAS

For direct contact replace nospam with schmetterling
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     New Cars

                             May 29, 2005

                             Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi
                             By Ray Hutton of The Sunday Times
                             All-American muscle power

                             When it first came to Britain nine years ago,
the Jeep Grand Cherokee was a credible alternative to the Range Rover - then
as now king of the 4x4s - at a price lower than the Land Rover Discovery's.
A lot has happened to SUVs since then. BMW, Mercedes, Porsche, Volvo and
Volkswagen have entered the fray and the Range Rover and the Discovery are
now superior new models.
                             So the new Grand Cherokee has a different task
to perform. These vehicles no longer sell on their ability to cross deserts
and mountain ranges but Jeep, like Land Rover, insists on making SUVs that
can cope with extreme conditions: off-road supremacy is a badge of office.
Even so, Jeep can't afford to ignore the fact that today's 4x4s need also to
be as smooth as a premium saloon on normal roads.

                             For Jeep, there is a further complication: it
is part of the DaimlerChrysler group, which also makes Mercedes. This means
that the Grand Cherokee is destined to be an understudy for the new Mercedes
ML, with which it shares its 3 litre V6 diesel engine.

                             But this is where the high-performance 5.7
litre petrol V8 Hemi engine comes in ("hemi" referring to the now-common
hemispherical combustion chamber that is part of Chrysler's heritage).

                             It represents something that Mercedes can't
offer: good old-fashioned American muscle.

                             The V8 produces 322bhp and propels the hefty
Jeep to 60mph in 6.8sec and to a maximum of 130mph. A sharp prod on the
throttle produces a wonderful roar that makes it seem even faster. And
although it has a clever (and barely detectable) system for deactivating
four of its eight cylinders when not required, such as cruising at low
speed, it still drinks unleaded at an embarrassing rate. The official urban
fuel consumption is 13.3mpg.

                             The car comes with satellite navigation,
tyre-pressure monitoring, park assistance, automatic wipers and memory
seats, all for £37,995, which happens to be the same list price as the Land
Rover Discovery V8 S with a 295bhp engine - the Jeep's direct competitor.
The Disco is still the class leader, though the cheapest automatic version
you can buy costs £33,490 and that will be undercut from July by the £29,495
Jeep 3.0 CRD.

                             Jeep devotees will notice improvements all
round for the new model, although the boxier styling, with narrower windows
and round headlamps, may not receive universal praise. Six inches longer and
with a 2.5in wider track than its predecessor, the Grand Cherokee now has
independent front suspension and rack-and-pinion steering, which make for a
more comfortable ride and better on-road handling.

                             Cars for the UK market, which are assembled in
Austria, all have Quadra-Trac II, the most advanced four-wheel-drive system
Jeep has offered, with three electronically controlled differentials,
low-range gears for mud-plugging, and electronic stability control.

                             Because it still has a rigid "live" axle at
the rear, it is not able to soak up the bumps and uneven surfaces of British
byways as well as the best of the competition, but the Grand Cherokee scores
in quietness and refinement, making it a pleasant companion on a long
journey. The new Mercedes diesel engine is, if anything, nicer in this
application than in the ML, where it is combined with a fussy seven-speed
automatic gearbox; all Grand Cherokees have a five-speed automatic.

                             The quality and general appearance of the
interior is better than before but the combination of textures and colours
marks it as American - the plastic mouldings are hard, the leather (grey or
khaki) shiny, some of the fittings just a bit crude. The Grand Cherokee
seats only five but a high floor and short seat cushion mean that the rear
passengers (particularly the one at the centre) have a less comfortable time
than those in the front.

                             Jeep has done what it had to do with its
biggest and most expensive model: it is faster and sturdier than its
predecessors. But SUVs have changed, and so have people's reasons for buying
them. The new Grand Cherokee may just be the right car at the wrong time.

                             VITAL STATISTICS

                             Model     Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi Limited
                             Engine type   Eight cylinders, 5654cc petrol
                             Power/Torque  322bhp @ 5000rpm, 369 lb ft @
4000rpm
                             Transmission  Five-speed automatic, four-wheel
drive
                             Fuel/CO2    18.3 mpg (combined cycle), 366
g/km
                             Performance   0-60mph: 6.8sec / Top speed:
130mph
                             Price     £37,995
                             Verdict    Back to the future: an SUV with
real American muscle
                             Rating     3/5

                             THE OPPOSITION

                             Model Porsche Cayenne S £43,738
                             For Faster than the Hemi. Porsche sports car
heritage
                             Against Hard ride on the road and can't match
Jeep off it

                             Model Land Rover Discovery 3 V8 S £37,995
                             For Looks the business. Air suspension and
brilliant Terrain Response Control
                             Against Seriously heavy, not close to Hemi
performance