Car Reviews > Jeep > Grand Cherokee SRT8 > Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 Car Review

Facts At A Glance
Prices: £59,000 (estimated)
Engine: 6.4-litre V8 petrol
Gearbox: 5-speed automatic, 4-wheel drive
Power/torque: 470 bhp/ 630 Nm
0-62 mph: 4.8 seconds
Top Speed: 158 miles per hour
Economy: 16.8 miles per gallon
Emissions: 300g per kilometre (estimated)
Equipment: Leather upholstery, panoramic sunroof, air conditioning, heated steering wheel, heated front and rear seats, reversing camera
On Sale: Early 2012

The monster HEMI V8 engine gives the SUV all the punch of a supercar.

The brand new SRT8 is by far the most powerful and the fastest Jeep Grand Cherokee that has ever been made. With a 6.4-litre HEMI V8 engine capable of a bhp rating of as much as 470, the new flagship performance SUV has been given more muscle than it ever had before, even in the former 6.1-litre model, which itself carried a not exactly unimpressive bhp rating of 414.

The new model provides other remarkable figures as well, with the 0-62 miles per hour time being as little as just 4.8 seconds. The top speed of 158 miles per hour proves to likewise be a very impressive figure.

The good news is that the design of the vehicle makes the new Jeep Grand Cherokee look every bit as impressive as those figures would suggest as well, with enormous exhausts, a deep front chin spoiler, and large 20-inch 5-spoke alloy wheels that manage to hide bright red Brembo brake callipers.

When it actually goes on the move, the new model quickly demonstrates that it is certainly no shrinking violet with the roar of the V8 engine proving to be both loud and very addictive. Perhaps a little bit more of a genuine surprise is the fact that the SRT8 is also able to handle very well indeed, and manages to provide plenty of grip while also feeling extremely secure at the same time. Admittedly, it could probably do with a little more feel in the steering and the automatic gearbox would also benefit from another ratio or two, and yet even with the extremely large tyres the ride still manages to succeed in being pretty comfortable for the most part.

The quality of the interior of the vehicle, while perhaps unfortunately still a little bit behind that of the interiors found in both Porsche and BMW vehicles, is nonetheless still better than the Jeep Grand Cherokee range has ever featured before, and also comes fully stocked with a very wide range of equipment such as the likes of an electronically opening tailgate, carbon-look trim, panoramic sunroof and leather Alcantara seats.

The SRT8 will inevitably have a somewhat limited audience, not least thanks to the price tag, but as long as paying the big bills does not bother you, it certainly has plenty of appeal. Certainly, the new Jeep Grand Cherokee maintains all the attractions inherent in an American muscle car, while the added appeal that it now comes in the body of a flexible and very practical SUV. As stated before, it is certainly not cheap to run and nor will it appeal to the more shy and retiring motorist, but it is nonetheless very fast and also handles superbly well. It is also absolutely packed with equipment, almost all of it coming as standard, and while sales will be small especially in comparison to both its sister vehicle and to such rival cars as the Porsche Cayenne and the Range Rover Sport, there is little doubt that the SRT8 will put a big smile on the faces of many.

by Autoweb