NEW FOR 2015:
- Summit and SRT receive new Active Noise Cancellation system
- SRT receives slight power boost
- New SRT Red Vapor special edition
- Summit trim available with Premium Plus Appearance Group, illuminated door sill plates, Berber carpet mats, and Argentina Tan interior colour.
After last year’s significant update, there are only a handful of minor changes to the Grand Cherokee for 2015, most of which focus on adding polish to the range-topping Summit and SRT models.
A new active noise cancellation system combats road and wind noise on Summit and SRT models, while the Summit gains illuminated sill plates, and premium carpet mats, plus the option of Argentina Tan for the Natura Plus leather seats. The Summit’s optional Premium Plus appearance group adds body-colour lower trim, mirror caps, and door handles, Platinum Chrome grille, lower fascias, side sills, fog lamp bezels, rear tailgate trim, and Satin Carbon finish 20-inch alloy wheels.
The SRT gains five horsepower, plus a new Red Vapor special edition that adds five-spoke Black Chrome wheels, gloss black badges, lower grille bezels and upper grille inserts, plus a back-lit SRT steering wheel logo, Black Chrome interior trim, Radar Red interior accents, and a dark red engine cover. It is available in a choice of Redline Red, Brilliant Black, and Crystal White paint finishes.
All Grand Cherokees with the exception of the SRT come with the 3.6-litre Pentastar V6 engine that develops 290 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque. Limited, Overland, and Summit trims can be had with a 5.7-litre Hemi V8 with cylinder deactivation, while the 3.0-litre EcoDiesel V6 can be had with the Overland and Summit trims. While the former sounds great and accelerates briskly, the latter offers the best fuel economy without sacrificing towing performance. While no Grand Cherokee Hellcat has emerged yet, the 6.4-litre Hemi V8 from the SRT 392 Challenger can be found under the hood. It develops 475 hp and 470 lb-ft of torque. Regardless of engine choice, a ZF-designed eight-speed automatic with an Audi-style T-bar electronic shift lever is included.
As you’d expect with a Jeep, four-wheel drive comes standard on the Grand Cherokee. The Laredo features Quadra-Trac I, a full-time 4x4 system that continuously distributes torque 48/52 front to rear. Limited and Overland models receive Quad-Trac II that adds a low range and is capable of sending 100 per cent of torque to either the front or rear axle. Quadra-Drive II, standard on the Summit and optional on others, works similarly but includes an electronic limited-slip differential that can concentrate up to 100 per cent of power to a single wheel. Quadra-Trac II and Quadra-Drive II include a Selec-Terrain system that can be dialed in for Auto, Sport, Sand/Mud, Snow and Rock settings. Quad-Lift four-corner air suspension – standard on Overland and Summit, optional on others – can raise and lower the ride height. The SRT uses the Quadra-Trac system, but its setup has been optimized for handling performance and on-track use.
The Grand Cherokee is available in Laredo, Limited, Overland, Summit, and SRT trims.
The Laredo includes 17-inch aluminum wheels, capless fuel filler, automatic headlamps, LED tail lights, fog lights, body colour door handles, accent colour shark-fin antenna, chrome exterior trim, proximity key with push-button start, power heated exterior mirrors, hill-start assist, rain-brake support, trailer-sway control, cloth upholstery, 12-way power driver’s seat with lumbar support, 60/40 split folding rear seat, flat-folding front seat, 5.0-inch display audio system with AM/FM/satellite radio, USB, SD card, auxiliary input jack, 7.0-inch instrument cluster display, interior LED lighting, tilt and telescoping steering column, cruise control, paddles for manual shifting, leather-wrapped shift knob, dual-zone automatic climate control, and dual 12-volt power outlet.
The Limited adds Select-Terrain drive modes, 18-inch aluminum wheels, leather upholstery, heated front and rear seats, memory seats and mirrors, heated steering wheel, power tilt and telescoping steering column, dual exhaust with chrome trips, reverse camera, rear parking sensors, auto-dimming exterior driver’s side mirror, nine-speaker 506-watt sound system, 115-volt power outlet, remote start, alarm, power tailgate, cargo tonneau cover, garage door opener, chrome door handles, chrome exterior mirrors, high-power (180-amp) alternator.
The Overland builds on the Limited but adds air suspension, 20-inch wheels, bright grille and sill inserts, body colour wheel lips, fascia and sills, premium Nappa leather upholstery, wood trim, dual-pane panoramic sunroof, leather-wrapped instrument panel and centre console, wood and leather-wrapped steering wheel, 8.4-inch touchscreen display with navigation, power folding mirrors with approach lamps, bi-xenon headlamps, Class IV hitch receiver, chrome front tow hooks, auto-dimming exterior passenger mirror, rear footwell lighting, body-colour shark-fin antenna.
The Summit adds 20-inch polished aluminum wheels, Natura Plus premium leather, suede cloth headliner, 19-speaker 825-watt harman/kardon speaker system, active noise cancellation, illuminated sill plates, open-pore wood, adaptive headlamps, body-colour Summit grille with bright inserts, front parking sensors, headlamps washers, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-path detection, adaptive cruise control with forward collision warning.
The SRT features 20-inch SRT wheels, Selec-Trac on-road performance terrain management system, performance-tuned steering and adaptive suspension, Brembo brakes, electronically controlled limited-slip differential, 3.70 rear axle ratio, SRT sport seats with leather and suede upholstery, flat-bottom steering wheel, bright pedals, blacked-out grille, carbon fibre interior trim, active noise cancellation, LED lower daytime running lights, heavy-duty engine cooling, dual exhaust with black tips, and Performance Pages for navigation system. Removes air suspension, harman/kardon speaker system, and panoramic sunroof.
