2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT – Test Drive, Review, Ratings, Specs

The SRT Takes the Grand Cherokee to the Next Level

Jeep has long held the status of supremacy when it comes to off-road performance. Layer it with a luxurious interior and a captivating outer shell yields the ultimate Grand Cherokee. But why stop there? Fitted with a V8 and track-inspired performance parts, the SRT model takes the Grand Cherokee to the ultimate level that’s bigger, better, faster and stronger.

It’s not a new candidate in the Jeep stable, but there are some minor changes made this year. Its digital cluster menus are re-shuffled to offer a more serous look, and a new SRT Performance menu page on its infotainment page is added to allow customization of vehicle performance. Other than that, the rest remains intact for this year’s iteration.

You won’t find the expensive Grand Cherokee too frequent in an ordinary shopper’s list, let alone the SRT model with a hefty price tag of $84,020. And with a price tag like that, there is a lot to be expected.

A Luscious Interior

Interior cabin is an evidence of upper class. Seating upholstery is stitched with Laguna leather crafted by a Swedish company, Elmo. Seating is a bit stiff to comply with its race-inspired theme, but generally still very comfortable and luxurious to the touch with descent lateral support. The same is said for its second row seats that also offer a healthy amount of leg room and independent rear climate controls.

Center controls is comprised of a massive 8.4″ U-Connect infotainment system followed by a triple-dial knob for volume, climate fan speed, and radio tuning controls. Mechanical buttons are further minimized and de-cluttered by making climate control settings accessible via its infotainment screen. Speaking of which, the U-Connect infotainment system was built to work well. All menus transitions are quick and snappy, and the oversized buttons contribute to a generally user-friendly interface.

Steering wheel’s got a good grip with soft leather material that feels nice to the touch. Audio and instrument cluster menus are also accessible via a set of well laid-out buttons on the steering wheel as well.

Mechanical Blue Print

Perhaps the bulk of the money spent is on its rock-solid mechanical blue print. Fitted with the Grand Cherokee SRT is a 6.4L V8 HEMI engine producing a colossal 475 horsepower and 470 lb.ft of torque. Mated to the engine is an 8-speed automatic transmission with sequential shift control accessible via its gear lever, or steering mounted paddle shifters.

Equipped with the SRT is an en-suite of power management systems that include launch control that optimizes acceleration off the line, a drive-mode selector for switching between different suspension dampening settings and optimized shift scheduling in performance mode. In addition, a dedicated performance settings page is made available via the infotainment system that allows the driver to configure steering, suspension, throttle and shifting behavior for track or street mode. Powertrain system is completed with massive 6-piston 15″ in the front and 4-piston 13″ Brembo bakes in the rear.

How Much is too Much

Hold the engine start button greets you with a quick roar of its monstrous V8. Acceleration is effortless and the quick inclination of numbers on the speedometer quickly reminds you of the amount of power available in the SRT. With that said, every bit of power is felt from the V8. It’s got a thunderous exhaust tone – just like how a V8 should be. It sounds natural and rich, but still subtle enough to be considered civilized in a normal drive.

Stomping the throttle returns mixed favors of adrenaline, longitudinal G-force and a bit of fear. Regarding to the latter category, I can’t say for sure it’s a good thing. It’s got a high center of gravity and its bouncy suspensions contribute to a feeling of instability and decreased confidence. Switching the suspension damping mode from Street to Track helped a bit, but didn’t solve the problem. Steering also felt a bit wonky with added body roll around corner and a lack of steering precision and positive feedback. The 4×4 powertrain doesn’t help much in cornering either – you need AWD for that.

This puts the Grand Cherokee SRT in a gray area. You wouldn’t want to take a “supposedly” off-road vehicle with an ultra-luxurious price tag into the mud grounds. Neither is the Grand Cherokee SRT capable of surviving a trip around a race track. With that said, I have trouble figuring out where the Grand Cherokee SRT fits in exactly. Perhaps its the performance metrics and rock-solid looks that earn the ticket towards the land of bragging rights. Nevertheless, you’re buying a symbol of status that competes in the luxury level of high-end SUV’s. But if you’re looking for a vehicle with a better sense of merit for its price tag, look elsewhere.