The Night Eagle has landed

Special edition of iconic car brings luxury and versatility writes Steve Teale

There really are very few iconic motor cars: the original Land Rover, Mercedes-Benz S-Class, the original Mini and the modern MINI which spawned the concept of premium small cars.

But you should add to that list the Grand Cherokee, a Jeep which has managed to be both big in America and Europe – a feat which few cars truly achieve.

Now it must be said this car isn’t really built for the UK. It is much more at home on the wide, expansive American autoroutes rather than twisty narrow streets of the UK.

But this car is as much a fashion statement as it is a motor vehicle, so whether it suits our roads or not, it has a strong, loyal market. And rightly so, it’s a heck of a vehicle.

It is big and bold and it needs a stunning 3.0-litre engine but it also a very functional vehicle too. Deep snow? No problem. Mud? Bring it on. This has to be one of the most versatile cars on the road, for it handles towns and cities pretty nimbly, too.

In fact, Grand Cherokee has been named as one of the top ten best cars to own, according to a motoring magazine. And Jeep was honoured as the most improved brand, which seems to suggest it wasn’t always revered. None the less, Jeep can be proud of the prizes.

Jeep has improved its standing in recent years, mainly by creating more vehicles which people can afford and, just as importantly, will want to buy.

We now have the Wrangler, Compass, Renegade, Cherokee and Grand Cherokee. Grand Cherokee remains the flagship with 3.0-litre diesel and, would you believe it, a 6.4-litre petrol engine.

Unless you’re in America, the 6.4-litre is hardly an option but the 3.0-litre diesel is a terrific engine. It manages 60mph in 8.2 seconds and a top speed of 126mph while returning 35mpg around town and over 40mpg on a run, which isn’t bad for such a substantial and capable car.

Now, this is the Night Eagle version, which sounds like something from ’Allo, ’Allo. In reality it’s a highly-equipped version distinguished from the outside by bodytrim such as a gloss black grille and platinum mesh, plus special alloy wheels and badges.

Inside, it has black leather seats, suede trim and the interior accent plates are in gunmetal on the dashboard and doors.

The “blacked-out” theme that distinguishes the Night Eagle special series was launched in the past two years on Cherokee and Renegade, and is now coming to the Grand Cherokee and the Wrangler.

In short, this vehicle may seem expensive compared to some lesser SUVs but it is a lot cheaper than a Range Rover – and it has a similar wow factor.

Standard equipment is impressive. It has Bi-Xenon headlamps, Uconnect radio with navigation, 8.4-inch touchscreen and Uconnect Live services, 506-watt Alpine audio with nine speakers and subwoofer, rear-view camera and a powered tailgate.

The most surprising feature is how well it performs on the road. It feels refined and stable. You won’t be surprised to hear it performs even better in the rough stuff.