The Jeep Grand Cherokee SUV comes in three 3.6-litre V6 petrol grades and in
the 2.0-litre turbo petrol Summit Reserve 4Xe I’m driving today with the added
benefit of a plug-in hybrid system with dual electric motors providing 52 kms of
pure electric range. A powerful and torquey luxury five-seater the Grand
Cherokee Summit Reserve is the nicest Jeep I’ve driven – to qualify that
statement it offers a sumptuous and highly comfortable driving adventure with a
superb adaptive air suspension with Jeep’s proven Quadra-Trac 11 four-wheel
drive system offering a high degree of competency on and off-road. The five-seat
interior not only looks impressive with a great mix and leather and fake wood but
is supremely comfortable for five adults. The pure electric range of 52 kms is
however underdone – not enough distance for most daily commutes but it does
only take just over two hours to charge. Three drive modes, hybrid combining
petrol and electric power, pure electric, or pure petrol E-Save, which can also
charge the battery up to 80 percent - in this mode I averaged 8L/100 on 91 grade
petrol. Its $129,950 price tag stamps the Grand Cherokee Summit Reserve as
luxury supported with a five-year, 100,000km. warranty, battery warranty 8
years/160,000km. I’m David Berthon