2011 Jeep Grand Cherokees are at dealers. The standard engine is the Pentastar V6 on all models; the 290 horsepower V6 engine is said to be smoother than competitors from Toyota, Honda, and GM, and has variable cam timing to allow for good gas mileage. The Hemi will remain optional across the board, and may be pushed by Chrysler while V6 production ramps up.
An extended-wheelbase version (around half a foot longer in wheelbase), dubbed the Dodge Magnum, is known to be on its way.
The independent front and rear suspension have isolated cradles. Variable-rate rear springs improve on-road handling and comfort, and the spare tire is stored inside as opposed to underneath. Torsional rigidity has been increased 146%.
The 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo, with a new, upscale interior, advanced four wheel drive system, 290-horsepower Pentastar V6, five-speed automatic, numerous standard features, and towing capability, will start with a U.S. list price of $32,995 including destination.
Give up the four wheel drive, and the price drops by $2,000 on the Lardeo, $2,500 on the Limited, and $3,500 on the Overland. Add a V8, and towing goes from 5,000 to 7,400 lb (when properly equipped).
Dealer invoices are close to the list prices (excluding holdbacks), so there’s not much negotiating room. A Grand Cherokee Laredo, the well equipped base model, is listed at $32,995 with no options; the dealer cost is $31,402, with a $966 dealer holdback. The Friends & Family Program drops that down to $31,088. The 4x4 runs $32,995 list — $31,402 invoice.
The Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited 4x4 is listed at $39,600; the dealer invoice price is $37,402. The Hemi V8 engine adds $1,495 list, $1,331 invoice; aluminum painted wheels run to $1,095 (list), the hard drive/navigation system stereo adds $750; and the trailer towing package adds $695. Dealer invoice for options varies quite a bit, with a hefty profit on some options but a narrow profit on most.
Dealers tend to have high fixed costs, including loans to buy vehicles for the lot, insurance, real estate taxes, commissions, and salaries; most can’t survive by selling at invoice, despite the holdback.
As of May 25, 2010, V6 engine block glitches are keeping production low, but standards are being kept high, with low production preferred to pushing poor quality engines out the door. Production seems to be up to 300 per day and scrap is nearly half of what it was.
We were told that the same teething issues happened with past engines, including the sturdy 3.3 V6, and that they will be worked out in time. While the kinks in block production are being worked out, more people are being put onto block production, while final assembly remains on a single shift.
The new V6 increases highway gas mileage to 23 mpg highway (US; 22 mpg with 4x4) — over 500 miles per tank — though city mileage fell 1 mpg. The interior provides over four inches of increased rear-seat knee and leg room, and 17 percent more cargo volume (as released first on allpar.com). Numerous safety features are standard, and options include Blind-spot/Rear Cross-path detection and Adaptive Cruise Control with Forward Collision Warning, along with FloTV, satellite TV, and Internet router.
The Laredo includes keyless entry, stability control with anti-roll, hill start assist, trailer sway control, side curtain airbags for both rows, active head restraints, power driver's seat, fog lamps, leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls, satellite radio, and 17-inch aluminum wheels; the 360 horsepower Hemi V8 will be optional. That model starts at $32,995.
The Limited adds Quadra-Trac II® with Selec-Terrain (if you get the 4x4), front and second-row heated leather seats, memory settings, High Intensity Discharge auto-leveling headlamps, CommandView dual-pane panoramic sun roof, rear back-up camera, rear park assist, premium audio, automatic temperature control, 18-inch aluminum wheels, Garmin® navigation, rain-sensitive wipers, and bright door handles. The price for Limited is $39,995 including destination.
The ultimate Grand Cherokee, the Overland model, adds a premium interior with Nappa leather-trimmed and heated seats, vented front seats, wood/leather-wrapped heated steering wheel with memory, power tilt/telescope steering column, wood bezels, leather-stitched instrument panel/doors/center console armrest, power liftgate, and 20-inch aluminum wheels. That model starts at $42,995 including destination.
The Quadra-Lift air suspension system (for 4x4 only) has five height settings, two for off-road use (raising 1.3 and 2.6 inches above normal, to a maximum 11.1 inches of ground clearance), “aero” (lowering .5 inches for aerodynamics at speed), and entry/exit, which lowers the car by 1.5 inches. Quadra-Lift operates four-corner air springs automatically, or via console controls; the Aero control is automatic and speed-controlled.
The Selec-Terrain™ traction control coordinates up to 12 powertrain, braking, and suspension systems, including throttle control, shifting, the transfer case, and stability control. It is included with the Off-Road Group and Hemi, and is standard on Limited and Overland, provided either Quadra-Drive or Quadra-Trac II is specified. The driver can choose between:
The approach, departure, and breakover angles are all improved over the 2009 Grand Cherokee, along with maximum ground clearance (with the air suspension). These angles are superior to those of the 2010 Equinox, Highlander, Pilot, and 4Runner (except ground clearance without Quadra-Lift).
| 2011 Grand Cherokee* | 2009 Grand Cherokee | 2008 Liberty* | Wrangler Rubicon | Toyota, Honda, GM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Approach Angle | 35.9 | 32.3 | 39.1 | 44.3 | see |
| Departure Angle | 29.2 | 27.5 | 32.1 | 40.4 | the |
| Breakover Angle | 25.1 | 20.4 | 20.4 | 25.5 | comparisons |
| Ground Clearance | 8.1 - 10.7 | 8.5 | 9.4 | 10 | page |
| MPG (4WD V6) | 16/22 | 17/21 | 18/22 | 17/19 |
2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee with Quadra-Lift and air dam removed. Liberty figures are with the air dam removed.
Two off-road groups are available; group I includes Selec-Terrain, a four wheel drive transfer case with low range, tow hooks, and skid plates. Group II includes those features and adds QuadraLift. Off road groups are not available with 20 inch wheels; 18 inch wheels are substituted.
Quadra Trac I has full-time four-wheel drive without controls. This light-weight single-speed case is proven and efficient.
Quadra Trac II has a two-speed transfer case and uses Throttle Anticipate to sense quick movement in the throttle from a stop and maximizes traction before slippage occurs. When tire slippage is detected, all available torque can be routed to the axle with the most traction.
Quadra Drive II has a rear (and rumored front in the future) Electronic Limited-Slip Differential which detects tire slip and sends torque to tires with traction. As with Quadra Tac II, in some cases, the Jeep will anticipate low traction and proactively limit or eliminate slip.
All 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokees equipped with either the off-road or the Quadra-Lift group are Trail Rated® which means it passed off-road conditions in traction, ground clearance, maneuverability, articulation, and water crossing.
The interiors have better craftsmanship, with soft-touch, premium materials and genuine wood trim; all models have bright chrome accents. The Keyless Go system, optional on some models and standard on others, unlocks and locks the doors without a fob. The CommandView sunroof has fixed glass panels above both rows of seating, with an express power shade to cover it.
Compared with the outgoing Grand Cherokee, the 2011 Jeep has 4 inches more rear seat leg room, with 12° of recline, a standard center folding armrest and rear seat vent controls, and 17% more cargo capacity... with the spare tire now mounted inside.
The base engine is a new 3.6-liter V-6 engine pumping out 290 horsepower and 260 lb.-ft. of torque (353 N•m) @ 4,800 rpm; 90% of peak torque is available from 1,600 to 6,400, so it's not a “peaky” or “paper horsepower” engine. The new Jeep Grand Cherokee V6 is not only more powerful - by 80 horses - but gas mileage is 11% higher.
The V6 Grand Cherokee has more horsepower than Toyota Highlander, Honda Pilot, and GMC Acadia, with more torque than Highlander or Pilot, and similar gas mileage to all three competitors (within 1 mpg) according to Chrysler Canada's materials. Towing is rated at 5,000 lb with the V6, similar to or more than the Toyota Highlander, Honda Pilot, and GMC Acadia; but goes up to 7,200 lb with the Hemi V8 (equipped properly).
The Pentastar V6 is attached to the Mercedes W5A580 five-speed automatic, with Chrysler’s controls and the driver-interactive control. The gas tank has been increased to 24.6 gallons, which allows for a range of around 500 miles.
| Jeep V6 (CA lit) |
Jeep V8 (2009 info) |
Jeep V6 Diesel (Unconfirmed) |
Pilot | TrailBlazer | 4Runner | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Horsepower | 290 | 360 | 247 | 250 | ||||
| Torque | 260 | 390 | 369 | 253 | ||||
| 2WD mpg | 16/23 | 14/20 | 17/23 | 14/20 | 16/21 | |||
| Canada: L/100km | 13.1 / 9.1 | 16.3 / 10.5 | similar | |||||
| AWD mpg | 16/22 | 13/19 | 16/22 | 14/20 | 16/20 | |||
| (Competitors: 2010 figures. CA lit is from info sent to Canadian dealers.) | ||||||||
The Hemi V8 uses cylinder deactivation to increase mileage, and is (we believe) coupled to the reliable, smooth Chrysler-designed 545RFE five-speed automatic transmission, which has a sixth forward speed for highway kickdown.
Outside the US, the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee will, as in the past, be sold in left- and right-hand drive with either diesel or petrol engines. The diesel engine was to be the Mercedes 3.0, but “Stratus” told us that was yanked in September 2009. Instead, the Grand Cherokee will (he said) use VM Motori’s brand new RA 630 DOHC engine, another 3.0 liter V6, with four valves per cylinder and common rail fuel injection; power output is estimated at 247 hp (184 kW) with torque of 369 lb-ft (500 Nm). We'd expect the transmission to stay the same.
Hill-Start and Hill-Descent modes help drivers to get started on a hill without rolling back, and to descend steep hills.
The base model, the Laredo E, is a well equipped machine with standard passive entry/keyless go, new double dash construction with acoustic side glass, electronic stability (with hill start, roll mitigation, and trailer sway control), side curtain airbags in front and rear, front side airbags, front active head restraints, power driver seat, 17 inch aluminum wheels, fog lamps, power-adjusted heated mirrors, trip computer (with feature personalization), LED interior lights, and dual zone temperature control. Overall, the base model is as fully loaded as some top line models; but it is the only model that cannot be ordered with the Hemi.
The Laredo X brings leather trim, heated front seats, power front passenger seat, 18 inch wheels, hard-drive based stereo with hands free phone system, 506-watt, 9-speaker Alpine stereo, remote starter, Park-Sense (rear distance detection), and alarm.
The Limited adds a dual-pane panoramic sunroof, Quadra-Trac II, dual-zone automatic temperature control, heated first and secondrow seats, ventliated front seats, power liftgate, heated and tilt/telescope steering wheel, memory settings (for seat, mirrors, and radio), 18” shiny wheels, HID headlamps with SmartBeam, rear backup camera, and rain sensitive wipers.
Finally, the Overland model (shown below) adds a unique interior, real wood/leather wrapped heated steering wheel, premium navigation system with voice recognition, and new 20” aluminum painted wheels.
Options include the Hemi with bright dual exhaust, Class IV trailer tow group, Quadra-Drive II (Hemi only, July availability), and Quadra-Lift (July).
Cargo capacity has increased 17% over the last model, with 36.3 cubic feet of space.
The exterior is nice; the sculpting is dramatic yet smooth. Ralph Gilles told me they are almost at the tear point of the metal and the sculpting could not be made deeper without other design compromises (he also noted that the platform was co-developed with Mercedes). The power liftgate is a new design, seemingly hidden within the rod covering.
The interior is comfortable with just about all surfaces “soft touch” and good wood trim abounds. The control stack aluminum-look plastic is the only part that doesn't seem top notch, but it is still good quality. Interior panel gaps are tight and controls felt good. The sunroof is huge. The dash and seats and instruments are well laid out and ergonomic. The two tone interior on display (Brown/Charcoal) has a nice contrast and color and the leather is very soft. Some of the dash seems to be leather and has stitching similar to the Ram. Back seat room is better than current Grand Cherokee and far better than the Commander.
The 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee’s ruggedness is achieved with more than 5,400 welds in the body alone. Torsional stiffness is 146% more than the current Grand Cherokee and is stiffer than the BMW X5 and Toyota Highlander for improved durability and reduced noise, vibration, and harshness. With more than 3,700 mm of arc welding and 100 m of structural adhesive to augment welding, this marks a 53% increase in spot welds, a 42% increase in arc welds, and a 38% increase in structural adhesive.
The new interior now features rich materials and elegant appointments, as well as more room for both passengers and cargo. An optional CommandView® dual-pane sun roof provides twice as much glass surface than a standard sun roof and extends from the windshield to the rear of the vehicle. The front panel may be opened rearward, providing additional light and fresh air to first-row passengers. The rear panel, which is fixed, allows light and open viewing for second-row passengers and comes standard with a power sun shade.
The vehicle’s 114.8-inch wheelbase is 5.3 inches longer, but overall length is just 1.8 inches longer; coupled with three inches more width, the the size changes should improve cornering as well as interior space. Larger front door openings (1.9 inches wider; 2 inches higher) and rear doors that open 78° (vs. the old model’s 67 degrees) provide better access to the interior.
Inside, premium seating includes room for five passengers. An available fold-flat front-passenger seat provides improved cargo storage room (Laredo models). Rear seats recline 12° and move forward 12° for 24° of variation.
The cargo bay behind the rear seats has 6.8 more cubic feet of room (36.3 cubic feet total), and includes a storage unit with a rechargeable flashlight and new grocery hooks on both sides. The spare tire compartment includes removable dual storage bins for secure storage of muddy gear or other items. A new power rear liftgate is available.
Engineers will conduct approximately 7.5 million customer-equivalent miles for durability and reliability testing of the all-new 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee. Testing and validation in various climates include road trips to a variety of locations including Yucca, Arizona, Baudette, Minn. and Morgantown, West Virginia. A full battery of lab testing includes full-frame fatigue testing and a road-test simulator. The 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee has gone through more than 244 hours of wind noise and aerodynamic evaluations.
More than 3.3 million customer-equivalent miles were recorded on Pentastar engine dynamometers prior to production. Severity testing was increased 50% versus previous Chrysler V-6 engines — which have had strong durability — to accommodate high-load applications including trailer-towing.
The reduction of noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) was a key objective for every component during the design phase of the engine and was achieved by utilizing an advanced computer-aided engineering technique.
The use of a Quality Assurance Fixture (QAF) assures a high level of compliance at the start of production. The QAF allows engineers to look at the interior of the vehicle on a “simulated perfect body” which is a milled aluminum shell where all attachment points are matched exactly to CATIA modeling earlier in the program. This allows changes and design improvements earlier in the manufacturing process.
The company also employs techniques of Design for Six Sigma (DFSS), which is folding in "voice of the customer" data along with lessons learned to ensure that every vehicle is of the highest quality. The 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee is the first new vehicle to have more than 100 DFSS projects.
Every surface of the all-new Jeep Grand Cherokee is new and has been treated for aerodynamics, improving drag by 7% and resulting in a cD of 0.37, down from 0.404. (This might be improved by the time production starts.)
The removable lower front fascia delivers improved fuel economy, on-road performance and off-road capability. The lower front fascia features a large chromed appliqué (Limited and Overland models) that showcases available tow hooks.
Black appliqués on B-pillars give the day-light opening (DLO) an aerodynamic, modern appearance and a sleek profile. Optional chromed mirrors and door handles add to the profile and complement the full-chromed DLO surround on all models.
Taillamps wrap from the rear quarter panel to the back of the vehicle and create a solid form which achieves more of an upscale appearance. The treatment complements the front-end design and resonates with the rest of the exterior.
Seventeen-inch wheels are standard, with optional 18-inch and new-to-Jeep 20-inch wheels for 2011.
Jeep Grand Cherokee models equipped with a HEMI V-8 engine have 3.5-inch dual chromed exhaust tips, and those with the V-6 engine have a 3-inch single exhaust.
Standard safety features include Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Electronic Roll Mitigation (ERM), four-wheel Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) with rough-road detection, four-wheel Brake Traction Control System (BTCS), Passive Entry/Keyless Go, Remote keyless entry, express up/down windows for driver and front-seat passenger, seat-belt pretensioners, Trailer-Sway Control and Remote-Start which is standard on Overland and available on Limited. The Brake Assist System recognizes emergency situations (by seeing how quickly the driver hits the pedal) and increases brake pressure; it's based on research that shows that in many accidents drivers had panic-stopped without fulling activating the brake.
Other standard safety features include standard full-length side-curtain air bags which extend protection to front and rear outboard passengers, seat-mounted side thorax air bags that enhance protection for the driver and front passenger, and active head restraints which deploy (move forward and up) in the event of a rear collision. The body structure is all new and designed to achieve expected safety performance in global markets (new roof-crush standards, side-impact standards and Euro pedestrian impact).
The 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee was to feature uconnect Guardian as a standard feature on all models (services provided by Hughes Telematics), but we are not sure if it will still be available. uconnect guardian would provide customers with:
The 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee will be built at the 2.7-million-square-foot Jefferson North Assembly Plant (JNAP) in Detroit, which has been the site of Grand Cherokee production since its introduction in 1992. Jefferson North Assembly is undergoing a 285,000-square-foot expansion to replace the existing body shop; changes throughout paint and assembly operations will give the facility a new level of manufacturing flexibility for multiple product capability.
In general, the rumors printed at Allpar were dead-on. The Pentastar V6 engine reports got the horsepower exactly right.
Ryan wrote in 2009, “Jeep will be moving the Grand Cherokee to the North Jefferson plant, along with the Durango. Both vehicles will be quite different than what they are now. The Aspen will be kicked because for some reason, people still like Escalades better.” He predicted the Pentastar V6, put the new Hemi at 380 hp, and suggested an SRT8. He was close though the Hemi was downrated for the Grand Cherokee.
Redriderbob wrote in 2009, “I broke the word to you guys and gals at Allpar.com that the next generation of the Grand Cherokee would grow in size to cover both the Commander and Grand Cherokee lineups. I also stated that the next Grand Cherokee, Aspen, and Durango would all share a common platform. That is still true. Dodge will replace the Durango in 2012, one model year after the introduction of the new Grand Cherokee. The 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee and 2012 Dodge Durango will share powertrains as well as chassis parts. The Chrysler Aspen's future is still undecided.”
A new source noted that three engines will be available, with a possible SRT8 model also getting its own engine:
The new source wrote that each of these engines will get a five-speed automatic transmission; the Hemi got the reliable, comfortable 545RFE. Phoenix engines and diesels will get the usual Mercedes automatic.
Some more interesting features and options are slated to include:
The usual range of other options should be present (e.g. dual zone air conditioning, skid plates, trailer towing, extra-good audio system).
Jeep will move back to the original Grand Cherokee styling cues (this was partly correct). Aerodynamic considerations have a much higher influence than before. We’re hoping the headlight treatment will disappear — replaced either by the current “big round headlights” or by the original rectangles.
Redriderbob wrote, “It will draw heavy influence from the 2007 Jeep Trailhawk Concept [it does]. ... Front grille styling, as well as side profile styling cues will be very similar. The vehicle will carry more chunky and edgy fenders. It will look more like a Range Rover Sport with Jeep DNA on steroids!”
Ryan wrote, “The Grand Cherokee will bring in some Commander qualities and design cues (interior wise) and expect something beautiful to compete with the luxury bound Range Rover.”
Since the new Grand Cherokee is due in late 2010, you might see an introduction at the next New York Auto Show in 2009... or you might not. [This happened]
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