Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit Platinum 2015 Review

Anyone familiar with the Grand Cherokee range will already know that the line-up offers a fair amount of bang for your buck. Compared to its European rivals the Grand Cherokee includes a generous level of equipment as standard fit, leaving options to a choice of paint colour or maybe a couple of DVD screens for the kids [Ed: you can add another $2500 to the list price for that pleasure on the Jeep].

Now, Jeep has loaded its new limited-edition WK-series Grand Cherokee Summit Platinum with not only one of the longest nameplates in the business, but a surfeit of technology and equipment well worth the $78,000 (plus on-road costs) asking price.

The figure sees the GCSP almost top the Grand Cherokee range locally, slotting in above the $74k Overland and just under the $82k SRT-8. It may seem like a lot of money, but when you view it against a similarly specified German SUV, the savings are in the tens of thousands of dollars.

For the money – and this list in no way details every item the GCSP features – the limited-edition model adds acoustic front, rear and second-row window glazing, body-colour lower body trim as well as mirror caps and door-handles, unique 20-inch alloy wheels and a host of other Platinum Chrome exterior enhancements including accents for the grille, lower fascias, side sills, foglight bezels, rear step pad and front door badging.

It also comes with illuminated 'Summit' door sills and a deluxe Berber carpet cargo compartment floor mat, in addition to the extensive equipment list of the Grand Cherokee Overland luxury flagship, as well as Active Noise Cancelling technology which Jeep says lowers cabin noise by as much as 10db(A).

Like a pair of fancy brand-name headphones, the noise cancelling technology uses a series of microphones placed throughout the cabin and transmits a frequency to 'block' the frequencies we hear as noise. These include tyre, wind and driveline noise, each attenuated via the GCSP's standard 825-watt, 19-speaker, 12-channel-amp and three sub-woofer-equipped harman kardon audio system.

This is a pearler of an audio unit – especially if you have a penchant for high-fidelity sound or bass-rich beats. Playing via DAB+ digital radio or via Bluetooth, the system drives an extraordinary volume of crisp high ends and dense, thunderous lows through the cabin – all completely distortion free and without the interruption of unwanted ambient noise.

The top-drawer Grand Cherokee is powered by a direct-injected 3.0-litre turbo-diesel built by Italian manufacturer VM Motori and makes a decent 184kW and Ford Falcon XR8 rivalling 570Nm. We use that comparison quite purposefully, as the overtaking response of the GCSP is very V8-like, being both swift and almost entirely effortless.

Delivering drive to all four wheels via a decisive eight-speed automatic, the heft of torque comes on strong and smooth, and with plentiful abundance. It's a vehicle whose performance belies its 2327kg (tare) weight with grunt on tap at all times, and in all conditions.

Feeling the road beneath the GCSP is, however, a little tenuous at times. The steering offers a lot of weight but little in the way of feel or feedback. It's a capable beast for its size all the same, but a few degrees more communication through the tiller would really deliver the level of confidence needed to pilot it more accurately.

However, it's not like the GCSP is a slouch when it comes to handling. Get your head around the steering and the body responds honestly to corner input, feeling well supported on its adjustable dampers with little in the way of pitch and roll. The trade-off is that the ride is a little brusque, though we suspect the fitment of 20 x 8.0-inch alloys shod with 265/50-series rubber does little to help the cause.

If you prefer a firmer ride, you'll probably also appreciate the GCSP's supportive heated and cooled electrically-adjustable leather seats and heated leather and woodgrain steering wheel. Personally speaking, the steering wheel felt a little odd in the transition from leather to varnish as you twirl it from left to right, but the accessibility of infotainment and radar cruise control settings from the wheel are thoroughly welcomed.

The Jeep's voice recognition is also spot-on and like the infotainment and nav systems is easy to use. Little touches like electrochromatic (self-dimming) mirrors all the way around and auto headlights and wipers that function entirely as expected are also appreciated. A shame then the foot-operated park brake all-but omits the dead pedal (there's a bump in the carpet instead) and that some people may find the narrow windows a little hard to see out of.

As a five-seat family hauler and potential tow vehicle (braked towing capacity is 3500kg) the GCSP would make a handy companion. Oddment storage is great for those holiday road trips and with 782 litres of cargo space offered behind an electrically-operated tailgate, the hauling prospects of Jeep's luxe lugger are pretty plain to see. It's also pretty plain to see at night with fantastic headlights and a uniformly dimmable cabin aiding night vision no end.

The GCSP offers a reasonable level of off-road ability though on this occasion we didn't venture off the black-top. I'd suggest the low-profile rubber could make venturing beyond the tar a little uncomfortable, though the auto-levelling Quadra-Lift air suspension and Selec-Terrain Quadra Drive II 4WD system will certainly help you get as far from civilisation as any similarly-specified rival.

On test the GCSP returned an average fuel consumption figure of 7.8L/100km in mixed town and highway driving. With a 93-litre fuel tank that number gives the Jeep a theoretical range of nearly 1200km.

In spite of seven airbags and a suite of electronic driver aids, the GCSP only receives a four-star ANCAP safety rating (based on EuroNCAP testing of the diesel left-hand drive model). The result was hampered by what ANCAP describes as "marginal protection from serious chest and leg injury" in the event of an offset frontal collision. It's a point worth noting when shopping the Jeep against its nearest rivals (see below), two out of three receiving a full five-star score [Ed: the Land Rover Discovery has not been tested since 2006 and received a four-star result].

On the whole, I actually really enjoyed my week in the GCSP. It's a potent yet economical SUV with a rugged look and a practical, user-friendly attitude. The level of bling and tech for the coin is truly impressive and that engine – that engine! – just has to be one of the best turbo-diesel units on offer anywhere outside of Land Rover.

2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit Platinum pricing and specifications:
Price: $78,000 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo-diesel
Output: 184kW/570Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 7.5L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 198g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Four-star ANCAP