On January 14, 2013, Jeep unveiled a revised WK2 Grand Cherokee at the North American International Auto Show at Cobo Center, along with a revised 2014 Jeep Compass and Jeep Patriot. The new Grand Cherokee will offer a 3.0 L DOHC V6 diesel engine that gets up to 30 MPG, a 3.6 L Pentastar V6 engine that gets up to 24 MPG and has 290 horsepower, a 5.7 L HEMI V8 engine that gets up to 21 MPG and has 360 horsepower, and the 6.4 L HEMI engine that produces 470 horsepower (SRT only). The models are the Laredo, the Limited, the Overland, and the Overland Summit Edition model has been renamed Summit. A new front end with a revised body-colored grille, new, smaller headlamps, and new tail lamps round out the exterior changes. The silver bezel on the back was removed. The opening rear tailgate window of previous models has been replaced with fixed glass. There are also new seventeen, eighteen, and twenty-inch wheel and tire choices. The SRT8 model will continue to be offered but as an "SRT" and not an "SRT8" badged model, and for the first time will offer signature details like blacked-out head and tail lamps. Inside, the Summit model receives the SRT's nineteen-speaker Harman/Kardon surround sound system, all Grand Cherokees receive a new steering wheel with standard paddle shifters in every model, an eight-speed TorqueFlite 8 automatic transmission, and an 8.4-inch touch screen display with Garmin navigation software, an optional CD player, and the U Connect Access System first introduced in the all-new 2013 Ram 1500. A U Connect 5.0 touch-screen radio will also be available with an optional CD player. The Selecterrain System receives multiple upgrades on four-wheel-drive Grand Cherokees. New exterior colors, new interior fabrics and materials, and new interior colors become available.
2013 SRT-8 and 2014 SRT
2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT-8 at the Montreal International Auto Show
On April 20, 2011, Jeep announced that the SRT8 version would be debuted at the 2011 New York Auto Show. According to Chrysler, it is the most powerful Jeep ever built. 0–60 and quarter-mile times time in at 4.7s, 13.4 seconds respectively.[30] Auto reviews measured this at 4.5 seconds, making the 2014 SRT the fastest Jeep ever produced.[31] The 2013-14 SRT Jeep Grand Cherokee includes a 6.4l Hemi motor, producing 475 hp/465 lb-ft tq, the strongest motor ever included in a Jeep, and one of the strongest naturally aspirated motors produced by Chrysler.
The Grand Cherokee SRT8 debuted alongside two other vehicles manufactured by Chrysler Corporation: the Chrysler 300 SRT8 and Dodge Charger SRT8, both of which also took a one-year hiatus while the new models debuted.
The new Grand Cherokee SRT8, which started production on July 16, 2011, is equipped with a 470 hp (350 kW; 480 PS) 6.4 L Hemi V8 engine. Jeep claims the new SRT8 gets 13 percent better fuel economy than its predecessor. To keep the gas mileage respectable,[clarification needed] Jeep has employed a new active exhaust system that lets Chrysler's cylinder-deactivating Fuel Saver Technology operate over a wider rpm band. Chrysler claims that with the larger gas tank, the SUV can now travel up to 500 miles (800 km) on a single tank, while other sources estimate range to be 450 miles (720 km).
For 2014, "SRT8" was no longer a model of Jeep, but a separate corporate entity. The "8" was also dropped in the "SRT" line for this year, the grand Cherokee being refereed to as a "SRT Jeep Grand Cherokee." The SRT model received many new and unique features. For example, in the interior, it received a unique steering wheel with the SRT insignia, twenty-inch alloy wheels, performance tires, and additional SRT-only details including:
SRT-only 6.4l, 475 hp/465 lb-ft tq, the strongest motor offered in a Grand Cherokee ever, propelling it to 0-60 in 4.5 seconds, making it the fastest jeep ever produced
four-piston brembo brakes
3 season tires (optional)
SRT-only performance pages in the head unit, displaying engine statistics, quarter mile/0-60, and other metrics
Napa leather seats with SRT-only alcantara inserts and headliner
SRT-only facia covering hitch (if so provisioned)
SRT-only suspension modes, including track mode
SRT-only "launch" mode, designed to modeled world class professional driver techniques
upgraded software for transmission, with over 90 gear shift programs
The new Grand Cherokee started production in late January 2013, and as a 2014 model year.
2015
The 2015 Limited Edition model no longer has the dual exhausts. This feature only comes in the Overland and up editions. There are no other major changes for the 2015 model year. However, the Limited, Summit, and Overland trims will include HD Radio as part of the U Connect feature. The SRT receives a modest 5 hp bump, in part due to a reflash of the PCM.
