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2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee Priced From $30,995

 
9 8,099 views May 13, 2010
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2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee

HI-RES GALLERY: 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee

Chrysler and exciting are two words not often found in logical proximity to each other. But for those with a taste for the offroad and a modern look, the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee may deserve the conjunction. Especially since it's less expensive than the 2010 model.

We'll have to wait and see what the final production vehicles look and drive like to deliver our assessment, but Jeep looks to be on the right track, starting the 2011 Grand Cherokee out at $30,995, a decrease of $495 from last year's model, while delivering a much fresher design and new Selec-Terrain offroad and Quadra-Lift air suspension systems. Four more inches of rear leg room make the SUV a more palatable choice for transporting four adults, as well, while the new 3.6-liter V-6 engine manages 23 mpg--certainly not hypermiler status, but a far cry from the low-mid-teens figures you can easily achieve in many similar SUVs, including previous-generation Grand Cherokees.

The list of new and improved features is long--check out the full preview here--but it serves as much to remind us of how outdated the previous Grand Cherokee was as much as how modern the new one will be. And that's a major hurdle Jeep will have to overcome for the new truck, even as the Chrysler mothership struggles for survival, relevance and legitimacy following the past two years' worth of bad press and political wrangling.

For those with a hankering for (however impractical) fun in a Grand Cherokee-shaped package, there's the recently-previewed but as-yet-unpriced SRT8 variant, promising 500+ horsepower from a 6.4-liter HEMI V-8 engine, due out this summer.

Check out page two for the full details and pricing information.

[Chrysler]






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Comments (9)

  1. By Rich Posted: 5/13/2010 10:18am PDT

    What on Earth has taken them SO LONG to bring this vehicle to market. I think only GM's Camaro had a longer tease-to-production time.
     
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  2. By archony Posted: 5/13/2010 11:35am PDT

    It will be interesting to see how this vehicle stacks up against the replacement to the Ford Explorer. The Ford will likely have better gas mileage because 23 mpg highway is not exactly ground-breaking.
     
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  3. By Bill Burke Posted: 5/13/2010 3:21pm PDT

    Jeep Grand Cherokees sell like hot cakes here on Long Island, NY and this next generation should only build on that popularity. I've owned three, including a 2005 and love them. In suburban Long Island you don't see many Explorers since most folks see the Jeep as a second car status symbol and the Explorer is not on most uppies radar screens here.
    I bet this Cherokee along with the updated Jeeps in the pipeline break all kinds of sales records. Their success on LI is already assured.
     
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  4. By JKD Posted: 5/13/2010 3:44pm PDT

    It looks like a good engine (long overdue too...) Where did they get it from?
     
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  5. By JKD Posted: 5/13/2010 3:52pm PDT

    Bill - It won't be hard for Chrysler to break any sales records for the next year or two. Starting from practically zero, anything you sell will be one for the books. However, time doesn't stand still and even Ford and Chevy have some good models now with a lot more dealer support. I also wish those two more luck and Chrysler should just focus on marketing to LI's "Italians" to buy the product from their motherland.
     
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  6. By NoNameDenton Posted: 5/14/2010 8:16pm PDT

    archony the Ford will also not be able to tow as much, because it will be on a car platform and not having anything bigger then a V6. The GC will have a Hemi and not a car platform, so your talking about two different vehicles. Size wise yes they will be similar, but will appeal to very different groups of people.
     
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  7. By Roy Posted: 5/16/2010 12:35pm PDT

    NND, I think you might be thinking of the Escape, which is car-based and will appeal to a different market. In terms of towing capacity, the Explorer and the Cherokee are within a few hundred lbs of each other (both just over 7000 lb). Compared to the current Explorer, the Cherokee has better fuel economy, but I'm convinced that Ford has made more impressive advances in all areas in the last few years. It will be interesting to see what the new Explorer will do.
    Finally, I don't know how many times you've seen these cars actually tow things, but when I see them, it's on the highway, carrying one person and a 5 lb laptop, maybe a couple of 10 - 30 lb children, and the odd musical instrument. People who tow 1000s of lb at a time tend to own pick-up trucks.
     
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  8. By NoNameDenton Posted: 5/16/2010 6:08pm PDT

    Roy, have you not seen what will become the next Explorer, namely that it is going on the D4 Volvo-derived platform, same as the Flex, so no I am not confused on my information
     
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  9. By  Joel Posted: 5/30/2010 5:56am PDT

    Westbury Jeep will have this on Display on June 29. This car has been long overdue and is groundbreaking in many ways: Engine / Suspension/ Interior.
    We are very excited to have the vehicle that will have no compromise.
    www.westburyjeep.com. 877-378-3245.
    Westbury Jeep is the #1 Jeep dealer in the USA!
     
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