With its on-road refinement, well-trimmed cabin and traditional off-road ability, the 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee is a fully competitive midsize SUV. The Grand Cherokee SRT8 packs a 6.4-liter V8 with 470 hp and 465 lb-ft of torque. All that thrust is sent to all four wheels via a beefed-up five-speed automatic that blasts this Grand Cherokee to 60 mph in just 5.1 seconds.
On the road, the 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee's suspension offers a comfortable ride while also providing a fair amount of cornering stability. The new Grand Cherokee basically rides and handles like any other modern crossover, an impressive feat considering its ample off-road ability. Off-road, the Grand Cherokee is pure Jeep: generous ground clearance, an advanced four-wheel-drive system, low-speed stability and climbing power.
The Grand Cherokee features a handsome cabin with a cleanly styled dash, tight seams, high-quality materials and consistent textures from door to dash.
Standard equipment includes 17-inch alloy wheels, automatic headlights, foglamps, cruise control, dual-zone air-conditioning, a tilt-and-telescoping leather-wrapped steering wheel and a six-speaker sound system with a CD player and an auxiliary audio jack. An optional package adds keyless entry/ignition, a power driver seat (including lumbar adjustment), satellite radio and a USB/iPod interface, color-keyed grille/side sills/rear spoiler, 20-inch forged aluminum wheels, LED running lights, an adaptive suspension, performance-tuned steering, Brembo brakes, a limited-slip rear differential, paddle shifters, leather/suede sport seats and carbon-fiber cabin accents.
The 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee comes standard with four-wheel antilock disc brakes, stability and traction control, front side airbags, side curtain airbags and active front head restraints. In government crash testing, the Grand Cherokee earned an overall rating of four stars out of a possible five, with four stars for overall frontal crash protection and five stars for overall side crash protection.
In testing by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the Grand Cherokee received the highest possible rating of "Good" in the frontal-offset, side and roof-strength crash tests.