After they change an icon, you discover immediately. The picture that’s completely ingrained in your thoughts is altered, generally for the higher, generally for the more serious. Which is why corporations don’t change icons a lot. In the event that they do, it’s normally small issues or issues you may’t see underneath the pores and skin. “ALL NEW!” they shout, inflicting a twinge of panic in these of us that revere the icon, solely to breath a sigh of aid after we see the icon nonetheless appears to be like a lot because it did, a lot because it all the time has, a lot because it all the time will. When Jeep modified the Grand Cherokee, we sucked in our collective breath and hoped for the perfect.

Sure, it appears to be like a little bit completely different. The entrance grill is a bit more vertical and formal trying. The entire entrance finish appears to be like…cleaner. Smoother. The rear of the automotive has a detachable hardtop look. Frankly, we prefer it. There’s a touch of Land Rover styling language within the design, possible not accidentally. Jeep has all the time sought a little bit extra respect from its higher class clientele whereas retaining it’s muddy work boots on. Nothing mistaken with that. Better of each worlds. However what’s with the blue tow hooks? And the blue panel on the hood? What does that say? “4xe”. Hmmmm.

It’s an electrical.

Uh-oh.

I”m unsure about this. Jeep represents off-roading. HARDCORE off-roading to the nth diploma.

Electrical. Any person is messing with the icon.

Deep breathes. Let’s give it an opportunity. Fiat-Chrysler has stunned us earlier than.

Inside is a brand new inside. Not radically completely different however positively new. It appears to be like luxurious. And good. Each sorts of good. Well designed and filled with good electronics that may outprocess most house computer systems. Lengthy gone is the T-handle shifter. A rotary knob now instructs the 8-speed automated transmission what to do. An assortment of switches and buttons lets you customise the 4WD system to the terrain you’ll be tackling. That’s good. There’s a swaybar disconnect button to mechanically disconnect the bar for extra suspension journey when issues get furry on the paths. That’s reassuring. Experience-height adjustment lever. Good. To date it nonetheless appears fairly hardcore. The backseats are spacious and cozy, and there’s loads of space for storing in the best way again. Total, it’s a really comfy inside. Not fairly Grand Wagoneer good, however you’re not carrying the Grand Wagoneer’s funds both.

On the left facet of the steering wheel is one other collection of buttons. “Hybrid Mode – Electrical Mode – E-save Mode.” Ahhhh, okay. So it’s an electrical hybrid with the power to run as a full electrical or a full gasoline motor (E-save). That’s not so radical as we feared.

The gasoline motor is a 2.0L turbocharged four-cylinder that makes 375hp and 470 lb-ft of torque. Which is spectacular out of a 2.0L engine. I’ll lower to the chase and let you know that you just’re going to overlook the sound of the V8 however the rush and energy continues to be there. You simply have to regulate to a little bit whooshing and a little bit extra vibration. That’s doable.

In hybrid and electrical modes, the electrical motors quietly, seamlessly, and effortlessly do what they’re presupposed to do, though the gasoline motor doesn’t appear to cost the waterproof battery pack when it’s working, like many hybrids do. Perhaps I simply didn’t drive it sufficient – It received used as a commuter in my palms, nothing extra sadly. In actual fact, whereas we tried each mode, we largely left it in “Hybrid” and let the G-Cherokee do it’s factor.

And total we preferred it, although there have been a couple of issues we needed to get used to. For example, after we began it in hybrid mode, the electrics all got here to life with out the engine needing to fireplace. Regular sufficient. However then we started to listen to speeding liquid behind the sprint. It took us some time to appreciate that the Grand Cherokee should must warmth and flow into coolant with a purpose to present warmth to the inside as a substitute of utilizing electrical heaters. As soon as we figured that out, we weren’t as startled but it surely’s a sound that appears wildly misplaced in an electrical automobile of one thing on this value vary. The drivetrain switching from electrical drive to gasoline drive wasn’t the smoothest expertise both. The transition felt tough and a bit unsettling.

However perhaps we’re being too harsh, too nit-picky. What else have we pushed not too long ago on this value vary with this kind of drivetrain? Most not too long ago, we drove a Volvo XC-60 hybrid. It was in the identical value vary, with an identical hybrid drivetrain. The XC-60 felt way more refined all the best way round and in addition felt extra partaking to drive than the comparatively numb Grand Cherokee. In fact, that’s on paved roads. If I needed to traverse backcountry trails out West or cross Michigan’s higher peninsula through ORV trails, I’d really feel extra ready and in higher, extra succesful palms within the Jeep. I suppose it is dependent upon what your precedence is.

Whereas ours was a 2022 – we had been possible one of many final to expertise this fleet automotive – there aren’t many modifications between the 2022 and the 2023. The bottom value was $62,485. As examined, our automotive got here in at $71,790. It had a ton of choices on it, together with the “Superior ProTech Group II” which incorporates “evening imaginative and prescient.” It’s a thermal imaging kind and it does an important job of serving to you see within the inky blackness of evening. Deer, opossums, and other people all stand out in sensible distinction to the background. As do brake discs, tires, and exhaust pipes on vehicles. The digital camera is constructed into the entrance grille and the show is within the instrument cluster between the speedometer and the tachometer.

We preferred and had been happy with the Jeep Grand Cherokee total. We wished it had been a bit extra partaking to drive, but it surely’s extraordinarily succesful within the Sport and Utility fields. It may well go almost wherever and do almost something, together with tow enormous masses, when you sit in consolation and watch the miles get chewed up by way of the massive panorama windshield. It does what you ask, stylishly and fairly capably, with out asking for a lot in return. And that’s the essence of the Jeep Grand Cherokee.