Jeep Grand Cherokee 2013 Tow Test

The Fiat Chrysler Group is trying to change the way Australians view Jeeps with its current catchy ‘I bought a Jeep’ advertising campaign and while it’s clearly aimed at female buyers and Jeep’s smaller on-demand 4WD Compass model, there’s some useful rub-off at the top end of the range.

It’s a tag line we got very used to over our 8000km tow test of the very latest Grand Cherokee when we gave it the most exhaustive tow test yet conducted in Australia, hauling a brand new 3.2 tonne concept Ascot SX luxury caravan up the bitumen to Port Douglas and back to Melbourne.

In our case, the advertising line might well have challenged the idea of putting the Audi Q7, BMW X5 or Mercedes-Benz ML ahead of such an upmarket luxury van, for in its top Overland spec the latest Grand Cherokee makes an interesting and considerably cheaper alternative where a combination of serious towing power and sleek city looks are combined with a genuine off-road ability.

While the previous Grand Cherokee CRD with its Italian-sourced 3.0-litre V6 turbo-diesel punching out 550Nm from 1800-2800rpm and 177kW at 4000rpm was a great tow tug, the latest turbo diesel Grand Cherokee with the same 3500kg braked trailer tow rating, is simply better.

In its 2014 update released in early July, the Grand Cherokee comes with a punchier version of the same V6 engine, tweaked and recalibrated to deliver 7kW more power at the same revs, but a storming 570Nm of torque now peaking at 2000rpm.

However the killer stroke is the fitting of ZF’s latest eight-speed automatic transmission that has since been announced for the updated Land-Rover Discovery 4, replacing the Jeep’s previous five-speed auto.

It’s hard to over-emphasise what a different these three figures mean when mated for towing. No matter what the revs, the transmission shifts seamlessly and almost imperceptibly to keep the engine on the money at any speed, with no evidence of turbo lag or frustrating convertor lock-up which effectively emaciates Nissan’s similar V6 turbo-diesel fitted to the top-spec Pathfinder and Navara models.

From the outset we determined that a true 95km/h on the flat inland route to North Queensland via Bourke, Charleville and Charters Towers was a realistic travelling speed for our rig and after experimenting with manual selection and maintaining this speed manually, we eventually set the (excellent) cruise control, only over-riding it on hills and for overtaking situations.

We noticed no discernible difference in fuel consumption over hanging in the higher gears in the transmission’s sport mode and while our diesel consumption got as high as 18 litres/100km on one section, by the time we had unhitched at Port Douglas our average for the first 3500km was an outstanding 14.5l/100km. And this is towing a 3200kg caravan with tow vehicle weighing a tad over 2300kg.

By the time we got back to Melbourne it had averaged just under 17L/100km, a legacy of head winds and hilly terrain most of the way home. Yet unhitched the Jeep can be expected to travel more than 1000km on its 93.5 fuel tank, sipping 7-8L/100km at a cruising speed of 100km/h.

Despite the weight disparity in favour of the tail, rather than the dog, the rig felt rock solid at speeds up to (and a couple of times beyond downhill) the 110km/h open road limit in NSW and Queensland.

Interestingly, the Ascot SX has Al-Ko's excellent ESC electronic stability control fitted as standard, but a mix-up at Jeep saw the car’s 12-pin flat plug incorrectly wired to engage it, so we travelled with old fashioned SOTP (seat of the pants) stability control!

There was one moment on the Newell Highway when we had to do a classic lane-swerve to dodge a piece of steel pipe dropped in the centre of our lane from a preceding truck, but there was no sway-on effect and nothing to be concerned about, even at 85km/h.

A lot of the credit must go here to the Ascot’s great wedge-shaped design, which makes it commendably aerodynamic for a van measuring nearly nine metres from tip to tail and also its new strengthened A-frame and well-sorted roller-rocker tandem leaf spring suspension, which plays a large part in its stability, but the Jeep feels as stable as other vehicles weighing considerable more.

In fact I hate to admit it, but it actually felt better and more stable towing the same van than my personal 2008 model Land-Rover Discovery 3 TDV6, although that may be a different story with the latest Disco 4 model.

Overtaking was never an issue and with the Grand Cherokee we could accelerate our 5.5 tonne rig whenever required for passing on divided roads and up hills, a luxury few fellow travellers have when hauling a van of this size.

Concept specifies a ball weight of 316kg for the 22ft 6in Ascot SX and being fully loaded with water tanks full equipment on board for a six-week exodus, ours had all of that and more.

However the Grand Cherokee Overland’s standard Quadra-Lift air suspension with its five height settings took it in its stride without any other load-levelling assistance – though Jeep does specify a weight distribution system when the towing load exceeds 2268kg – and the van sat level and rock solid all the way north.

We didn’t even raise the rear tyre pressures from their recommended 38psi and once up to a cruising gait, the suspension lowered itself by 13mm to ‘Aero’ mode, further improving our ability to cheat the wind.

When parked, we dropped the suspension to Loading height and this left the Ascot nice and level for overnight stops without unhitching, while the higher suspension levels were employed to assist hitching and unhitching and to jockey the tail of the van up and down to negotiate steep service station driveways.

The Grand Cherokee is also a very comfortable tow vehicle, even on its relatively low profile 20-inch tyres. Its leather seats are adjustable in every direction and include a movable lumbar support and despite driving up to nine hours a day at times, I never got a numb bum.

Of course it’s not perfect. I really disliked the foot-operated parking brake, mainly because it doesn’t release automatically when you drive off, as does the electronic park brake on my Land Rover Discovery 3 (or even the latest VF Commodore models).

And the central gear selector often leads you into Park or Neutral when what you really want in a hurry is Drive or Reverse. You really need to watch either the selector or dashboard display to work out the gear you are in, ensuring your foot is on the brake when going from forward to reverse.

And while those 20-inch wheels look great, replacement tyres are few and far between away from the main cities. At least the spare tyre is a real one, not a space saver.

But the best thing about the Grand Cherokee is that away from its towing duties it’s a real and very capable four-wheel drive, with a true low-range and a programmable terrain selection system that should rarely see it wrong footed. Yet it’s sleek and stylish when it needs to be in the heart of the city.

Probably its closest market rival with all these abilities is the Discovery 4, but I suspect that many people will shop it against an Audi, BMW or an ML. For $71,000 plus on-road costs the Overland is a well built, well finished, more capable off-road and a much cheaper option than any one of this trio.

Price Guide (recommended price before statutory & delivery charges): $71,000
Fuel: Diesel
Claimed fuel economy (L/100km): 7.5
CO2 emissions (g/km): 198
Towing capacity (unbraked/braked): 750kg/3500kg
Tow ball mass maximum: 350kg