New Jeep Grand Cherokee given driving, interior and tech updates

Jeep has announced a host of changes to the Grand Cherokee as well as two new special editions to celebrate 75 years of Jeep that we first saw at the Geneva Motor Show in March.

The new updated Jeep Grand Cherokee features an interior revamp, more refined driving experience and new technology. On the inside a new centre console and gear lever have been implemented to give the cabin a more organised arrangement. The addition of acoustic glass means the Jeep Grand Cherokee will be a quieter vehicle for long distance cruises, helping to improve refinement. On the outside the main changes come in the form of three new colours; Velvet Red, Redline and Ivory Tri-coat.

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Meanwhile, Jeep has implemented a lot of new technology as the Grand Cherokee continues to evolve in the UK market. Electric power steering has now replaced the traditional hydraulic power steering which saves weight, making the Grand Cherokee more enjoyable and less expensive to drive.

Safety has also been a big focal point of this wave of technology add-ons as a new ‘Stop’ function on the rear parking assist means that at speeds up to 7mph, the Grand Cherokee will attempt to halt itself if the driver is likely to hit an obstacle. A full speed collision warning system has also become available as an option, further enhancing safety by stopping the vehicle if the driver does not react to objects in front of it at speeds of below 20mph.

The mechanics of the Grand Cherokee have not changed. The proven 3.0 V6 is still available and Jeep is continuing to offer its 8-speed automatic gearbox. These combine with the reduced weight of the vehicle to improve the fuel efficiency (now a claimed 40.4mpg for diesel models) and the CO2 rating as it now produces 184g/km - a 14g/km reduction on the old Grand Cherokee.

Prices are set to stay the same as the current Grand Cherokee with the 3.0 CRD Limited+ base model starting at £45,050. The 3.0 CRD Summit model will still set you back at least £52,550.

Jeep has also announced that these changes to the standard Grand Cherokee will also come on two special editions; one called the 75th Anniversary Edition and the other called the SRT Night Edition.

Jeep Grand Cherokee 75th Anniversary Edition from £50,550

The 75th Anniversary Edition is designed to pay tribute to the original Jeep models that began the company back in 1941. Based on the standard new Jeep Grand Cherokee, the 75th Anniversary Edition will utilise the same 3.0 V6 engine, eight speed automatic gearbox and unique Jeep four-wheel-drive system. The unique changes for this edition are visual.

On the outside, the Jeep Grand Cherokee 75th Anniversary Edition has bronze detailing and ‘75th Anniversary’ badges, new 20-inch bronze coloured alloy wheels and LED fog lamps. Four colours will be available: Recon Green, Bright White, Brilliant Black and Granite. Internally, the 75th Anniversary Edition will have a new 75th Anniversary seat design featuring the Jeep logo from 1941 and those seats will be finished in black leather with tangerine stitching.

Other additions are a dual pane panoramic sunroof, air suspension and the ‘Safety Technology Pack’, which includes all the safety-based optional extras that Jeep offers, including adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning system with crash mitigation, cross path detection and blind spot monitoring. 125 examples of the 75th Anniversary Edition will be available in the UK for £50,550.

Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT Night from £69,865

The other special edition Jeep Grand Cherokee to be released soon is called the SRT Night. 30 examples of this more unique SRT Grand Cherokee will be coming to the UK and it is set to be the fastest and most powerful Jeep ever made.

The 6.4 litre V8 used for the standard SRT Grand Cherokee has been slightly uprated to produce 468bhp (7bhp more than normal) and the same 624Nm of torque. Jeep says that with the standard launch control system it will go from 0-62mph in under 5 seconds and on to a top speed of 160mph.

The SRT Night Edition will be fitted with Brembo brakes as standard, which will be hidden behind new 20-inch wheels finished in satin black. It will be available in either Brilliant White or Brilliant Black and the external trim and badges will be painted matte black.

Inside, the black theme continues with black Laguna leather seats accented by black stitching. Black leather armrests will be added to the doors and the centre of the steering wheel has an illuminated ‘SRT’ badge.

Costing £69,865, this special edition of the new Jeep Grand Cherokee will cost £3,000 more than the standard SRT Grand Cherokee. The first of the 30 models to be brought to the UK is ready to be sold this month.

Do you like the look of the new Jeep Grand Cherokee special editions? Let us know in the comments section below...