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2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee

[ Friday, April 30th, 2010 | by automotiveroom | under CAR, Jeep, New Cars ]

Ordering for the 2011 Grand Cherokee has begun, with production set for May 2010. An extended version, dubbed the Dodge Durango (possibly Dodge Magnum), is planned. The Grand Cherokee will debut with a standard Pentastar V6 on all models; the 290 horsepower V6 engine is said to be smoother than competitors from Toyota, Honda, and GM, and has variable cam timing to allow for good gas mileage. The Hemi will remain optional on all but the base model.

The independent front and rear suspension have isolated cradles. Variable-rate rear springs improve on-road handling and comfort, and the spare tire is stored inside as opposed to underneath. Torsional rigidity has been increased 146%.

Quadra-Lift

jeep2011 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee

The Quadra-Lift air suspension system has five height settings, two for off-road use (raising 1.3 and 2.6 inches above normal, to a maximum 11.1 inches of ground clearance), “aero” (lowering .5 inches for aerodynamics at speed), and entry/exit, which lowers the car by 1.5 inches. Quadra-Lift operates four-corner air springs automatically, or via console controls; the Aero control is automatic and speed-controlled.

Selec-Terrain

The Selec-Terrain™ traction control coordinates up to 12 powertrain, braking, and suspension systems, including throttle control, shifting, the transfer case, and stability control. It is included with the Off-Road Group and Hemi, and is standard on Limited and Overland, provided either Quadra-Drive or Quadra-Trac II is specified. The driver can choose between:

Two off-road groups are available; group I includes Selec-Terrain, a four wheel drive transfer case with low range, tow hooks, and skid plates. Group II includes those features and adds QuadraLift. Off road groups are not available with 20 inch wheels; 18 inch wheels are substituted.

2011 engines

The base engine is a new 3.6-liter V-6 engine pumping out 290 horsepower and 260 lb.-ft. of torque (353 N•m) @ 4,800 rpm; 90% of peak torque is available from 1,600 to 6,400, so it’s not a “peaky” or “paper horsepower” engine. The new Jeep Grand Cherokee V6 is not only more powerful – by 80 horses – but gas mileage is 11% higher.

The V6 Grand Cherokee has more horsepower than Toyota Highlander, Honda Pilot, and GMC Acadia, with more torque than Highlander or Pilot, and similar gas mileage to all three competitors (within 1 mpg) according to Chrysler Canada’s materials. Towing is rated at 5,000 lb with the V6, similar to or more than the Toyota Highlander, Honda Pilot, and GMC Acadia; but goes up to 7,200 lb with the Hemi V8 (equipped properly).

The Pentastar V6 is attached to the Mercedes W5A580 five-speed automatic, with Chrysler’s controls and the driver-interactive control. The gas tank has been increased to 24.6 gallons, which allows for a range of around 500 miles.