Jeep Grand Cherokee 2013 News

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has announced its latest round of safety recall notices, with models from Nissan, Jeep, Ford, Mazda, Infiniti and Citroen affected.

Manufacturers including BMW, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA), Peugeot and Citroen have issued recalls via the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).

The New York motor show in April will see the announcement of which vehicle has won the 2014 World COTY, and there looks to be a tough -- and very varied -- field of finalists.Last year's winner was the Volkswagen Golf, which also took awards in pretty well every country on the globe. But this year it could be anything from the little electric BMW i3 to the offroading Jeep Cherokee and even the Citroen C4 peoplemover, judging by the shortlist.A panel of 69 motoring experts from around the world -- including Carsguide's Paul Gover and National Motoring Editor Joshua Dowling -- will choose the winner from: Audi A3, BMW 4 Series, BMW i3, Cadillac CTS, Citroen C4 Picasso, Ford Fusion/Mondeo, Infiniti Q50, Jeep Cherokee, Lexus IS, Mazda3, Peugeot 308 and Skoda Octavia.The 10 finalists for the 2014 World Luxury Car are the Bentley Flying Spur, BMW X5, Cadillac ELR, Cadillac Escalade, Maserati Ghibli, Maserati Quattroporte, Mercedes-Benz S-Class, Porsche Macan, Range Rover Sport and Rolls-Royce Wraith.Due to a tie, there are 11 finalists for the 2014 World Performance Car: Alfa Romeo 4C, Audi RS 6 Avant, BMW M6 Gran Coupe, Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, Ferrari 458 Speciale, Ford Fiesta ST, Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 Roadster, Mercedes-Benz A/CLA45 AMG, Porsche 911 GT3, Porsche 911 Turbo and Volkswagen Golf GTI.A separate panel of five 'green' experts will choose the 2014 World Green Car from Audi A3 Sportback e-tron (+ Audi e-gas), BMW i3, Honda Accord Hybrid, Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV and Volkswagen XL1.Similarly, a panel of five design experts will decide on the 2014 World Car Design of the Year, from among: BMW i3, Cadillac CTS, Citroen C4 Picasso, Mazda3, Lexus IS, Mercedes-Benz C-Class and Volkswagen XL1.This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott 

Jeep parent Chrysler Group has implemented a safety recall on the 2013-2014 Grand Cherokee to fix problems related to the software systems that control the anti-skid brakes, stability control and instrument warning lights.The recall is on 7831 units of the Grand Cherokee – part of a global recall that includes 132,000 vehicles in the US, and will upgrade software that controls the systems.The vehicle maker's engineers discovered  a problem with Grand Cherokee's anti-lock braking system module that affects the instrument cluster display and can also affect the braking and stability control systems.Jeep says there have been no incidents or accidents related to the problem, and the recall was sparked when the company's quality-control workers saw random warning-light illumination and instrument-cluster blackout.The recall notice says that both events 'occurred infrequently and appeared to resolve themselves by turning the vehicle's ignition off and then on' but that the upgrade would be rolled out for safety and compliance reasons.Chrysler Group Australia is contacting owners of affected vehicles, who may also get in touch with their nearest Jeep dealer. 

The Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk costs $68,000, representing an $18,000 premium over the base-spec Laredo turbodiesel model or a $2000 discount on the range-topping Overland fitted with similar interior spec and the same 177kW/550Nm V6. But with just 160 vehicles the big Grand Cherokee Trailhawk SUV isn’t likely to last long. The Trailhawk is kitted out with the Quadra Drive II four-wheel drive system matched to air suspension, full underbody protection, Mopar rock rails, 18-inch all-terrain rubber and a massive Trailhawk decal on the bonnet showing the world this is a serious off-roader. Jeep spokeswoman Karla Leach says the special edition reflects customer interest in genuine add-ons. “We know that many of our customers like to accessorise their vehicles, to both enhance their off-road experience and to personalise their car,” she says. “The Grand Cherokee Trailhawk delivers an impressive list of popular 4WD enhancements – as well as some distinctive exterior additions, so it will be popular with not only those who like to get off the bitumen, but also drivers that like to really stand out from the crowd.” The Trailhawk will be sold in any colour you like, as long as it is “Striking Bright White”. Black headlamp surrounds, grey grille and side mirror caps and, red tow hooks and Trailhawk badging identify the car as the most serious off-roader in the already capable Grand Cherokee line-up. Insider, there are leather and suede heated seats emblazoned with the Trailhawk insignia, a satellite navigation system and reversing camera  on the seven-inch screen, power tailgate, a heated steering wheel, and Mopar slush mats. The vehicle was first shown this time last year in Michigan as a concept at the Moab Jeep Safari and the response earned it a production run.  

A customisable instrument display and heavily revised interior mark the mid-life facelift for the Jeep Grand Cherokee. Jeep’s flagship SUV adopts a more upmarket look inside and out, with smaller headlamps styled along the lines of the Chrysler 300, classier interior materials and a Euro-style eight-speed automatic that improves fuel economy and performance.Steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters join the standard equipment, along with dual-zone climate control, adaptive cruise control and lane departure warning.The instrument gauges are displayed on a 7-inch colour “vehicle information screen” that drivers can customise to show everything from digital speed to fuel economy, stored messages, exterior temperature, average and current fuel economy and compass bearing.The centre stack has been revised with new switchgear and the 8.4-inch infotainment touchscreen now uses the third generation of Jeep’s UConnect software, providing voice control of the phone, sound system and satnav functions. Functions can be upgraded using the internet connection, giving owners access to the latest software developments from the Chrysler group.A new top-spec Summit model will also be launched complete with 19-speaker Harman Kardon audio system and suede roof lining when the revised cars go on sale later this year.  Owners will also be given more scope to personalise their vehicles with more colours and interior trim options.The performance SRT8 versions now stand out from the line-up with blacked out finishes in place of the regular chrome. The ZF transmission has a launch mode and the infotainment system will display a range of performance statistics, from the transmission oil temperature to cornering G forces.

Demand for a top-spec Jeep Grand Cherokee that is petrol powered but doesn't have the thirst of the 5.7-litre V8 has pushed Jeep to launch a V6 version of the Overland. The Grand Cherokee large SUV has been the success story for Jeep this year, with almost 5000 sales. Of those, around 1800 have been the base model Laredo, compared to 1600 Limited sales and 1000 Overland buyers. The $65,000 V6 Overland comes loaded with a 16.5-inch touchscreen with satnav, air suspension, a rear-view camera, air suspension, panoramic sunroof and wood trim around the leather interior. More importantly, it uses just 11L/100km on 91RON or E85 petrol, against 14L/100km with 95RON fuel on the same model V8. It is also $4500 cheaper than the eight-cylinder. The spec and build quality the vehicle sits on the same platform as the last-gen Mercedes-Benz ML, courtesy of a brief and ill-fated tie-up between the two carmakers makes it a crossover-contentender in the mainstream and prestige SUV segments. Fiat Chrysler Australia managing director Clyde Campbell says customers dictated the introduction of the Pentastar engine to the top-spec version. The V6 was already sold in base Laredo and mid-range Limited trim. "At $65,000, it brings all the appointments expected on prestige vehicles well within the reach of a much larger audience," he notes. Fiat Chrysler Australia spokeswoman Lenore Fletcher expects the introduction of the V6 Overland to push buyers up the scale. "I reckon there will be a lot of people step up from the Limited," she says. The value in this vehicle is just too good to ignore." The 3.6-litre Pentastar V6 engine pumps out 210kW/347Nm through a five-speed auto and five-mode four-wheel drive system. It has a towing capacity of more than 2.2 tonnes. As testament to the selling power of the Pentastar engine, Jeep last month launched a limited-edition of 600 V6-powered Jet variants that sit just above the base model Laredo. The vehicles run black alloy rims, tinted glass, chrome and black exterior highlights and a reversing camera. At $46,500 it costs $1500 more than the Laredo and Jeep expects them to last two to three months.