The Jeep Grand Cherokee (first and second generation: 1993-2004)

2005-2009 Grand Cherokee | 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee

The Jeep Grand Cherokee made its debut with Bob Lutz behind the wheel, driving straight through a glass window into the Detroit Auto Show. Everything about the Grand Cherokee was new, including the factory, Jefferson North. Export models were made in Graz, Austria, and South America.

The first generation: 1993-1998 Jeep ZJ

Work on the Grand Cherokee started at AMC it was to be the next-generation Cherokee, but when it came out, planners believed there was room in the market for the new, similarly sized but upmarket version and the older, less expensive, more "workaday" Cherokee. Hence, the “Grand” Cherokee, coded ZJ. 

Making life easier for the marketers, the new version had a 4.5 inch longer wheelbase than the Cherokee, with eight inches more length, five inches more rear-seat hip room, three inches more front-seat shoulder room, 7.4 cubic feet more cargo space, and 4-inch wider rear doors. That helped to make it “grander.” 

With safety, comfort, and four wheel drive to get buyers through on-road snow, the Grand Cherokee was purchased by affluent buyers, competing with luxury vehicles for driveway space. According to engineering chief Francois J. Castaing, speaking in 1992, "the Grand Cherokee sets a new standard for on-road ride, handling, and comfort in a sport utility vehicle. It moves that standard closer to some of the best sports sedans on the market today. ... Grand Cherokee improves upon the traditional off-road Jeep virtues of toughness, durability, and go-anywhere utility.”

The Jeep Grand Cherokee had the industry’s first SUV airbag; standard four wheel antilock brakes; the only standard SUV rear wiper/washer; the most efficient air conditioner in its class, despite R134 regrigerant. Its unibody structure was stiffer and lighter than the body-on-frame construction used by most competitors, resulting in lower noise and better ride and handling, on- and off-road.

The Grand Cherokee had the most powerful engine in its class, a standard 4.0 liter straight-six with 190 horsepower (shared with Cherokee and Wrangler); unibody construction (first in the class); high torsional rigidity that allowed for a softer suspension; and the lowest weight of any vehicle in the class, despite having the most front and rear shoulder and hip room.

The QuadraCoil solid axle, coil spring, multilink front and rear suspension system was noted for slashing costs but providing greater durability, ride, handling, and off-road capability than competitors with more buzzword-compliant systems. Engineers noted that the vehicle’s inherent vibration frequency seemed to leave drivers feeling more refreshed than many "more refined" competitors.

Buyers had a choice of part time 4WD, full-time 4WD, and the new QuadraTrac AWD system with a center-mounted viscous coupling that, when needed, automatically locks the center differential for maximum torque transfer.

The 1993-98 Grand Cherokee came in Base (which later became SE), Laredo, Limited, and Grand Wagoneer form; even the base model had full instrumentation and cloth seats, while the Laredo added power windows and locks, cruise, body cladding, and aluminum wheels. The Limited had colored lower body classing, leather seats, and more options including a trip computer. The Grand Wagoneer name was brought back for a special 318-powered Grand Cherokee with false wood body cladding. The 318 was an optional engine for the Grand Cherokee all the way through to 1998; it was replaced by the 4.7 V8, which, according to suspension engineer Bob Sheaves, had strong AMC influences in its design.

In 1996, the model was refreshed with minor exterior changes, while the interior gained dual airbags and a better seat fabric. The 4.0 liter engine was retuned to provide more torque and less noise (moving down to 185 hp), notably using a special intake noise reduction system. The Limited gained numerous luxury features and more options. Also, some export models gained a new Aspen option package.

A five speed manual transmission was available in 1993 and 1994. This was followed by an Orvis Edition from 1995 to 1997, essentially a color package and trim package. In 1997 and 1998, a TSi (taken from Eagle’s naming scheme) edition showed up with minor cosmetic changes, 225/70R16 tires on alloy wheels, leather, and powerful stereo. The big guns were reserved for 1998, to sell Grand Cherokees when people knew a new version was imminent; the Chrysler 360 V8 engine was installed under the hood, and numerous options were added; the result was called the 5.9 Limited in the US, and Limited LX elsewhere. The 360 pumped out 245 horsepower and 345 poound-feet of torque for a 0-60 time of about 7 seconds, making it the world’s fastest SUV for 1998.

Chrysler was reported as earning $8,000 from 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee they sold.

The second generation Grand Cherokee: 1999-2004 Jeep WJ

The first Grand Cherokee was redesigned in 1999, for lower production cost and greater performance and reliability; it was Chrysler’s first use of an electronic bus to replace individual wires throughout the body.

From its new V-8, Chrysler's first in three decades, to its five-speed automatic transmission, this was a Jeep with market-leading technology.

The 1999 Grand Cherokee was officially introduced June 16. At the time of the 1999 model’s introduction, the 1998 Grand Cherokee was the second best selling SUV — the best selling SUV you'd actually want to take off road.

Developed in 28 months for $2.6 billion, the 1999 Grand Cherokee was all new, with only 127 carry-over parts (mostly fasteners). It looks similar to the 1998 model, but with sleeker, softer shapes. Chrysler moved the spare tire under the rear floorboard to create more storage space and increased front seat room without forcing drivers with flat tires to get under the car.

1999 Grand Cherokee drivetrain

A new, Jeep/Truck-inspired 4.7-liter V-8 had slightly more power, less weight, increased fuel efficiency, and lower emissions than the aging 318 (5.2). For markets outside the US, there is a 3.1-liter, five-cylinder turbo-diesel with more power and torque than the 2.5-liter Diesel.

4.0 liter six cylinder engine

The 4.0-liter AMC six-cylinder was refined but is still fairly noisy. Power output was 195 bhp/145 kW when meeting Tier 1 U.S. emission standards or the European Stage II emission standards, ten horsepower more than the 1998 engine. Even when complying with California's LEV (Low Emission Vehicle) standards, which reduced emissions about 30%, peak output gained five horsepower (3.75 kW) to 190 bhp (142 kW).

The engine had a cast iron block and head with two valves per cylinder. The bore of 3.88 inches (98.4 mm) and stroke of 3.41 inches (86.7 mm) give it a displacement of 3958 cm3 (242 cu in.). A new slitter-vane water pump is 50 percent more efficient than its predecessor, contributing two horsepower (1.5 kW) to the power gain.

A new elastomer-coated steel intake manifold gasket, a two-piece high silicon-molybdenum alloy cast-iron exhaust manifold and a new multi-layer steel exhaust gasket double the expected life over the previous components.

Separation of the exhaust manifold into two pieces reduces internal stress, contributing to the extended life. An automated belt tensioner and coil-on-plug ignition, which eliminates spark plug wires, improve the durability and serviceability of the engine.

The new intake and exhaust manifolds enhance the sound quality of the engine and produce a lower, "throaty" sound preferred by customers. Considerable fine-tuning, including a new laminated oil pan, make the engine 5dB quieter.

Jeep five-speed automatic transmission

An all-new, electronically-controlled transmission with five forward ratios including an alternate second gear ratio for improved performance for passing and better fuel economy is available with the V-8 only, and was designed specifically for Jeeps.

The transmission features unique characteristics such as a tall, 3.00:1 first gear that gives the driver better initial acceleration. Real-time driver adaptive shifting fine-tunes the shift pattern to the driver, while an alternate second gear ratio gives the driver five forward ratios. During acceleration, second gear has a ratio of 1.67. Depending on speed and throttle position, both this gear and an alternate 1.50 second gear ratio are available for kick-down operation, making the down-shift smoother. Its reverse gear ratio is equal to the first gear ratio, to allow for heavier loads.

Other features include three planetary gear sets that combine the widest range of gear ratios available in any transmission in its class. Combined with precise step selections, this brings smooth shifts and maximum power and optimal fuel economy.

The transmission is built at the Indiana Transmission Plant in Kokomo, Indiana, in an all-new 1.2-million square-foot (110,000 m2) facility.

Quadra-Trac II

A new four-wheel drive system, the Quadra-Trac II, incorporates a progressive, speed-sensing torque transfer differential. The system also marks the first industry use of Vari-Lok axles that have a progressive, speed-sensing torque transfer differential in both the front and rear axle. Without any driver involvement, the Quadra-Drive system keeps the vehicle moving even if only one wheel has minimal traction. Unlike other systems, Quadra-Drive works without straining, wearing or compromising the anti-lock braking system.

Quadra-Drive was standard with the V-8 and optional on the six-cylinder (except on Jeeps made in Austria, which had Quadra-Drive standard regardless).

The Quadra-Trac II transfer case normally sent most of the power and torque to the rear wheels. The moment a wheel lost traction, a gerotor pump applied hydraulic pressure to a multi-disc clutch pack, sending power to the front axle.

The gerotor pump used a rotor driven by the front drive shaft and the case by the rear drive shaft, creating a pressurized oil flow to the clutch pack in proportion to their speed variation. Clutch discs were alternately splined to the front and rear drive shafts. Because Quadra-Trac II could immediately pressurize the clutch pack, it had a faster response than a viscous coupling. (Quadra-Trac II’s low range had a 2.72:1 torque ratio and fully locked the center differential).

A similar pump was incorporated in the Vari-Lok differential; power transfer was therefore proportional to wheel speed difference rather than torque difference. By avoiding the need to pre-load the differential to assure torque transfer (so that normal use causes wear), the Vari-Lok could be virtually wear-free. Again, compared to systems using a viscous coupling (which also sense speed), Vari-Lok differentials responded more quickly and smoothly; and the pump response could be precisely tuned to driving conditions, enabling the use of this advanced system in the front axle as well as the rear.

New rear suspension, revised front suspension

The 1999 Grand Cherokee had a new three-link rear suspension with lower unsprung weight and a higher roll center, complemented by a revised front suspension and steering gear. The new tubular front and rear control arms were hydro-formed, making them five times stiffer than the previous design. Modified coil springs were used for all four wheels — now sixteen inches in diameter. Solid axles provided constant ground clearance, with constant camber that results in better traction both on-road and off-highway.

The new rear suspension let the vehicle corner flatter, while wider spacing of the tie-rod points helped smooth low-speed turns, with crisper turn-in response, better on-center steering feel, and reduced tire wear. Changing the track bar geometry resulted in less lateral motion, dramatically improving passenger comfort by reducing head movement on bad roads. Repositioning the steering linkage helped steering feel and response throughout all speed-ranges.

The new, integrated anti-lock braking system with electronic brake distribution (EBD) was lighter and less complex, quieter, with less pedal pulsation and fade, and improved front/rear balance. The anti-lock disc brakes on all four wheels had electronic brake distribution, dramatically improving brake stability; it had the largest brake rotors in its segment.

The suspension was designed to provide 8.3 inches (210 mm) of travel during articulation. While traversing bumps, the solid front and rear axles maintained their class-leading ground clearance of 9.3 inches (237 mm) and 8.3 inches (210 mm), respectively. An optional Up-Country suspension package, available on both Laredo and Limited, increased ground clearance by one inch (25 mm).

As with every Jeep vehicle, the 1999 Grand Cherokee was designed to cross standing water up to 19 inches (480 mm) deep. The Jeep met all FMVSS passenger-car requirements — not just those for light trucks.

2000 - 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee reviews | 2005 and later Grand Cherokee | 2011 Grand Cherokee

---

---