23Daily Record, July 4, 2008ROAD RECORDDriven byFactfileModel:
Jeep
Grand Cherokee
Overland
Engine:
Three-litre V6 CRD
P
ower:
215bhp
F
uel economy:
27.7mpg
CO2emissions:
270g/km
0-60mph:
Nine seconds
W
arranty:
Three
years/60,000
miles
Price:
16335,700
On sale:
NowLUXUR
Y
was at the top of
Jeep8217s list when they
decided to r
evise their
Grand Cherokee earlier
this year.P
r
eviously
,
this model was cr
iticised
for its lo
w
quality mater
ials. Not now.
Completely new instrument clusters
have helped to make the dashboard
neater and more eye-catching, while a
new floor console comes with much
improved cupholders.
N
icely
-cr
afted leather and suede
seats ease the way for long distance
comfort in a cabin which provides
plenty of leg, head and shoulder r
oom
in all parts.
D
r
iv
er comfor
t
has also been
improved with plenty of movement
in seat height and steering wheel
adjustment.
However, despite Jeep8217s efforts to
impr
o
v
e
the inter
ior
,
if I8217
m
honest,
there are still examples of hard,
unyielding plastics and wood-effect
tr
im which may not suit ev
eryone.
Outwardly, the model is still the
butch,
muscular car
for all seasons
,
while a
r
ewor
ked fr
ont
fascia and grille
surround is
flanked b
y
a
new headlight
design.
I
tested the
Overland trim
model, which
boasts a long
list of spec 8211
dual zone air
conditioning, rear seat air condition-
ing, cruise control, electric windows,
powered folding and heated door
mirr
ors
,
electric seat adjustment, front
fogs, headlamp washer, heated front
and second r
o
w
seats
,
I
nfotainment
system with sat nav and Bluetooth
U-Connect hands-free
communication.
Safety features include the Sentry
K
ey anti-theft engine immobiliser
system, six airbags, tyre pressure
monitor
ing display
,
fr
ont and r
ear
par
king assist, while additional dr
iver
safety aids include ABS br
aking,
E
lectr
onic S
tability P
r
ogr
a
mme
,
four-wheel traction control and Hill
S
tart Assist, as well as switchable Hill
Descent Control.
In terms of space, there are plenty of
cubbyholes and the stowage space in
the boot is well set up.
A
reversible load floor panel is
carpeted on the up-side while offering
easy-to-clean plastic on the reverse,
which also adds a large storage tray.
The boot offers a gener
ous 978 litr
es
and this rises to 1909 litres with the
r
ear seats folded.
P
o
w
er
ed b
y
a
M
er
cedes-B
enz-
sourced three-litre V6 diesel engine,
the Ov
erland pr
o
v
es a wor
thy r
oad
companion.
P
air
ed with a smooth-shifting
fiv
e-speed autobo
x, it pr
o
vides a pr
etty
po
w
er
ful per
for
mance
.
D
espite a po
w
er output a little on
the lo
w
side of 215bhp at 3500rpm, this
V6 CRD does dev
elop some pr
etty
substantial po
w
er fr
om 1600rpm,
sufficient to deliv
er the 0-62mph dash
in ar
ound nine seconds
.
D
espite its siz
e
,
the G
rand Cherokee
is much mor
e
capable on the Tarmac
than its predecessor, delivering some
decent stability when tackling cor
ners
,
while handling motor
way o
vertaking
with relative ease.
Although the combination of an
adv
anced four-wheel-drive system
that kicks in when conditions at tyre
lev
el demand, automatic gearbox and
a
pr
etty heavy G
rand Cherokee may
not appear to be exactly a r
ecipe for
economy in the current fuel price
climate Jeep claim a quite surprising
27.7mpg over the combined driving
cycle.
Although the oppor
tunity did
not ar
ise to sample this G
rand
Cherokee8217s off-roading qualities,
the SUV8217s torque characteristics are
such that they should prove very
capable tackling the really serious
off-roading stuff.
F
ollowing a predecessor which
was always capably footsure for
wor
k
in top or bottom field, Jeep
have made further progress here
with a refreshed Grand Cherokee
which certainly looks and feels the
business.COULD HAVE
DONE BETTER?
Luxury touches,
including leather
and suede seats,
have improved
the cabin but
there are still
hints of cheap
hard plastic to
be
foundGrand8217
s
best autoMALCOLM ROBERTSHAW
reports on the myriad of
improvements made
to the muscular
Grand CherokeeNNEEWWSSmotoringKIA are looking to heat
u
p their sales this
s
ummer with two new
C
hill models.The first is the Picanto
C
hill, from 1636995, which
comes with air conditioning,
remote central locking, full
iPod compatibility and a
choice of funky colours.
And the four-seat Picanto
emits just 118g/km of
c
arbon dioxide.
T
he Rio Chill, starting at
1637995, comes with a choice
o
f 1.4-litre petrol or 1.5-litre
C
RDi engines.
Emitting just 119g/km, the
1
.5 CRDi model comes with
a
ir conditioning, central
locking and front electric
windows, as well as a
spoiler and 14in alloys.
Kia8217s cee8217d family is also
growing, with the ZR-7
pro_cee8217d being offered for
the first time with a 1.4-litre
petrol from just 16311,995.
T
he entry
-level model has
16in alloys, air conditioning,
metal interior finish, black
bezel headlights, remote
central locking and one
year8217s free insurance.
The cee8217d SR-7 will come
with a 1.4 or 1.6-litre engine,
and prices start from
16310,995.We8217ve hundreds of
Jeep
Grand Cherokees
and over
100,000
new
& used cars for sale onlinefor more information email
sales@scotwheels.co.ukThinking of buying a new car? Simply log on to scotwheels.co.uk,
input your requirements and we8217ll search around
200 scottish dealers in seconds to find your dream deal.
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