One of the most iconic American car brands, Jeep has always been a symbol of ability and power. Since 1992, one of the brand’s most iconic cars has been the Grand Cherokee, which has been with us for three decades now. After spanning four generations over thirty years, the 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4Xe marks the beginning of the fifth generation for the mid-size SUV. The Grand Cherokee has been an excellent SUV throughout its life, and the 2022 model has only improved on the outgoing generation.
While the standard Grand Cherokee focuses on off-road driving and the top-of-the-line Grand Cherokee Trackhawk is a track monster with its 707-hp engine, it’s the Grand Cherokee SRT that bridges the gap between the two variants. A performance-focused SUV that offers all the practicality of a larger vehicle with the speed, power and performance of a track-tuned SUV, the SRT is the perfectly reasonable choice that is mighty impressive in its own right. While Jeep has ditched the Trackhawk and SRT models in 2022 in favor of the new Grand Cherokee 4Xe, the SRT remains a phenomenal choice for gearheads to take home as a sign of the age of the combustion engine, which is soon fading away. So here are ten reasons why every gearhead needs to consider taking home a Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT.
10/10 The Grand Cherokee SRT offers serious, naturally aspirated performance
In its last avatar, which was the 2021 model year, the Jeep Grand Cherokee proudly housed a massive V8 engine under the hood. The Grand Cherokee has always been equipped with power, and the 2021 SRT was no less.
Equipped with a 6.4-liter V8 engine, the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT makes 475 horsepower and 470 lb-ft of torque, despite facing a market that has quickly turned to electrification or turbocharging for more power.
9/10 The Grand Cherokee SRT is a stunningly fast SUV
The Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT weighs a whopping 5,194 lbs, but the 6.4-liter engine makes quick work of its weight. With a phenomenal 0-60 time of 4.4 seconds despite its 5,000 pounds, the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT’s acceleration can put many modern sports cars to shame.
The SUV can reach a top speed of 180 miles per hour, which is a lot of power and acceleration, but even the Grand Cherokee SRT is a lot of SUV, too.
8/10 A practical cabin also makes the Grand Cherokee SRT family-friendly
The Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT’s track credentials in no way detract from its practicality, and the SUV is also a viable choice for families. A spacious cabin allows 40.3 inches of legroom in the front row and 38.6 inches of it in the rear bench.
With 36.3 cubic feet of cargo space with all seats up, the Grand Cherokee SRT’s cargo space goes up to 68.3 cubic feet with the rear seats down. All in all, the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT is a capable SUV, but its performance numbers never let the vehicle compromise its practicality.
7/10 The Grand Cherokee SRT comes loaded with technology
Although the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT is a performance-oriented vehicle that proves its chops on the track, the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT doesn’t skimp on gadgets and technology inside the cabin. In fact, Uconnect, Jeep’s infotainment system, is definitely one of the more well-designed infotainment systems on the market today.
The menu icons are sharp, the user interface of the Uconnect infotainment system is smooth and intuitive, and the display itself does not distract the driver from the road. Undeniably, the Grand Cherokee SRT, especially in its upper trims, such as the Red Vapor edition, offers luxury on par with contemporary SUVs.
6/10 The excellent track credentials of the Grand Cherokee SRT do not sacrifice comfort on the road
While the SRT shines on the track, it’s just as impressive on the road, thanks to Bilstein adaptive dampers that come standard on the SUV. The Grand Cherokee SRT also does quite well. Sure, its German rivals may have the upper hand in the handling department, but only by a small margin.
Drivers feel a sense of security behind the wheel of the Grand Cherokee SRT, thanks to the weighted steering wheel that is very good at communicating feedback from the front tires.
5/10 Jeep offers an abundance of safety features on the Grand Cherokee SRT
When it comes to a big, bad SUV that you can toss around in, safety features must also be on the vehicle. In addition, the Jeep Grand Cherokee can also be a family SUV, making the safety of your loved one all the more important. That’s why the Grand Cherokee SRT’s five out of five star safety rating is impressive.
Many safety features on the SRT such as adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking system, lane departure warning and lane keeping assist are standard. There’s also a reassuring optional 5-year (or 60,000-mile) warranty on the SRT’s powertrain.
4/10 Its off-road prowess makes the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT more capable than rivals
All its performance doesn’t mean the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT is a complete dud when it comes to getting off the tarmac. The SUV comes with five different driving modes namely Auto, Sport, Track, Snow and Tow. There is also a custom setting for you to play around with.
Thanks to the Quadra-Trac Active On-Demand 4×4 system that the SRT uses, it’s far more capable on unpaved surfaces than its rivals like the BMW X5 M50i or the Mercedes-AMG GLE 53. The truth is, there aren’t many that will to consider taking it off-road, for fear of damaging the beautiful wheels.
3/10 The Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT has a remarkably strong towing capacity
One could be forgiven for thinking that all the focus on performance and track-oriented specs would make the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT forget its actual duties as an SUV. However, that is far from the case.
The Grand Cherokee SRT has a maximum towing capacity of 7200 lbs, which is quite strong, especially compared to European rivals in the same segment. This means you can hook up your trailer and drive off with great ease, as your SRT would hardly break a sweat.
2/10 The raw symphony of the Grand Cherokee SRT’s V8 engine is music to our ears
We are soon approaching an era where V8 and V6 engines are slowly becoming a rarity. On top of that, cars that come with these big engines often have some form of electrification to help them on the road, and to focus on fuel efficiency.
Naturally aspirated V8 engines are thus quite rarely seen, but the Jeep Grand Cherokee scratches that itch, and quite well. Not only does its naturally aspirated V8 develop great power, it also sounds phenomenal when it does. A deep, guttural growl from the exhaust turns heads wherever the SRT goes, and to petrol heads, it’s nothing but music.
1/10 The Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT is much cheaper than its European competitors
One of the biggest points in favor of the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT is that compared to European rivals like the X5 and GLE 53, it’s much more affordable. The SRT, with its $71,000 tag, is much easier on the pocket compared to the Bimmer which sells for $82,800 in its V8 avatar and goes all the way up to $105,900.
Compared to the AMG GLE 53, which comes with an inline-6 engine rather than a V8, the SRT is still cheaper by nearly $10,000. The competition isn’t that far ahead of the SRT when it comes to fuel economy, either, meaning the money you’d save on SRT vs. Merc or BMW is going nowhere. Undeniably, the Grand Cherokee SRT is an absolute powerhouse, and gearheads need to think twice or thrice before writing it off as a gas-guzzling big car.