2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT


2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee

2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee

absolutely! | AUTO REVIEW | By Steve Kursar –

The 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT is both a highly capable off-road adventure machine, as well as a great way to get the kids from home to school and back again. But, underneath it all, its main purpose is pure excitement.  It used to be that only small, two-seater cars could race around town and tear around corners.  Well, the engineers at Chrysler have taken an off-road trail machine and turned it into a highway rocket.

The Grand Cherokee SRT is the product of Chrysler’s Street and Racing Technology team, who are dedicated to building high-performance vehicles.  This team was created in the late 1980s to develop the iconic Dodge Viper, a two-seater with a monster V-10 engine.  The Viper wasn’t a big seller, but it did shine a spotlight on the brand. Slowly, the SRT engineering and marketing teams began to migrate over to other cars in the Chrysler tent, and by 2006, the Jeep Grand Cherokee got its own SRT model. But, the 2015 edition is really something special.

Although the Jeep Grand Cherokee is a serious off-road performer and can tackle rough terrain without breaking a sweat, the SRT version should be considered strictly for on-road excitement.  Although it looks exactly the same from the outside, it’s what’s under the sheet metal that makes this SUV very different.

A 6.4 liter Hemi V-8 sits under the hood just waiting to spring to life.  Crank up the engine, and it roars.  This 475 hp beast will get this sizable SUV from zero to 60 in 4.8 seconds, awfully fast for something this large. If good fuel economy is a priority, then find another vehicle, because this Grand Cherokee gets 13 mpg in the city and 19 mpg on the highway. Expect even worse numbers if you want to really have some fun.  And, after all, fun is what this SUV is made for.

The SRT’s exterior sports distinctive highlights to make sure your neighbors know what you’re driving, from the bright red painted Brembo brakes to the 20 inch Pirelli Scorpion all-season tires to the front and rear light treatments.  The interior boasts a beautifully designed padded steering wheel with a back-lit SRT logo.

The 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee, with a starting MSRP of $64,695, is just so much fun to drive and to drive fast, you won’t want to drive anything else.

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