2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee Gets Gussied Up for New York Auto Show

Jeep chose the New York Auto Show to unveil the all-new 2011 Grand Cherokee, the latest version of the what Jeep calls, “the original premium SUV.”

With a pleasant and masculine exterior, the real big difference is inside where the cabin gets a significant update. In fact, the leather on the model shown at the New York Auto Show looked so good it had people asking if the vehicle was a concept. As well as leather seats, the interior of the Grand Cherokee will get leather door inserts and a leather on the dash as well as well as genuine wood accents.

Other interior amenities includes heated and ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, power lumbar, a back-up camera and a power tilt and telescopic steering wheel with a memory function.

The cabin is also more spacious with 4 more inches of rear-seat leg room. Surprisingly, cargo room is also up with 36.3 cubic feet.

In terms of performance, the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee will come with a choice of two engines. The first is a 3.6-liter V6 with 280hp and 260 ft-lbs of torque. This engine makes 33 percent more hp than the old V6 and 11 percent more torque, while at the same time averaging 11 percent better fuel economy.

Of course, a 5.7-liter HEMI V8 is also offered with 360hp and 390 ft-lbs of torque and a maximum towing capability of 7,400 lbs.

Several different drivetrain options are available with a Quadra-Trac I, Quadra-Trac II and Quadra-Drive II with a limited slip differential offered. The latter two layouts come with Jeep’s Select-Terrain system with five different terrain settings for ideal control. The settings are: Auto, Sand/Mud, Sport, Snow and Rock.

One of the most exciting innovations on this new model is the Quadra Lift air suspension, which can lift the vehicle by 4.5-inches to acheive a maximum off-road clearance of 11.1-inches.