ROUGH AND TUMBLE

IT’S A BIG DEAL

This Jeep Grand Cherokee L is the first of a new generation of large cars from the American manufacturer and the first seven-seater to wear the Grand Cherokee badge.

It looks smart, with a butch and broad appearance fitting its place at the top of the range.

As with all of Jeep’s best efforts, it is a proper off-roader. The Grand Cherokee L has lowrange four-wheel drive, a clever assortment of drive modes suited to different environments and active air suspension that can raise or lower the car to suit its territory.

We put it to the test and were pleasantly surprised by its raw capability.

THERE ARE LOADS OF GOODIES

The big Jeep is available with luxury equipment including 16-way electrically adjustable massage seats trimmed in quilted leather, plus multi-colour ambient lighting, a 19-speaker Mcintosh stereo, head-up display and much more.

There’s a customisable digital display in front of the driver, while the 10.1-inch central touchscreen has sat nav, wireless smartphone mirroring and a 360-degree camera.

Other luxuries include a powered tailgate, four-zone climate control and a dual-pane panoramic sunroof.

THE PRICE TAG IS IN PRESTIGE TERRITORY

The Grand Cherokee L starts at $89,900 driveaway for the entry-level Night Eagle model, climbing to almost $125,000 drive-away for the Summit Reserve.

That’s serious coin. You could get hold of a Mercedes-benz GLE or Land Rover Defender for similar money.

On the plus side, servicing is cheaper than before at $1995 for five years and Jeep’s fiveyear, 100,000 kilometre warranty includes cheaper parts and lifetime roadside assistance for folks who get servicing done through official dealerships.

THERE’S A FOCUS ON THE FAMILY

This a huge car, with a sliding back seat that offers access to a surprisingly spacious third row. Clever tumbling seats return an enormous 2395 litres of cargo space if you fold them flat.

A longer wheelbase and bigger doors improve passenger access and air vents and USB ports in every row add to its practical appeal.

Passengers can connect a second phone to the Bluetooth system to broadcast tunes from the back seat and a clever infrared “Famcam” mounted in the roof allows parents to keep an eye on kids, even in the dark.

Jeep’s Grand Cherokee has added some pizzazz but lost none of its off-road ability DAVID MCCOWEN

BUT IT FALLS SHORT IN A KEY AREA

The big flaw in the latest Jeep is a carry-over petrol engine.

The 3.6-litre V6 uses a claimed 10.6L/100km of petrol to make 210kw and 344Nm, but that’s a best-case scenario – you’ll use more in the real world.

Thirsty, noisy and not that grunty, the petrol V6 won’t win over customers used to the thrifty diesel power or sledgehammer “Hemi” V8 punch of the previous-generation Grand Cherokee.

The good news is that a plug-in hybrid version is on the way to reduce fuel bills but you shouldn’t hold your breath waiting for a followup to the supercharged, V8-powered “Trackhawk”.