In my part of Canada, the Jeep Grand Cherokee has long stood as a gold standard when it comes to combining the long-haul comfort, all-terrain confidence, winter driving traction and extended off-road capabilities that northern drivers seek.
The previous-generation Grand Cherokee hit the road in 2010. Dubbed the WK2, the Grand Cherokee spent ten years on this particular platform with numerous upgrades and facelifts applied along the way. I’ve put about 18,000 kilometres of testing into the WK2 generation Grand Cherokee over the past decade and countless assignments. It’s a staple SUV that my audience always wants the latest on, because where I live in Northern Ontario, these things are very popular.
In our ten years together, I’ve always found the fourth-generation Grand Cherokee to be a comfortable, relaxing, and confidence-inspiring drive, regardless of the weather, road conditions, or time of year. Comfy and relaxing highway ride? Check. Ready to head out mid-blizzard? Check. Ready to tackle new trails, adventures and off-road challenges, right off of the showroom floor? Check.
The WK2 generation Grand Cherokee was retired after model-year 2020, making way for an all-new, fifth-generation ‘WL’ model that arrived for 2021.
I recently met the latest Grand Cherokee for the first time during a 1,600 kilometre road test covering plenty of backroads, highway and light off-road driving in late winter in Northern Ontario. Below, I’ll share come key impressions of the latest machine, with an eye for how it stacks up against its predecessor, and where repeat Grand Cherokee shoppers considering the model’s latest can expect to see the biggest changes.
2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit Reserve Photo by Justin Pritchard
2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit Reserve Photo by Justin Pritchard
2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit Reserve Photo by Justin Pritchard
2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit Reserve Photo by Justin Pritchard
2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit Reserve Photo by Justin Pritchard
2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit Reserve Photo by Justin Pritchard
2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit Reserve Photo by Justin Pritchard
My tester was the 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit Reserve 4×4: a high-luxury, top-dog Grand Cherokee designed to draw double-takes from Mercedes, Land Rover, and BMW shoppers. With V8 power, 7,200 lbs of towing, the latest quadra-lift air suspension with new semi-active dampers, and a slew of add-ons including a high-tech head-up display and an 825-watt McIntosh stereo system with 19 speakers, the ask for my tester clocked in at about $84,000 for this most fully-loaded of models.
Of course, many more modestly priced versions are available if you like.
My tester was the standard-length two-row model, and shoppers can specify their new Grand Cherokee in both this configuration, or a new-this-year extended-length version called the Grand Cherokee L, which rides a stretch wheelbase for more room and a third seating row. Look for power from the familiar 3.6L Pentastar V6 or 5.7 litre V8, two of the most mass-produced and proven engines around. Plug-in hybrid power is joining the options roster soon, too.
The first thing you’ve got to know about the Grand Cherokee Summit Reserve is what it’s like inside. Shoppers considering the spend on this range-topping trim grade can expect to feel and see their investment strongly reflected inside of this cabin. There’s little familiar from the previous model — not even the window switches. Everything is new and modern, sleek and flowing, and playfully accented with quilted leather that extends down the door panels and into the storage cubbies. Displays are liquid-smooth, graphics look top-of-the-line, and while I found some of the on-screen text a little too small and minimal to read easily at times, this latest-generation infotainment system is very powerful and becomes logical to use in quick order. The graphics are a big step forward from the previous-generation machine, and the response speed and smoothness demonstrated as you flick and swipe through various menus and screens calls a high-end tablet to mind.
All said, the look, feel and interfaces of the latest model’s interior are a major leap forward, and as a whole, the cabin is a stunner. I’d recommend keeping a Swiffer on board though: the glossy trim is a magnet for dust and dog hair, and gets dusty if you so much as look at it the wrong way.
On size and space, expect generous room for four average-sized adults and a large cargo area in back. There’s room for four, a bag or two apiece, and probably enough cargo space left over for the family dog, too. One note of caution here: dog owners should consider the jump-in height to the cargo area, which may prove a little too high for some canines.
After a million kilometres of vehicle testing, I’d tell you that the last-generation Grand Cherokee was soft on its feet but confident in motion, not easily bothered by rough road surfaces, and generally did a terrific job balancing highway cruising comfort with a solid and durable feel on badly-beaten around-town roads. Mainstream versions of the Grand Cherokee, therefore, easily impress with consistent refinement and ride comfort, even when the going got rough.
With that as a comparison, I’d tell you the new Grand Cherokee has tipped the scales a little. On the highway, I found my tester to feel considerably lighter on its feet, considerably more stiff and rigid, and ultimately to deliver a fresh new drive that’s less ‘Toyota Highlander’ and more ‘BMW X5’.
2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit Reserve Photo by Justin Pritchard
2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit Reserve Photo by Justin Pritchard
2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit Reserve Photo by Justin Pritchard
2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit Reserve Photo by Justin Pritchard
2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit Reserve Photo by Justin Pritchard
2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit Reserve Photo by Justin Pritchard
2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit Reserve Photo by Justin Pritchard
2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit Reserve Photo by Justin Pritchard
2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit Reserve Photo by Justin Pritchard
2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit Reserve Photo by Justin Pritchard
2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit Reserve Photo by Justin Pritchard
2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit Reserve Photo by Justin Pritchard
2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit Reserve Photo by Justin Pritchard
Specifically, I found the latest Grand Cherokee to be immediately firmer and less bouncy than its predecessor, for a feeling on the road that’s confident and controlled. Running a new suspension system, the latest model feels less like a four-wheel drive sofa and more like a hovering monorail while you’re cruising on smoother roads at a good clip. The main attention-grabbers from the highway ride included the feeling of stiffness imparted by the machine’s new structure, the very well-controlled motions of the body over its wheels, and the excellent new steering system.
It’s very quick, very precise, and very easy to work smoothly — just like you’d expect from a high-end sports car, really. Combined with a suspension calibration that seems calibrated carefully against the steering feel, my tester felt surprisingly lively at the tips of my fingers, whether quickly pulling out of a parking lot, or cruising the highway at a good clip.
Cruising highway 400 at 110 km/h, it’s exactly what I want in an SUV but usually expect from a sports car: a smooth, fast, heavy, and precise reaction to even tiny movements on the wheel. In parking situations, this steering can feel heavier and more labor-intensive than it needs to, but, but on the highway, you’re precisely directing a big, solid and stable mass down the road, with just little tiny inputs on the steering wheel. As SUV steering goes, this is a high-precision treat, a tactile reinforcement that you’re operating a high-end piece of equipment.
Add in the nicely-controlled noise levels, good outward sight lines, commanding view, and new active dampers that electronically optimize the ride in real time to help keep the body flat on the shocks as often as possible, you’re still very nicely covered for chilled out cruising — a key attribute of the last-generation machine, but now optimized with that sweet new steering and some adaptive suspension tech once reserved exclusively for racier models like the SRT and Trackhawk.
2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit Reserve Photo by Justin Pritchard
The 357-horsepower 5.7 litre HEMI V8 in my tester is built for chilled-out cruising, too. Hammer down, and it’s a sharp bark from under the hood and a meaty shove into your seat—but with a light foot, the HEMI runs in four-cylinder mode in some situations on the highway to save fuel. Further, the new AWD system can now physically disconnect and reconnect the front axle in milliseconds to help minimize fuel consumption, too.
But with a 14.1 L/100 km combined fuel economy rating and current fuel prices, shoppers should be sure they’ll appreciate the power and soundtrack of the V8 and its added fuel costs. That’s especially true in stop-and-go city driving where it really puts the fuel away. For comparison’s sake, the turbocharged V6 engine offered in some Ford Explorer variants delivers more power and torque than the Grand Cherokee’s V8, while saving its drivers about 2 litres of fuel for every 100 kilometres they drive.
In sum, we’ve got a great new interior, a great new highway ride, and a proven and punchy V8 powerplant on offer for the fans.
Just like the highway drive, I think the new Grand Cherokee’s backroads ride comfort still sets a high standard, but for different reasons.
In the previous machine, you could keep your speed reasonable, and the suspension quietly and smoothly absorbed just about everything you could throw its way. Even aggressive mogul surfaces that tend to send the odd axle airborne from time to time are nicely managed and soaked up. The ride was quiet under fire, soft and comfortable on the highway, and easygoing in the backroads, during pothole season, and in the bush.
2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit Reserve Photo by Justin Pritchard
The new Grand Cherokee is not quiet under fire. Very rough surfaces — that is, worst-case scenario, do coax more suspension, tire, and interior panel noise from the machine than I like for the money, and there’s more feedback transmitted back through the steering than I was expecting, too. There are minor to moderate annoyances, likely stirred up in part thanks to my tester’s great big 21-inch wheels which rarely do ride quality any favours on these sorts of surfaces.
If the added sound effects are no bother to you, you’ll likely find the rough surface ride to feel solid and tough, and the adaptive suspension lets drivers cover uneven ground fast, with unwanted bouncing and rebounding of the suspension all but eliminated. So it’s the feeling of rigidity and toughness enabled by the new vehicle structure, combined with the adaptive dampers taking the drama out of the ride, and providing a higher feeling of control on rough surfaces that are now, the star of the show.
The previous Grand Cherokee was quieter and softer, but the new one feels tougher, smarter, and much less dramatic when in motion at speed over uneven surfaces, much more of the time. Feeling those adaptive dampers soak up the bumps, dips and frost-heaves of Sudbury’s crumbling highways and backroads never gets old.
Keyword: SUV Review: 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit Reserve