Motoring

The No Excuses SUV

March 14, 2012 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines - Mention the brand “Jeep” and all sorts of visuals pop up in our consciousness. Cherokees blazing a trail in a woodland forest, Wranglers bouncing around on sand dunes, David Hasselhoff jumping off one at speed to save a drowning surfer... cue “I’ll be there” from Baywatch and you’ve got the stereotypical Jeep lifestyle.

Or, at least, that’s how I thought having a Jeep must be like. And then a lengthy drive with one of the brand’s brightest stars enlightened me on how much more capable and empowering a proper, no-nonsense SUV must be. Occupying the top rung in the Grand Cherokee ladder is the “Overland Edition”. Electronic, multi-mode four-wheel drive, adjustable air suspension, and a 5.7-liter, 352 HP V8 among some other bits and pieces are what make it even more special than the already impressive V6 Limited variant.

Driving the Overkill, err, Overland on crowded city streets is a bit like that “bull in a china shop” feeling. There’s so much power you’ll never need that all one has to do to get moving is a very slight nudge on the accelerator. Shift quality and responsiveness from the 5-speed automatic is so silky and quick that even the most incompetent chauffeur will look like a pro. Naturally, fuel efficiency drops to a sinful 4 km/liter.

Then everything gets better once the road opens up. One can argue ad hominem that the 286 HP V6 is the more practical deal, but really, when you’ve got the fuel to burn and a hankering for some speed there’s nothing like the snarl of a proper V8 at full throttle. Coupled with surprisingly communicative and sharp steering, brakes that are easily modulated, and a reasonably taut suspension, the Overland feels like a smaller vehicle when driven aggressively; not like an overweight and underpowered land barge. Driven sedately on the highway, fuel efficiency goes up to a friendlier 8-9 km/l.

Credit must also be given to the overall stiffness of the chassis. The Grand Cherokee foregoes the traditional ladder-frame chassis for a monocoque, and the payoff is in increased rigidity for better handling. Skeptics can rest assured that despite the new philosophy the Grand Cherokee can still handle the rough-and-tumble stuff like the Rubicon… the only thing holding you back would be your willingness to scratch its lovely flanks.

Having that much performance to spare also means you can load the truck to the roof with all sorts of goodies and performance will barely suffer. The Overland’s standard modcons include a premium entertainment system with a rear DVD display, keyless engine Start/Stop, and leather. Not just leather seats, mind you, but leather on the dashboard, armrests, and anywhere else you’re likely to make regular contact with the interior of the truck. As is the trend among high-end vehicles there’s a 6.5-inch touch screen display on the center console for the entertainment and navigation system, but it’s mercifully easy to use and doesn’t require copious hours reading the owner’s manual.

I particularly like how handsome and no-nonsense the cockpit is. The steering wheel has a nice, fat rim with wood at the 2’ to 11’ o clock section and leather at the 3’ to 10’ o clock. Clearly marked buttons on the spokes indicate which are for the phone, cruise control, and stereo, and the analog gauges for the instrument panel are complemented by a small multi-mode LCD screen for the onboard computer. Navigating the various functions takes only a few minutes to master, then after that it’s on to the business of driving. Finding a comfortable driving position is easy with the power-adjustable driver’s seat, and the seats themselves are padded in all the right places for all day comfort and support.

I drove this Jeep for four days and couldn’t get enough of it. Leg-room and head-room are generous even for rear seat passengers, and converting the Jeep for hauling duty takes only a few moments to fold down the seats. The 2nd and 3rd row seatbacks fold flat to create a space that’s almost minivan-like, and the cargo area has nice little details like auxiliary power outlets, cubbyholes for small items, and a power liftgate.

For the off-road inclined, the Grand Cherokee’s four-wheel drive system is one of the most capable extant with modes for driving on tarmac, snow, sand, mud, and low gear rock crawling. A Hill Descent feature lets you practically cede all control of the drivetrain to the computer so you can safely go down steep embankments. For wowing friends, clearing boulders, or just making your own parking spot where there used to be none, there is the Quadra-Lift Air Suspension. Simply pressing some buttons on the dash can raise the vehicle to a maximum 270 millimeters of ground clearance, or lower it to 104.2 millimeters so your mother-in-law needn’t have to jump down from the backseat.

More goodies come in the form of bi-xenon headlamps, reverse camera, heated seats, 20-inch wheels and tires, front, side and curtain airbags, ABS, and racy dual tailpipes. And, yes, the thing looks very handsome in the flesh, beefy and cut without an inch of flab.

Granted this Jeep isn’t for everyone, but its “take no prisoners” approach to performance, safety, luxury, and utility is for the person who wants to have just about everything in a big, brassy SUV.