Test Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT 6.4 V8 HEMI

The automobile industry is unstoppable on the path of efficiency and downsizing. Smaller and supercharged engines are increasingly being sought to achieve cars with better performance and lower consumption. This happens mainly in Europe, since in the United States it is still easy to see large atmospheric engines, although the trend is also changing little by little. There will come a time when this trend completely takes over the North American market as well.

Anticipating the disappearance of the dinosaurs, in ActualidadMotor We wanted to know what it's like to drive a genuinely American car. Recently we tested the Lexus RC F with its V8 5.0 engine, but the truth is that they seem trifles if we compare it with the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT and its engine 8-horsepower 6.4-liter HEMI V468. Many of its European rivals have smaller, more powerful engines thanks to turbos, but before I start I almost venture to conclude: No replacement for displacement, Sirs.

this is some fat

I have to admit that I like different cars and also different colors. I would never buy a car like the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT in a color as understated as our test unit. A red maybe? The truth is the colors are a way to camouflage the most striking cars, but that is something that is difficult in this Grand Cherokee and it is curious, because it does not have an exaggerated aesthetic either. It's clear that the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT exudes sportiness, but it's not over the top aesthetically, and it's still easy to see people staring at the car. I think that many times they are petrolheads who cannot believe that someone in Spain is walking around with a 6.4 V8 gasoline…

The Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT differs from its "small engine" brethren primarily by a body kit. Some front bumpers with skirts and larger air intakes, a bulging hood with cooling outlets, side skirts, 20″ alloy wheels in black chrome, rear spoiler or the rear bumper with two 100 millimeter diameter exhausts They show that it is not something completely normal. The huge red Brembo brake calipers are one of the most striking details of this test unit, along with black details such as the grille, some areas of the bumper or the rear diffuser, which this unit is very camouflaged by the color of the bodywork.

A relatively understated interior

Although the exterior is striking, the interior of this Grand Cherokee SRT is relatively understated. It looks a lot like Grand Cherokee Overland with 250 horsepower diesel engine that we tasted last year, much more earthy. The most remarkable thing is the sports steering wheel, which does not show the Jeep emblem, but the SRT one. The sports seats are also specific, with good lateral grip and leather and Alcantara upholstery in the central area. The entire roof of the passenger compartment is made of black Alcantara, with a really nice touch.

We are not going to dwell too much on "mundane" aspects such as quality of settings, materials and habitabilityWell, it's something we already did with the diesel Grand Cherokee. SRTs feature carbon fiber trim and gray plastic center console area. It is precisely this area that makes the whole a little tarnished, both visually and to the touch, but in all other respects the quality of the Grand Cherokee is beyond doubt.

The good thing about a car like the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT is that combines everything related to sportsmanship with a habitability typical of a car of its characteristics. There is space for the occupants, who travel very comfortably, although the trunk is somewhat low in volume. It is versatile in this regard.

Undeniable American origin

Test Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT V8 6.4 HEMI

Prueba Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT V8 6.4 HEMI

You do not see this every day

When we open the hood there is no doubt about the American origin of this Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT. A naturally aspirated 8-liter V6.4 engine is not seen every day. In addition, the HEMI surname given by the hemispherical combustion chambers of this engine adds a historical touch to the whole. This engine develops 468 horsepower at 6.250 rpm as well as a generous torque of 624 Nm to 4.100 rpm. There are no modernities beyond the selective disconnection of cylinders or variable intake. The injection is multipoint.

All this Yankee genius is transmitted to the asphalt through a system of permanent all-wheel drive called Quadra-Trac, which is the only one in the Grand Cherokee range that does not offer a reduction gear, as it is geared towards sports use. On the rear axle it has an electronic limited-slip differential. The gearbox is automatic with eight relations, with the possibility of sequential handling thanks to paddles located on the steering wheel.

Street & Racing Technology

SRT is an acronym for Street & Racing Technology (Street and Competition Technology). With such a surname, in a Jeep Grand Cherokee we find many elements that make the sportiness of the SUV evident, beyond the aesthetic aspects of the exterior or interior.

The Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT is a very versatile car, and we control the mood with a rotary dial called Selec-Trac located in the center console, where in the rest of the Grand Cherokee we control the traction system (reducer, suspension, descent control...). The remote offers Tow (trailer), Snow, Auto, Sport and Track modes. Let's review them.

The first, Tow, aims to guarantee stability and ride comfort when towing a trailer. The Snow mode (snow) is ideal for when the roads are in poor condition due to weather conditions. We drive with a very powerful car and in this way the electronic aids are optimized and the traction is distributed 50:50 to guarantee a neutral and efficient behavior.

Mode Auto is the one selected by default and the one we will use in most conditions. Here we have a 40:60 traction distribution and an adaptive suspension that monitors our behavior to adapt to the needs. We can complement this mode with the Eco button on the dashboard, to save fuel.

Sport mode brings the split to 35:45, while stiffening the suspension and offering more aggressive engine response and quicker gear changes. The last mode is the Track, which distributes the force in 30:70, deactivates stability control and offers harder suspension settings, as well as more aggressive engine response and gear changes.

There is no customizable mode as such, but the truth is that we can change some parameters. For example, in Track mode we can connect the aids (and disconnect them in the rest) maintaining the rest of the settings, or alternate the change mode between D and S in the rest of the modes, varying its response. Finally, next to the rotary control, we have the button of the Launch Control, which we will deal with later.

The Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT allows view various information related to benefits. On the clock panel screen we can see the maximum and current G forces, acceleration at different distances, 0-100km/h, braking X-0 km/h... A real toy to test each of the functionalities. In addition, on the 8,4″ screen of the UConnect multimedia system we also have the SRT application in which we can consult all this information, in addition to showing clocks such as oil pressure, water temperature, oil, gearbox or temperature. of admission. In this way, even if it is through a screen, we have some watches that provide vital information. Some of these parameters can also be consulted individually in the table. Other functions of the SRT application show us the parameters of G forces, power and torque at the moment.

There are many racing gadgets offered by the Grand Cherokee, allowing us to always know the status of the mechanical components, although when we make use of the maximum capacities, there is not much time to consult them. However, Jeep is a brand that usually offers a lot of information of this type in its normal models, something to be thankful for when many cars do not even show the coolant temperature.

At the wheel of 468 wild horses

But enough of the talk. Now is the time for the test itself. We settled into the seats of the Grand Cherokee SRT, adjusted the mirrors, buckled up, and hit the foreboding red starter button. The 8-liter V6.4 engine comes to life making it clear that it is an American thoroughbred. If there are any petrolheads within earshot when it starts, it will turn its head. Yes or yes. We could start it several times in a row to delight ourselves, if it weren't for the fact that it also sounds glorious when running.

It doesn't have that classic American V8 gurgle, but this Grand Cherokee, at idle, also shows its exhaust sound. When we drive, even in Auto mode with the Eco button activated, the engine is always present with its sound. Any acceleration is a musical delight. This car has something good and that is that, as it sounds, it sounds. It has no tricks, it's a pure sound and it doesn't matter if you go on Echo or Track. He is a loudmouth, a pimp who does not shut up. Like. Now, if we give him war, yell and snort in a really striking and addictive way.

When it comes to driving the Grand Cherokee, your response will very much depend on the mode chosen. It never gets to be clumsy, but with the Eco mode we will notice that it is slower in reactions and that usually comes out in second gear. Driving at low load in this way we can notice the selective deactivation of cylinders, which translates into some vibrations. In Eco it is used to always going very long, very low in revolutions.

Sport mode gives us a more spirited car, which speeds up the gears more and has a greater power reserve, as well as a firmer suspension. It is the most suitable mode for driving on the road in a spirited way, with an extraordinary balance between comfort and dynamism. Track mode is too extreme, with suspension that can be too stiff and bouncy if the road isn't good. Of course, the jerks of the gearbox in Track mode at each gear change, as well as the reductions, are priceless.

Using modes such as Sport or Track for conventional driving is not the most pleasant, since the car is more abrupt and also more uncomfortable due to the suspension settings and the gearbox program. In a normal circulation the comfort of the Grand Cherokee SRT is high, unless we circulate on very broken surfaces. It is a positive point, because nobody likes to always go in radical mode.

The Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT is certainly an irrational car. It doesn't make sense, but therein lies its appeal. It is a large, tall car weighing 2.417 kilos in which a sporty set-up has been sought. Best of all, is that the engineers have achieved it. The adaptive suspension does its job perfectly, containing body roll in an impeccable way. The address is hydraulic and has a correct weight, in addition to providing information. In routine driving it feels a bit heavier than a normal car and doesn't have much of a turning radius.

All these characteristics make the behavior of the Jeep Grand Cherokee in curve is frankly good, aided by all-wheel drive. It is a docile car despite the power it has, although if we are abrupt, it does not take long to find the tickle. The distribution is predominant to the rear axle, so finding oversteering behavior is not difficult, especially in Track mode (which turns off the aids). In Sport mode it is more permissive than in Auto mode, where any attempt at oversteer is nipped in the bud, in a certainly not very fine way.

The brake team is tremendous, signed by Brembo and with six-piston fixed calipers at the front and four at the rear, in a striking red color. Braking is very manageable and the Grand Cherokee SRT brakes hard, stopping in a short distance, safely. Now, the weight and the deceleration force is great and if we are very demanding and insistent we can notice some fatigue in the brakes.

And for the end, dessert. The Launch Control is one of the funniest features of this Grand Cherokee SRT. We hit the button on the center console, slammed on the brake, and slammed on the gas. When the screen tells us, we release the brake and the car shoots away, without a single iota of loss of traction (even without controls and in the wet) thanks to Pirelli tires in size 295/45 R20, while our body feels all that instant acceleration. 4,9 seconds is how long it takes to reach 100 km/h from a standstill and 257 the maximum speed.

Do you want to know how much you spend?

The Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT is an expensive car, very powerful, fast and focused on an audience that, honestly, should care little about consumption. But a server is a consumption geek and that is why no test lacks a section on consumption. The approved figures are high, with an average of 14 liters and an urban consumption of about 20,7 chilling liters. Imagine that like any car, it spends more in real conditions.

The truth is that circulating highways and motorways consumption is not high. Always circulating at the maximum speed allowed, we will be among the 12,2 and 12,5 liters, which is a fairly reasonable figure for what we have in hand, even if it is in Eco mode. A diesel Grand Cherokee is around 8 or 9. Going down from there is an impossible mission, so we forget about the 10,1 liters of homologation extra-urban.

On the highway, consumption can fluctuate over 15 liters, with part of the fault of a driver who cannot avoid being seduced by the suggestive sound of the 8-liter V6.4 engine that we are driving. Now on urban tour it is easy to reach 23 or 24 liters, a figure similar to what we will achieve if we show off the sporting skills of this American thoroughbred. The total average in our more than 1.300 test kilometers has been 14,4 liters. It is not the most efficient, it is clear, but considering what it is about, it spends "little".

Concluding

Ultimately, the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT is a car atypical, exclusive and very attractive. It is something that unfortunately is destined to disappear and that, unfortunately, few can afford. If someone is looking for a sporty, comfortable SUV, with interior space and versatile, you'll find an ally in the Grand Cherokee SRT as long as you don't think about going off the asphalt.

The only toll to pay is for gasoline (95 octane), but it is the compensation for all the benefits and satisfactions that it can provide. Also, the Grand Cherokee part with price advantage if we try to match it with some competitors, which can easily be 50% more expensive and do not have that yankee essence that I particularly see as a powerful argument. And I repeat: No replacement for displacement.

Price and equipment

The Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT is sold in a single finish in Spain (SRT), which complements the rest of the Grand Cherokee range. Its starting price is 97.867 euros and the only options are the five metallic paints (€1.222) in addition to the free white and rear entertainment equipment with two screens and wireless headphones (€1.968). The interior upholstery in camel color has no extra cost. Our test unit mounted all the options, with a total price of 101.057 euros.

El standard equipment is really extensive, not missing anything. These are its characteristics: