2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited 4x4 Navigation Leather Factory Warranty on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Jeep Grand Cherokee S is handsome dressed in all black

FCA loves to roll out limited- or special-edition variants of its vehicles. Just take a peek through all the different versions of the Ram 1500 and Jeep Wrangler that were available over the years. Generally, most of those models are tailored for the U.S. or completely U.S. exclusive, but that's not always the case. In Europe, there's an awesome looking new Grand Cherokee S. Too bad this murdered-out variant of Jeep' flagship isn't coming here. While many of us lament the popularity of black, silver and white paint colors, there's always something particularly charming about a completely blacked-out vehicle. Ditch all the chrome trim, paint the wheels and tint the lighting. The Grand Cherokee S (for Sport) has a new Low Gloss Granite Crystal color on its badging, grille surround, step pads, tail lamps and 20-inch wheels. The grille itself is painted a deep gloss black. Same goes for the trim around the windows and the exhaust tips. The interior follows the same general form. Most of the trim is done up in either anodized grey or black wood. The SRT seats are covered in black Nappa leather with black stitching. One rare bright spot is the shiny metal pedals. It's not all just looks with the Grand Cherokee S. The model comes standard with an 8.4-inch touchscreen infotainment system with the latest iteration of UConnect. That means both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto come at no additional running costs. Other features include a 7-inch configurable display in the instrument cluster, an Alpine audio system with a subwoofer and active noise cancellation, a panoramic sunroof, dual zone climate control, heated and ventilated front seats and heated rear seats. Additionally, the Grand Cherokee S gets a sport suspension and Jeep's Quadra-Drive II four-wheel-drive system. It adds a limited-slip differential, a five-mode (auto, snow, sand, mud and rock) selector for optimal traction on rough surfaces. Add on a number of active safety features, and the Jeep Grand Cherokee S gets just about everything available on Jeep's range-topper. Unfortunately the Grand Cherokee S doesn't have a direct equivalent in the U.S., but hey, we get the Trackhawk. We think the Europeans might draw the short straw on that one. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. News Source: Jeep Design/Style Jeep Crossover SUV Off-Road Vehicles

Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk set for New York debut

The head of Jeep confirmed Wednesday that the brand will reveal its high-powered Grand Cherokee Trackhawk in April at the New York Auto Show. "That is going to be quite a special vehicle," Jeep boss Mike Manley said. "Very difficult for one not to smile." Speaking at an event at FCA US headquarters in Auburn Hills, MI, to preview the 2017 Easter Jeep Safari vehicles for Moab, he didn't provide further details. The Trackhawk has been expected to bow in New York, and the confirmation comes after months of rumors and spy shots. What's under the hood? The blown 6.2-liter Hemi Hellcat from the Charger and Challenger is the overwhelmingly obvious choice. The V8 engine makes 707 horsepower in the Dodges. The most potent current Grand Cherokee, the SRT model, is rated at 475 hp. Jeep also already sells a Grand Cherokee Trailhawk for off-road adventures. Meanwhile, Manley reiterated the next-generation Wrangler will debut by the end of the year, as expected. The New York show is shaping up to be a blockbuster event for FCA US, which will also debut the Dodge Challenger SRT Demon on the eve of the show next month. Related Video:

7 months later, Jeep 'trailer hitch' recall still stalled

For the past few years, Chrysler and its CEO, Sergio Marchionne, have gone head-to-head with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and its boss, David Strickland, over the government safety agency's request for Chrysler to recall almost three-million Jeep vehicles due to what NHTSA says is a safety issue that has caused at least 51 deaths. After a three-year investigation and Chrysler's initial refusal to issue a recall because it deemed the vehicles safe and built to the day's federal requirements, last summer, the two parties compromised on a "voluntary campaign" to inspect 1.56 million vehicles, those being the 1992 to 1998 Grand Cherokee and 2002 to 2007 Liberty.
Those vehicles were designed with their gas tanks between the rear axle and the bumper, and NHTSA says that in rear-end collisions, damage to the fuel tank has caused fires responsible for those 51 deaths. The compromise reached last summer was that Chrysler would inspect 1.56 million vehicles and, "if necessary, provide an upgrade to the rear structure of the vehicle." Practically speaking, that meant Chrysler would replace aftermarket trailer hitches, but would take no action if a vehicle had a factory-installed hitch or an aftermarket hitch from Mopar.
A report in The Detroit News says the "voluntary campaign" is just now getting under way, with Chrysler saying last week that the design of the replacement part had been finalized and it was tooling up "to deliver the required volume." Seven months later, still in question is whether NHTSA will crash-test the fix engineered by Chrysler, noteworthy because not only did the vehicles in question pass every safety standard necessary to be cleared for sale at the time, there are still questions (to those of us on the outside) as to how the Jeeps at issue fare among their peers in such incidents. Either way, Chrysler and NHTSA apparently still disagree on the efficacy of the remedy itself: the carmaker says it might help in low-speed crashes but not high-speed collisions, a position the NHTSA is at odds with. All of this means the campaign doesn't yet have an end in sight.