One of the most iconic American automotive brands, Jeep has always been a symbol of capability and power. Since 1992, one of the marque's most iconic cars has been the Grand Cherokee, which has been with us for 3 decades now. Having spanned four generations through thirty years, the 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4Xe marks the beginning of the fifth generation for the mid-size SUV. The Grand Cherokee has been an excellent SUV throughout its life, and the 2022 model year has only improved on the outgoing generation.
While the standard Grand Cherokee focuses on off-roading and the top-of-the-line Grand Cherokee Trackhawk is a track monster with its 707-hp engine, it is the Grand Cherokee SRT that bridges the gap between the two variants. A performance-focused SUV that offers all the practicality of a larger vehicle with the speed, power, and performance of a track-tuned SUV, the SRT is the perfectly reasonable choice which is mighty impressive in its own right. While Jeep has ditched the Trackhawk and SRT models in 2022 in favor of the new Grand Cherokee 4Xe, the SRT remains a phenomenal choice for gearheads to bring home as a token of the age of the internal combustion engine, which is soon fading away. Thus, here are ten reasons why every gearhead must consider bringing home a Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT.
10 The Grand Cherokee SRT Offers Serious Naturally-Aspirated Performance
In its final avatar, which was the 2021 model year, the Jeep Grand Cherokee proudly housed a massive V8 engine underneath its hood. The Grand Cherokee has always been equipped with power, and the 2021 SRT was no less.
Outfitted with a 6.4-liter naturally-aspirated V8 engine, the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT runs on 475 horsepower and 470 lb-ft of torque, defiant in the face of a market that has rapidly been turning to electrification or turbocharging for more power.
9 The Grand Cherokee SRT Is A Blisteringly Quick SUV
The Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT weighs a massive 5,194 lbs, but the 6.4-liter engine makes quick work of its weight. With a phenomenal 0 to 60 time of 4.4 seconds despite its 5000lbs, the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT's acceleration could put many modern sports cars to shame.
The SUV is capable of hitting a top speed of 180 miles per hour, which is a lot of power and acceleration, but then again, the Grand Cherokee SRT is a lot of SUV too.
8 A Practical Cabin Makes The Grand Cherokee SRT Family-Friendly As Well
The track credentials of the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT in no way take away from its practicality, and the SUV is a viable choice for families as well. A roomy cabin allows for 40.3 inches of legroom in the front row, and 38.6 inches of it in the rear bench.
With 36.3-cubic-feet of cargo area with all the seats upright, the Grand Cherokee SRT's cargo space goes up to 68.3-cubic-feet with the rear seats down. All in all, the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT is a capable SUV, but its performance figures never let the vehicle compromise on its practicality.
7 The Grand Cherokee SRT Comes Tech-Loaded
Despite being a performance-oriented vehicle that proves its chops on the track, the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT does not skimp out on gadgets and technology inside the cabin. In fact, Uconnect, Jeep's infotainment system, is definitely one of the more well-designed infotainment systems on the market today.
The menu icons are crisp, the user interface of the Uconnect infotainment system is smooth-flowing and intuitive, and the display itself does not distract the driver from the road. Undeniably, the Grand Cherokee SRT, especially in its upper trims, like the Red Vapor edition, offers luxury on par with contemporary SUVs.
6 The Excellent Track Credentials Of The Grand Cherokee SRT Do Not Sacrifice On-Road Comfort
While the SRT shines on the track, it is equally impressive on the road, thanks to the Bilstein adaptive dampers that come as standard on the SUV. The Grand Cherokee SRT handles quite well, too. Sure, its German rivals might have the upper hand in the handling department, but only by a small margin.
Drivers feel a sense of reassurance behind the wheel of the Grand Cherokee SRT, courtesy the weighted steering wheel which is very good at communicating the feedback from the front tires.
5 Jeep Offers An Abundance Of Safety Features On The Grand Cherokee SRT
When it comes to a big, bad SUV that you can throw around, safety features must also be available on the vehicle. Furthermore, the Jeep Grand Cherokee is also capable of being a family SUV, which makes the safety of your loved one all the more important. That is why the Grand Cherokee SRT's safety rating of five out of five stars is impressive.
Many safety features on the SRT like adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, automated emergency braking system, lane departure warning, and lane keeping assist come as standard. There's also a reassuring optional warranty of 5 years (or 60,000 miles) on the SRT's powertrain.
4 Its Off-Roading Ability Makes The Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT More Capable Than Rivals
All of its performance doesn't mean that the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT is a complete dud when it comes to going off the tarmac. The SUV comes with five different driving modes, namely Auto, Sport, Track, Snow, and Tow. There is also a custom setting for you to play around with it.
Thanks to the Quadra-Trac Active On-Demand 4x4 System that the SRT employs, it is a lot more capable on non-tarmac surfaces than its rivals like the BMW X5 M50i or the Mercedes-AMG GLE 53. The truth is, there aren't a lot of people who will be considering taking it off-road, out of fear of bringing harm to those beautiful wheels.
3 The Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT Has A Remarkably Strong Towing Capacity
One might be forgiven for thinking that all the focus on performance and track-oriented specs would make the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT forget its actual duties as an SUV. However, that is far from the case.
The Grand Cherokee SRT has a maximum towing capacity of 7200 lbs, which is quite strong, especially compared to European rivals of the same segment. This means that you could hook up your trailer and drive off with a lot of ease, as your SRT would barely break a sweat.
2 The Raw Symphony Of The Grand Cherokee SRT's V8 Engine Is Music To Our Ears
We are soon approaching an era where V8 and V6 engines are slowly becoming a rarity. On top of that, cars that do come with these big engines often have some form of electrification to help them along, and in order to focus on fuel efficiency.
Thus, naturally-aspirated V8 engines are seen quite seldom, but the Jeep Grand Cherokee scratches that itch, and quite well. Not only does its naturally-aspirated V8 develop great power, it also sounds phenomenal while doing it. A deep, guttural roar from the exhaust turns heads wherever the SRT goes, and for petrol-heads, it is nothing short of music.
1 The Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT Is Far More Affordable Than Its European Rivals
One of the biggest points in favor of the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT is that when compared to European rivals like the X5 and the GLE 53, it is a lot more affordable. The SRT, with its $71,000 tag, is a lot easier on the pocket as compared to the likes of the Bimmer which retails at $82,800 in its V8 avatar and goes all the way up to $105,900.
Compared to the AMG GLE 53, which comes with an inline-6 engine rather than a V8, the SRT is still cheaper by almost $10,000. The competitors aren't too far ahead of the SRT when it comes to fuel economy either, which means that the money you'd save on the SRT against the Merc or the BMW will go nowhere. Undeniably, the Grand Cherokee SRT is an absolute powerhouse, and gearheads must think twice or thrice before writing it off as a gas-guzzling big car.