The Grand Cherokee features a 3.0 litre V6 diesel engine that develops 240 bhp and 570 Nm of torque. It is not a high revving motor but is still refined. NVH levels are good and diesel clatter is muted if you standing outside next to the car. Power delivery is more on the linear side and the engine has good mid-range punch. These characteristics make it an awesome highway cruiser. The engine also has a nice rumble note as you accelerate through the gears. The ZF eight speed automatic gearbox has smooth shifts but has a slight lag during kick down. It doesn’t have the confused feel though. The gearbox also has a Sport mode. Once selected, the circular ring over the speedometer turns red for a few seconds and a chequered flag appears on the instrument cluster. Even in Sport mode, I could only rev the engine till 4000 rpm on an open stretch of road. Gears can also be shifted manually via the paddle shifters.
The Grand Cherokee feels at home in city driving as well despite its size. The ORVMs are large but the thick A pillar does play spoilt sport with visibility at times. There is also a slight jerk from the transmission when you start off in first gear in bumper to bumper situations. The Grand Cherokee comes with Selec Terrain Off-road management system that comes with the following modes: Snow, Sand, Auto, Mud and Rock. It also features a proper 4wd low range. Infact, the Rock mode can be activated only once you select the low range setting. While we did not get a chance to go off-roading, we have no doubt that the Grand Cherokee is a very capable off-roader knowing where it comes from.
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