BMW X5 2013 review
Small changes make a big difference to the top-selling prestige SUV in the country.
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When grouped together, there are certain letters in the alphabet that conjure up images of motoring excitement and out-of-the-ordinary performance and handling. Various companies Ford, Holden and Subaru use FPV, HSV and STI respectively for super-tweaked versions of some of their models.
Not to be outdone, Chrysler Jeep uses three letters and a number – SRT8 – for its stove-hot offerings. SRT stands for Street and Racing Technology and the latest model to hit our shores under this banner is the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8.
Jeep’s new $76,000 Grand Cherokee SRT8 has sports-car-like performance, a generous standard-kit inventory and all the practicality of a big family SUV.
The new Jeep comes standard with an impressive array of goodies and some of the standout features include great-looking 20-inch alloy wheels shod with P295/45ZR20 Pirelli Scorpion Verde run-flat tyres and superb Brembo brakes. HID headlights and rain-sensing wipers make like safer and simpler.
While the Benz ML 63AMG and BMW’s X5 M might seem the new Jeep’s obvious competitors – given that you can buy two SRT8s and have a heap of change for the price of each of the German offerings. But image is everything in the car business and the big Germans are in a league of their own in that regard.
Basically it’s a Dodge Challenger (which doesn’t come here) in SUV clothing with a Jeep badge and the beefy brute comes armed with a 6.4-litre hemi V8 boasting 344 kW of power at 6250 rpm a hefty 624 Nm of torque that is on tap all the way from 2800 rpm to 6000 rpm.
The result is a 0 to 100 km/h sprint time of five seconds and while people who fork out a $76,000 cheque for the big 2.3-tonne Jeep probably won’t be too concerned, the SUV’s claimed combined fuel-consumption figure is 14.1 litres/100km. That said, it is a 13 per cent improvement on its predecessor.
This has been achieved despite the bigger-capacity engine churning out 10 per cent more power and 10 per cent more torque than the old model. To help in the fuel-consumption department, the big Jeep SRT8 has a cylinder-deactivation system that shuts down four cylinders when relaxed driving is the order of the day.
The glorious-sounding Hemi V8 is mated with a five-speed automatic transmission and steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters add to the fun. While the transmission does a perfectly adequate job, it is not one of the SRT8’s finest features.
One excellent feature is Jeep’s so-called Selec-Trac system that, via a big console-mounted button, allows the driver to choose from five dynamic modes – auto, sport, tow, track and snow. Trailer-sway control is there for the person who wants to use the Grand Cherokee for towing.
Inside you will find adaptive cruise control, Nappa leather and suede seats, satellite navigation, a powered fully adjustable steering column and keyless entry and “go”. Also on the standard-kit menu is a great-to-hold multifunction, leather-wrapped steering wheel, Bilstein adaptive damping, fair-dinkum carbon-fibre interior highlights, a powered tailgate and polished-alloy pedals.
In the electronic driver aid and safety departments the hot 4WD Jeep boasts ABS brakes, brake-assist and override, active head restraints, roll mitigation, forward collision warning, a rear-vision camera, a limited-slip differential, stability and traction control, a full suite of airbags including one for the driver’s knees, blind-spot monitoring and an enhanced accident-response system.
During an extensive media-launch drive program that included time at Victoria’s Anglesea proving ground, the big Jeep Grand Cherokee proved itself to be a dynamic, great-handling, great-sounding performance car with stopping power as impressive as just about any car I’ve driven.
Vehicle | Specs | Price* | |
---|---|---|---|
Laredo (4x4) | 3.6L, PULP, 5 SP AUTO | $14,520 – 19,140 | 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee 2012 Laredo (4x4) Pricing and Specs |
Limited (4x4) | 5.7L, PULP, 5 SP AUTO | $18,590 – 23,540 | 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee 2012 Limited (4x4) Pricing and Specs |
Limited 70th Anniversary (4x4) | 5.7L, PULP, 5 SP AUTO | $13,640 – 17,930 | 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee 2012 Limited 70th Anniversary (4x4) Pricing and Specs |
Jet | 3.6L, PULP, 5 SP AUTO | $16,170 – 20,680 | 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee 2012 Jet Pricing and Specs |
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