70 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 8 APRIL 2 020
utocar called the Grand
Cherokee 6.1 SRT-8 the
performance 4x4 bargain
of t he y e a r w he n it w a s
launched in 2006. For £41,000,
buyers were served a 6.1-litre V8
producing 420bhp and 420lb ft, going
t o a l l fou r w he e l s t o g i v e 0 - 62 mph
i n 5 .0 s e c. T h at k i nd of p e r for m a nc e
earned it a place at the table occupied
by Porsche, BMW and Mercedes, for a
f r a c t ion of w h at t he y c o s t.
And it wasn’t just about straight-
l i ne s p e e d. Bi l s t e i n d a mp e r s , a nt i-r ol l
bars as thick as your wrist, stiffened
suspension and massive 20in
Goodyear Eagle tyres meant it
could go around corners without
sending your Big Mac f lying.
To d a y, 10 y e a r s a f t e r pr o du c t ion
ceased, prices for used SRT-8s start
at around £12,500 for a 2007-reg
w it h 82 , 0 0 0 m i le s a nd a f u l l s e r v ic e
history. The model was the glitter-ball
of the 2005-11 Grand Cherokee line-
up – the third-generation Chezza,
known in Jeep circles as the WK.
It w a sn’t t he on l y V8 i n t he r a n ge ,though. There was a 5.7-litre Hemi
pushrod with cylinder deactivation
for improved economy and even a
4.7. We d id n’t f i nd t he sm a l le r one i n
the classifieds, but we did find 5.7s
starting at £5000 and rising to £8000
for the best examples converted to
LPG. The 5.7 makes a decent 325bhp,
but it’s the way it pulls smoothly
and powerfully from low revs to
its redline that impresses most.
Those are the petrols but, for
U K bu y e r s l i v i n g i n t he r e a l w orld ,
the only WK Grand Cherokee that
mattered was the 3.0 CRD diesel.
The V6 engine, supplied by Mercedes,
produces just 215bhp but a handy
376lb ft. A good one should be
smooth, quiet and effortless. Prices
go from as low as £1500 but expect
to pay from £5750 for a genuinely
de c e nt one. R e ga rd le s s of t he e n g i ne ,
all Grand Cherokees are automatic.The Mk3 Grand Cherokee was a
big step forward from its predecessor.
Independent front suspension with
a five-link rear set-up improved
composure and the new rack-and-
pinion system boosted steering
accuracy. It still rolled a lot on its
soft springs, though.
Independent front suspension
meant there was less wheel
articulation off road than before, but
Je e p ba l a nc e d t h at out i n pa r t w it h
the fitment of the excellent Quadra-
Drive II system that locks the front
and rear differentials in extremis.
T he i nt e r ior i s f i l le d w it h h a rd ,
scratchy plastics and topped by a
craggy dashboard that looks like
Mount Rushmore. Back-seat space
is limited. Most are five-seaters but
there was the seven-seat Commander.
That’s rare, but we found a 2006 3.0
CRD with 80,000 miles for £5995.Most Grand Cherokees were
b ou g ht i n L i m it e d t r i m w it h p ow e r e d
seats and dual-zone climate control.
Overland added an uprated sound
system and sat-nav. The model was
f a c e l i f t e d i n 2 0 08 (i nt e r ior t w e a k s ,
fully adjustable steering wheel).
The WK may have its f laws, but its
engines are strong, its body resists
rust and it’s good value for money.
But in range-topping 6.1-litre V8 guise, the 0-62mph-in-5.0sec third-generation
Jeep Grand Cherokee is at home on track as it is off road. John Evans reports
DIRTY DEEDS DONE DIRT CHEAP
HOW TO BUY A
JEEP GRAND
CHEROKEE
A
Removable
front chin spoiler
By popping a few catches,
the lower chin spoiler can
be removed to improve
off-road approach angles.