Grand tradition
2015 Grand Cherokee is confident, classic
With its world-class interior, timeless Jeep style and superior off-road capability, the 2015 Grand Cherokee is at the top of its game. Available in six trims with three engine choices — including a terrific EcoDiesel V-6 — the Grand Cherokee delivers confidently and purposefully in all driving conditions.
Jeep’s EcoDiesel V-6, our favorite of the three engine offerings, produces 240 horsepower and a whopping 420 pound-feet of torque. It’s capable of towing 7,400 pounds, meaning you can easily tow all your toys to the beach, mountains or other vacation destinations. But perhaps the thing we like best about the Grand Cherokee is that it will comfortably take five occupants 22 miles along city streets or up to 30 miles down the highway on a gallon of diesel.
Our tester featured the standard powerplant, a flex-fuel Pentastar 3.6-liter V-6 that produces 290 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque. The engine proved its mettle during our weeklong test, delivering spirited acceleration and smooth highway power. The gasoline-powered V-6 gets 17 mpg in the city and 25 mpg on the highway, with a highway range of more than 600 miles. Standard towing capacity is 6,200 pounds.
Jeep also offers a 5.7-liter V-8 that develops 360 horses and 390 pound-feet of torque. All three engines are mated to a smoothas-butter eight-speed automatic transmission from Chrysler.
The 2015 Grand Cherokee is available in these trims: Laredo, Limited, Altitude, Overland, Summit and the high-performance SRT, with each trim adding content and features. Prices range from $29,995 to $64,595.
Our tested Overland was about the middle of the range and had features like a stitched leather instrument panel and wood trim, heated and ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, dualzone air, a heated steering wheel with paddle shifters, Bi-Xenon HID headlamps, 20-inch aluminum wheels, a panoramic sunroof, a power liftgate and power folding mirrors. Connectivity in the Grand Cherokee is via Chrysler’s Uconnect, a user-friendly system with an 8.4-inch touchscreen display.
The “guts” of the Grand Cherokee — the equipment that makes it so capable where the pavement ends — includes three available 4x4 systems: Quadra-Trac I, Quadra-Trac II and Quadra-Drive II.
Our test Overland model also had Jeep’s Quadra-Lift and Selec-Terrain systems, which make the Grand Cherokee even more capable offroad. Quadra-Lift is an air suspension system that has five height settings. Selec-Terrain has automatic traction settings for sand, mud, snow or rock — or each can be set individually. The system coordinates up to 12 different powertrain, braking and suspension functions, including throttle and transmission shift points.
Finally, Jeep says the Grand Cherokee has more than 70 advanced safety and security features, the most in its class. They include a full complement of airbags, stability and traction control systems and fourwheel anti-lock brakes.
The Grand Cherokee scored five overall stars in the government’s safety tests. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has not yet tested the 2015 Grand Cherokee, but gave the 2014 model a Top Safety Pick award.