ROAD TEST - JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE 3.6 V6 LIMITED:
The fourth generation Jeep Grand Cherokee has really struck the right visual chord. The first one was chunky but square, second one round but bland and the third generation was ruined by those upside down Mercedes headlamps as if to symbolise its parent's then-new marriage to Daimler.
The two companies may be divorced now but the latest Grand Cherokee finally has its German genes in the right place but we'll get to that in a mo.
On the surface, it just seems to strike all the right chords. Its slant shape, squared-off fenders and imposing classic Jeep grille give it the presence of a bush buggy while its tapering headlights, elegant creases and tasteful chrome trimmings will keep its head held high in executing car lots. It looks great from every angle.
Yet memories of its predecessor had me expecting to find the remnants of a Japanese car from 1985 as soon as I stepped inside. A surprise it was, then, as I found myself surrounded by smart-looking plastics, fake woods that almost pass for real and even a stitched leather upper dashboard. Sure, one of the panels was misaligned but besides that little niggle I really felt like I was sitting in a true premium SUV.
As you'd expect given its size, this Jeep has acres of space inside and it's cosy in the back, with generous rear legroom and seats that recline.
But is it a nice place for the driver to be? My test unit had the baseline engine, which seemed nice enough on paper, being the all-new Pentastar V6 that Chrysler likes to brag about.
With 210kW available at 6400rpm and 347Nm at 4800rpm, it has good muscle but on the road these ponies are quickly diluted by the 2.2-tonnes of Jeep they have to pull. Throw in some Highveld altitude and this naturally aspirated Jeep is a bit on the sluggish side.
I also found the throttle rather temperamental at low speeds, refusing to climb my steep driveway at the usual throttle position and then lurching forward suddenly when I gave it a bit more gas. The five-speed autobox is also not the most sophisticated around, and does hunt at times.
Even without those niggles, there is only one kind of engine to have in this kind of vehicle (unless you're an SRT8 or ML63 hooligan) and that's a beefy turbodiesel.
Sadly, you can't buy an oil-burning Grand Cherokee at this point in time, but Jeep SA is promising to have a 3-litre V6 turbodiesel version on our shores by the end of the year.
Mind you, the petrol V6 should still deliver the goods for your average driver - providing there's a deep pocket for the fuel bills.
This is such a free-floating, relaxed driving machine that it almost manipulates you to forget about speed. Its air suspension system is cushy, if a tad bouncy at times, and the cabin is insulated like a nuclear bunker - so quiet and serene.
Air suspension? Yes, the Jeep's Quadra-Lift set-up is something it inherited from the Daimler marriage and what' more, it also has a Selec-Terrain system that allows you to adapt the settings for the road surface you're tackling. With a permanent four-wheel drive system, with low-range transfer case, this SUV is suited to practically every road surface, or lack thereof.
Thanks to fully independent suspension at both ends, the Grand Cherokee corners neatly enough and is suitably stable, but you won't enjoy it through a mountain pass - this big machine is hardly agile and the steering has no feel.
The new Grand Cherokee is not the most sophisticated SUV in every single respect, but it runs the big guns like VW's Touareg close enough and actually represents reasonable value. Considering the relatively low price tag of R531 990 for the 3.6 V6 Limited on test, I'd definitely have the Grand Cherokee on my shopping list, but I'd wait for the diesel.