The old 5.9-liter V-8 was a rough, noisy throwback in comparison. And considerably smoother, quieter and cleaner-running. Its compact size takes out some interior space, but its performance is first-rate, especially with the new, optional V-8, which is smaller in displacement than the former V-8 but nearly identical in performance. You have to look twice to see the difference. The look is more angular and aggressive, but not so very different from the former version. Now I can say some nice things about the Grand Cherokee that never applied before: It’s quick on the highway, handles great, has a roomy cargo area, a comfortable interior, and a dashboard that actually makes sense. A lot of it has to do with refinement – a better dashboard, nicer interior, slicker drivetrain – resulting in an all-around upgrade of the Grand Cherokee. So, was the money well spent? I think so, even though the makeover treads no new ground. But as they did with the Wrangler, the engineers and designers hatched a successful and favorable update of a modern classic, the second generation of the Grand Cherokee. It took an amazing $2.65 billion to accomplish that feat.
That, and the interior, needed some attention.Īnd in redesigning the Grand Cherokee, DaimlerChrysler (nee Chrysler Motors) faced the dilemma it did a couple of years back when updating the classic Jeep Wrangler: make it better and make it modern without losing its distinctive Jeep character. Despite its rugged good looks and abilities, it was noisy, gobbled gas and suffered from spotty reliability. No doubt the erstwhile Grand Cherokee needed updating. Jeep Grand Cherokee started the revolution toward stylish, upscale sport-utility vehicles in 1992, just as the original Cherokee popularized the whole sport-ute segment a decade earlier.īut for ’99, the all-new Grand Cherokee is playing catch-up in a world crowded with Navigators, Escalades, Land Cruisers, ML430s and other cushy high-end utes that have taken the place of luxury cars in ritzy driveways.
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