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Saudi Woman Faces Charges For Driving During Emergency
Residents of the United States likely take their driving privileges for granted. Not so in Saudi... Read More
Saudi Woman Faces Charges For Driving During Emergency
Residents of the United States likely take their driving privileges for granted. Not so in Saudi... Read More
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Jeep's Grand Cherokee has often been chosen as family car, spending more time ferrying kids to school than bashing rocks in Moab. Nevertheless, when Jeep redesigned the Grand Cherokee for 2011, it made sure to include all the 4x4 goodies, even if most folks will only use it when Ma Nature decides to drop a bunch of white stuff on the roads.
Before we delve into the details, first, some back story. In April 2009, Chrysler showed off the next Jeep Grand Cherokee at the New York Auto Show. One month later, the company slid into bankruptcy, later emerging in an alliance with Italian automaker Fiat. Now, a little more than a year later, the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee becomes the first car that Chrysler launches post-bankruptcy, never mind that the fact that development began long before.
So yeah, there's pressure on the folks at Jeep to get this one right. And for the most part, they did. Read on for details.
Let's start with the powertrains. Chrysler finally launches its new Pentastar (aka Phoenix) V-6 in the new Jeep, and in this case, the engine is a 3.6-liter V-6 that makes 290 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque. Those who want more power can opt for a 5.7-liter V-8 with cylinder-deactivation that makes 360 horsepower and 390 lb-ft of torque. Both pair with a 5-speed automatic transmission. By the way, the V-6 is flex-fuel capable and has variable-valve timing.
Both engines are available with either two- or four-wheel drive. Opt for four-wheel drive, and you can choose from one of three systems: Quadra-Trac I (single-speed transfer case), Quadra-Trac II (two-speed transfer case with torque distribution), and Quadra-Drive II (electronic limited slip differential). All of these systems are full-time. There is also an air suspension system that can adjust the ride height, lowering for ingress and egress while parking, and raising it for off-roading. By the way, outdoorsy types, the maximum ground clearance is 10.7 inches.
