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Hot SUV: 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT

May 24, 2013 by 4 Comments
2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT

A blacked-out facade highlights the Grand Cherokee SRT.

Do you know your SUV history? No, not that Jeep and Land Rover got the segment going beginning in the 1940s, rather that souped up SUVs are uncommon, especially a factory-built model. After all, SUVs are bulky, creaky and just plain uncool, right?

Yes, there are a fair share of aftermarket enhanced SUVs on the road, but the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT is proof that a factory-built performance model has its place in the mix. And this Grand Cherokee does the whole performance thing better than the GMC Typhoon, itself a hot SUV built for two model years ending in 1993. For one, the Grand Cherokee SRT is of unibody construction, providing a tighter fit, a smoother ride and quieter interior than the body-on-frame Typhoon. For another, two decades have passed since the Typhoon’s exit and the technologies found in the SRT simply did not exist when the Typhoon was built. Both models are cool, but the Grand Cherokee is uber cool.

2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT

Let’s start with the facade. The 2014 Grand Cherokee SRT offers a similar overall design to the 2013 edition with a few important changes. Those changes include a tweaked fascia, updated lighting and new wheels. A blacked-out look dominates the SRT’s front end, with the grille, and the surfaces surrounding the headlights similarly affected. In the rear, the same blacked out treatment surrounds the tail lights. Notably, the grille is shorter and moved slightly higher while new tail lights flank the rear.

2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT

6.4-liter HEMI V-8 Engine

  • Sticker price from $62,995
  • Seats 5 occupants
  • 6.4-liter HEMI OHV V-8engine
  • 470 horsepower at 6,000 rpm
  • 465 foot-pounds of torque at 4,300 rpm
  • 4.09 inches bore by 3.72 inches stroke
  • Engine compression ratio: 10.9 to 1
  • 8-speed automatic shiftable transmission
  • Wheelbase: 114.8 inches
  • Length: 191.3 inches
  • Width: 77.1 inches
  • Height: 69.1 inches
  • Passenger Volume: 105.4 cubic feet
  • Storage Volume: 35.1/68.7 cubic feet
  • Towing Capacity: 5,000 pounds
  • EPA: 13 mpg city, 19 mpg highway
  • Premium grade gasoline recommended
  • Fuel Tank: 24.6 gallons
  • Curb Weight: From 5,150 pounds
  • Payload: 1,350 pounds
  • Vehicle Assembly: Saltillo, Mexico

New wheel options provide a dramatic look to the sculpted SRT’s profile. Fully polished, five-spoke 20-inch Goliath wheels provide a distinctive look and are encased within Pirelli P Zero three-season tires. Yes, if you live in snow country you’ll need to replace these with winter tires as the grip won’t be enough to safely stop you when road conditions are icy.

Inside, seating is for five with both the driver and front passenger supported by bolstered sport seats. Seating surfaces are covered in leather and suede, with Laguna leather and an Alcantara headliner available. A brand-new steering wheel, wrapped in leather and offering a heating function, features numerous operating controls and a pair of paddle shifters. Brightly lit gauges and an 8.4-inch center stack display screen provide a balanced look without overwhelming the senses. The center console also features the stick shift and drive mode control, the latter making it possible to drive in regular (auto), snow, tow, sport or track modes.

SRT Performance Capabilities

The Grand Cherokee SRT emphasizes its sporting credentials and does so in a big way. This 470-hp beast can get moving, inviting you to toy with the driving mode to see just how fast the SRT can move as well as stop. On the display screen you can track your 0 to 60 mph, 1/8- and 1/4-mile times as well as your braking, steering angle, lateral and longitudinal G-Forces, and performance output.

Needless to say, this writer experimented at least a half a dozen times with the launch sequence in a bid to propel the Grand Cherokee SRT from 0 to 60 mph as quickly as possibly. A best time of 5.0 seconds came in well short of the 4.5 seconds others have claimed. Figure that dedicated performance car drivers will nail that number which, by the way, beats the GMC Typhoon by 0.8 seconds.

Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT HEMI engine.

Braking is precise thanks to its world-class Brembo braking system. That system is evident the moment you set your eyes on the SRT as its front and rear calipers are clad in red.

SRT chose Brembo for its benchmark setting capabilities, a system known for bringing the burliest vehicles to a safe and clean stop while retaining brake pedal feel and minimizing brake fade. The Grand Cherokee SRT is outfitted with 15-inch rotors in the front with six-piston calipers; the rear features 13.8-inch rotors with four-piston calipers. This brake system arrangement is ideal for the Jeep as we’re talking about a model with a gross vehicle weight rating of 6,500 pounds.

Jeep Driving Characteristics

Grand Cherokee SRT seat.Spirited driving defines SRT; making this possible for a coupe or a sedan is one thing, but it becomes much more of a challenge in an SUV. A higher profile, aerodynamic constraints and its heavier weight are issues that must be managed, something Chrysler’s engineering team has pulled off. Outfitting the Grand Cherokee with a hulking V-8 means providing it with a balanced suspension system, what it has accomplished by means of an independent front and multilink rear suspension with stabilizer bars. Add in a Bilstein adaptive damping suspension and the package is complete.

Chrysler tapped ZF to supply an eight-speed automatic transmission with manual shifting capabilities. This transmission is unique to the premium midsize SUV class and engages quietly and seamlessly. Shift to manual mode and you can paddle-shift your way down the road. The SRT’s rack and pinion steering is precise and handles tight turns and twisty roads with ease. Body roll is minimal — you may quickly forget that you’re driving an SUV.

SRT, Chrysler DNA

Jeep made sure that the Grand Cherokee SRT provides a complete package with performance, luxury, room and utility offered without compromise. Is DNA is derived from the best of the Chrysler Group as its performance parallels the Dodge Challenger and its luxury the Chrysler 300C. Its room and utility are all Jeep, the latter quite evident with its 5,000-pound towing capacity. Try to find another SUV that offers all this and you’d be hard pressed to succeed. Unless, of course, you happened to find one customized by its owner.

Its $62,995 base price is more than double that of the standard Grand Cherokee Laredo. Add in the 19-speaker Harman Kardon audio package, the full size spare and special tires and your price pushes into the upper 60s or where no Jeep has gone before. Clearly, if you want a performance Jeep and are looking for a happy compromise between the Dodge Challenger SRT and Chrysler 300C, this model delivers with utility features included.

Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT dash.

Photos by Matthew C. Keegan; you are free to use and attribute to autotrends.org.

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At The Rock With the 2014 Lexus IS

May 23, 2013 by 4 Comments
2014 Lexus IS

Posing with a red 2014 Lexus IS at The Rock.

Once in a while an automotive event really moves the “way cool” needle. The “Lexus Education Event” currently taking place at race tracks around the country is one such opportunity, giving drivers a schooling in all things 2014 Lexus IS. Yes, after eight years the compact IS sedan is being replaced, with the third generation model hitting Lexus showrooms later this summer.

2014 Lexus IS Unleashed

This writer graciously accepted Lexus’ invitation to stay with them overnight at The Carolina in Pinehurst, NC, and to travel to the Rockingham Speedway (The Rock) the following morning for track time. Living in the Tarheel State made this trip a snap, an 80 minute journey down Route 1 to NC’s golf mecca. Disclaimer: hotel and food were provided by Lexus with transportation expenses covered by yours truly.

At the track, Lexus had every possible iteration of the new IS on hand plus a 2013 model. Place these models side by side and you will quickly note a few things right off: the Lexus spindle grille is now a fixture of the third generation sedan. Also, numerous bodily changes and adornments including updated headlamps, chiseled lines, a stronger beltline, new wheels and lighting treatments are apparent. The latest Lexus IS also comes in slightly wider and longer than its predecessor.

Inside, the driver’s seat has been lowered slightly to enhance the drive. Bolstered seating, lumbar support and available heating and ventilation provide comfort. Lexus outfits the driver’s seat with an eight-way power control including a four-way adjustable head rest.

2014 Lexus IS

Preparing GoPro to film our track endeavors.

Your V-6 Awaits

Two engine choices, both V-6s, ensure that your level of performance is reached with this sedan. The engines and the transmission are carryovers, although the IS350 RWD is now paired with an eight-speed automatic. All other models get the six-speed automatic including the F Sport. The F Sport package is now available with both rear- and all-wheel-drive versions of the IS250 and IS350. It represents mostly an appearance upgrade although the suspension system has been tweaked to provide sportier handling. Adaptive variable suspension and variable gear ratio steering are options peculiar to the F Sport.

For those of us who dared to take to the track alone, the chance to get behind the wheel was an opportunity not to be missed. As a Lexus representative noted, in an ideal world we would have tested the 2013 model first and then the new sedans. With just one second-generation sedan present, that opportunity came on a catch-as-catch-can basis. It wasn’t until I lapped The Rock in three different iterations of the 2014 sedan that the 2013 model became available. Noticeably, it didn’t handle turns as well and fish-tailed twice, a problem not experienced with any version of the IS250 and IS350 models, rear- or all-wheel-drive.

A slick track meant that the driving was cautious at first, but the rain cleared away by the time the company of two dozen journalists got its start. Ponding at various bends and straightaways was quickly identified and avoided as much as possible. Still, the slickness didn’t shake the new sedan, imbuing confidence in the most inspired driver to push the Lexus IS to its limits.

2014 Lexus IS Sedans.

Preparing for a slick track time at Rockingham Speedway.

Handling and Steering

Where the 2014 Lexus IS sedan truly shined was as it navigated the slalom. Only slight pitching was felt and not once did it seem as if the wheels would pull out from underneath it. While the IS250 offered good power, the robust engine powering the IS350 was worthy of The Rock and remains this writer’s favorite. All-wheel-drive presented an improved handling touch, but enthusiasts may simply prefer rear-wheel drive and the eight-speed gearbox. That transmission is standard on the IS350 RWD, with the first two forward gears set for launch and acceleration performance. Stick it in manual mode and the gears shift smoothly with full lockup performed in the second through eighth gears.

Some eight to ten car changes and lap time later, our track time ended. After lunch it was a two-hour countryside drive with this writer getting behind the wheel of both IS250 and IS350 models, the latter with the eight-speed transmission. But the best indication of how well the new Lexus IS sedan performs was confirmed on the track, offering a clear signal to the BMW 3 Series, Cadillac ATS, Mercedes-Benz C-Class and the Audi A4 that this segment’s competition has only grown stronger.

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BrandZ: Toyota Reclaims Top Spot Amongst Automotive Brands

May 22, 2013 by 2 Comments
top-100

Millward Brown has released it latest Brandz Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands ratings, with Toyota once again assuming the top spot amongst automotive brands. Last year, BMW moved pass Toyota to gain the number one position, swapping places with Toyota. BMW is again the second most valued brand among car manufacturers according to the Millward Brown Optimor valuation method used in the study.

BrandZ Top 100

Now in its eighth year, The BrandZ™ Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands study is conducted by Millward Brown Optimor on behalf of WPP, the marketing communications company. The study surveys both current and potential buyers of a brand and adds in financial data to calculate value. Since conducting its initial study, the researchers have found that the world’s Top 100 brands have grown by 77 percent and are now worth a collective $2.6 trillion.

BrandZ Top 100The Toyota brand finished No. 23 among all brands, valued at $24.497 billion and just ahead of BMW’s $24.015 billion. Other car brands in the Top 100 included Mercedes-Benz, Honda, Nissan and Volkswagen. The top five most valuable brands regardless of category were Apple, Google, IBM, McDonald’s and Coca-Cola.

The cars category rose in value by 5 percent, reversing a 7 percent drop in 2012. Stronger products originating from Detroit and the brand value rise of several German brands sparked the increase.

Top 10 Car Brands

The study also looked at the Top 10 car brands including four that fell outside of the Top 100: Ford, Audi, Hyundai and Lexus. Toyota, Mercedes-Benz, Audi and Hyundai each registered double-digit gains while BMW and Honda fell slightly by 2 percent each. The collective value of the Top 10 car brands, however, remains below the pre-recession valuation, coming in at just 71 percent of value. The United States and China are currently the two strongest automotive markets with smaller increases or declines seen elsewhere, impacting net brand valuations.

Although price is 30 percent of the reason why people purchase new cars, the BrandZ study found that among the Top 10 car brands it represented just 18 percent of the reason. Other purchase factors weighing in included fuel efficiency, safety, comfort, engine performance, advanced technology and after sales service.

Consumer Buying Factors

Specific factors contributing to an increase in brand valuation included cost controls, particularly where manufacturers used common platforms to build different vehicles, leading to economies of scale. Luxury features, now more commonly found on basic models, has helped raise brand values too. Hybrids are a factor for buyers who value environmental protection along with price and performance.

BrandZ also noted the varying ways that car manufacturers sought to reach consumers. Among US brands, Ram paid tribute to American farmers in its Super Bowl commercial. And while Ford has sought to reintroduce Lincoln, its Ford brand outreach efforts have been mostly through social media. GM’s approach, particularly with Chevrolet, has been to connect it with America’s past time, baseball.

Four Action Points

Millward Brown also identified four action points car manufacturers can take to advance brand valuations. With consumer expectations elevated, automakers can continue to demonstrate “seriousness” by improving quality and adding features. Otherwise, consumers may just as easily switch brands. Consumers are also looking for improved gas savings, while younger car buyers are typically looking at a car as a necessity, not a status symbol. Lastly, carmakers should continue to look to the east (Asia) as that is where the greatest growth opportunities lie.

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