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Full 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee Review
What's New for 2011
The 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee has been completely redesigned.
Introduction
Americans love comeback stories. The Yankees won four games straight in the 1996 World Series, for instance, and John Travolta revitalized his career by starring in "Pulp Fiction." So there would seem to be hope for the Jeep Grand Cherokee, a vehicle that's had a tough time recently but is set to make a pretty big comeback for 2011.
To start a comeback, it helps to be near the bottom. Conveniently, the previous Grand Cherokee had this covered. Though capable (as it's always been) off-road, the "JGC" was stuck with numerous drawbacks, including a cramped backseat, low-buck interior materials and poor gas mileage. In contrast, the new model is meant to be much more premium and now shares some of its parts with the similarly redesigned Mercedes-Benz ML-Class (Jeep was owned by DaimlerChrysler during the early development days of this vehicle).
This Grand Cherokee has been stretched out to open up more passenger room, mostly in the second row. It still seats five, but layout changes to the center stack and storage areas have brought about huge visual and functional improvements. The driver and front passenger areas are more sculpted and inviting, and the radio and climate controls are more easily seen and operated.
Under the hood, the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee gets an all-new 290-horsepower 3.6-liter V6 that's vastly more powerful and fuel-efficient than last year's woeful V6. A 360-hp V8 is still offered as an option. To make sure the vehicle keeps a firm grasp on its off-road credentials, Jeep has made an air suspension available (it can raise the JGC's ride height) and a drive-mode selector that tailors the powertrain and suspension for specific types of terrain. Also new is a fully independent rear suspension (a first for the vehicle) that improves ride quality.
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