Celebrating 75 years in Grand Cherokee style
It’s easy to have a soft spot for Jeeps.
They have such impressive history, you see. They go right back to the darkest days of World War 2 when the United States military invited car manufacturers to develop a newgeneration light reconnaissance vehicle.
Three companies responded to the invitation and created their own prototypes of such a vehicle. One such company was WillysOverland, and after thorough testing of its prototype, in 1941 the military appointed it as its primary manufacturer.
The short and stubby little vehicle with its rectangularshaped body and fold-down windscreen quickly became known as the Jeep - probably from the letters GP as in General Purpose - and thanks to its exploits during the remainder of the war, it soon began to enjoy legendary status.
In the late 1940s Willys took advantage of the Jeep’s military popularity and developed a civilian CJ - as in Civilian Jeep model, and this vehicle marked the beginning of today’s successful recreational 4WD genre.
Of course these days the Jeep brand is a lot more than one vehicle. The CJ has evolved into the Wrangler, and other models have been created by the brand’s owners, including at present the Renegade, Cherokee and Grand Cherokee that we can buy in New Zealand.
But all these models do owe their existence - and in a number of respects their design - to that original military Jeep. And that’s why it’s appropriate that the brand owner Fiat Chrysler Automobiles has this year celebrated all of that by producing a trio of 75th Anniversary special edition versions of the Wrangler, Cherokee and Grand Cherokee.
The Jeep is a large SUV, offering very good interior space.
We’ve just finished driving the largest of them, the Grand Cherokee, and since we are talking about heritage, its an interesting vehicle in itself.
Its origins date back 34 years when the Jeep brand’s then owner American Motors Corporation (AMC) began designing a successor to the smaller XJ Cherokee that had been so successful it lays claim to being the world’s first modern-day SUV.
It took until 1992 before the first-generation model was released, because in the intervening years AMC had been taken over by Chrysler, and that company’s CEO Lee Iacocca was more interested in first developing a new range of people-movers. But then it was the turn of the Grand Cherokee, and it quickly proved so popular it has since become the most popular Jeep model.
We’re now into the fourth generation of the Grand Cherokee, and it’s a beauty. Like all the previous generations it features a unibody chassis rather than a heavier-duty body-on-frame setup, but this time around it also has four-wheel independent suspension so it can offer ride and handling that is more competitive against other large SUVs that are now on the world markets.
This $84,990 Grand Cherokee 75th Anniversary is based on the Limited model in the standard range, and it boasts a series of extra bits and pieces that signify that this is a special edition. It has different 20-inch alloys, a different finish around the headlights and grille, some extra black exterior detailing, and the interior has leather heated seats.
On the outside there’s also one more visual clue to the fact this is an anniversary edition - there’s a little bronze-look plate on the front doors that features a stylised Willys Jeep and the numbers 1941.
Under the bonnet is Chrysler’s well-known 3.6-litre Pentastar V6 petrol engine, which produces 210 kilowatts of power and 347 newton metres of torque. The engine is mated to an eight-speed transmission that replaced a former five-speeder when the model was facelifted a couple of years ago, and they combine well to offer a refined drive.
I do like the interior of the Grand Cherokee. It feels big and comfortable and with seats large enough to accommodate big American people, and there’s a big 8.4-inch centre touch-screen that is used to operate the Uconnect infotainment system that includes satellite navigation.
I suppose it could be said that this generation Jeep Grand Cherokee is getting on a bit now, and should be due for full replacement - maybe as early as next year. But the fourthgeneration model remains an enjoyable drive.