Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk 2018 Review

The 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk treads an impossibly fine line: it's a fully featured large SUV with heaps of clever tech and impressive comfort, yet it will happily tackle the vast majority of challenges encountered by most recreational off-roaders.
The 'Trailhawk' moniker is reserved by Jeep for its most off-road-ready variants in a given range – you'll also find Trailhawk versions of the Compass, Cherokee and Renegade – and as such in Grand Cherokee form it comes with a dedicated four-wheel drive driveline (Quadra-Drive II 4x4, in Jeep-speak), with dual-range transfer case and electronic limited-slip diff, and adjustable air suspension (or Quadra-Lift).

Then there's the terrain management system (Selec-Terrain), hill descent/ascent control (Selec-Speed), and a range of other off-road features, like twin front recovery points, all-terrain tyres, significant underbody protection and sturdy rubber floor mats.

Add to that stats like a 29.8-degree approach angle (which can be increased to 36 degrees by removing the lower front fascia), a 22-degree rampover angle, a 27-degree departure and a 508mm wading depth – and ground clearance that can increase from 205mm to 260mm – and the Grand Cherokee Trailhawk's abilities extend far beyond the school run or ducking down the shops…

While the interior has the space and comfort you'd expect of a large SUV, in Trailhawk guise there's also Nappa leather and suede-trimmed seating, red contrast stitching on the seat, doors and console, and piano black appliques, while outside you'll find special Trailhawk badges, 18-inch alloys, and a matt black anti-glare bonnet decal.

The Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk is priced from $76,950 drive-away. The Trailhawk variant is only available with Jeep's 3.0-litre V6 turbo-diesel (184kW/570Nm) with an eight-speed automatic transmission.

For that outlay the Grand Cherokee Trailhawk comes with a comprehensive list of features, spanning everything from heated and ventilated front seats with lumbar support, electric adjustment and (for the driver) memory function, to a heated steering wheel, customisable TFT instrumentation, and 8.4-inch multimedia touchscreen. The latter features integrated sat-nav, Bluetooth streaming and a sound system with DAB+ digital radio and Apple Carplay/Android Auto, all piped through a nine-speaker Alpine stereo.

For adventurous families and couples, the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk has much to offer. As the author recently discovered on a weekend trip to Victoria's Grampians National Park, this vehicle seamlessly blends off-road prowess with comfort, on-road performance, space and safety, and all with a comprehensive suite of modern features into the bargain.

It's large enough to cart around a family of four or even five with ease and still has a sizeable boot. For couples, the second-row 60:40 split-fold seating folds flat in an instant to create a massive storage area that swallowed all our camping and photographic gear – even two bulky double-size 4WD sleeping mats – and we liked touches like the rear power outlet, power tailgate and the tie-down points set into the floor.

Prospective buyers of all persuasions will appreciate the extensive suite of active and passive safety systems, including autonomous emergency braking, radar cruise control and blind-spot monitoring, plus complementary systems like the reversing camera (with a clear display with predictive guides) and front and rear parking sensors, automatic park assist, and tyre-pressure monitoring.

The Grand Cherokee Trailhawk also has a healthy fuel range courtesy of a sizeable 93-litre tank – another asset when far from the madding crowds.

It's too refined to be classed as a hardcore off-roader, but the Trailhawk's electronic set-up has the smarts to get you over, through or at the very least around some significantly tricky terrain, and the push-button interface and dedicated 'off-road pages' display on the touchscreen (with incline, driveline information and more) makes it all very simple to use.

To that end, it's perfect for anyone who likes to go bush, but who also wants to take their creature comforts with them – it's the vehicular equivalent of a tradie in a tuxedo; a practical and capable type who's still ready and willing to get his hands dirty, despite the classy attire…

However, the Grand Cherokee Trailhawk is also a complex bit of gear with myriad electronic systems, and that may put off those who prefer more basic off-roaders, arguably with less to go wrong out in the sticks.

That aspect is also thrust into prominence by the Grand Cherokee's unwanted mantle of Australia's most recalled vehicle, with the current WK2 generation having been recalled 20 – yes, 20 – times since its introduction in 2011.

There have, however, been two major updates since then and the 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee has been recalled just twice, so things appear to be improving, but those negative associations will prove tough to shift.

Partially alleviating those concerns is the Grand Cherokee Trailhawk's five-year/100,000km factory warranty, with lifetime roadside assistance provided the vehicle is serviced through the Jeep dealer network.

Service intervals are pegged at every 12 months or 20,000km, whichever comes first.

As a large SUV it's also a sizeable beast, and although there's reasonable performance to get the Trailhawk's 2340kg (tare) bulk motoring (8.2sec to 100km/h, says Jeep), its 12.2m claimed turning circle (kerb-to-kerb) does make it a little unwieldy around town, especially when parking.

The 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk is available in Jeep dealers now.

The model is available in Bright White as standard or the metallic hues (add $895) of Granite Crystal, Billet Silver, Velvet Red, Diamond Black Crystal, Redline or Rhino.

The target market for the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk is well defined: smaller families (five members or under) and couples who want stylish, fully featured city transport through the week, tempered with weekend escapes and holidays in the bush.

The model also has significant appeal for those who wish to take a variety of toys along for the ride, as the Grand Cherokee Trailhawk's 3500kg braked towing limit will (when fitted with the accessory tow hitch and an electronic brake controller) accommodate a wide range of caravans, camper trailers, boats, horse floats and more.

With its pricing and off-road ability, the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk faces off against the likes of Toyota's LandCruiser Prado, Mitsubishi's Pajero Sport, Ford's Everest, Isuzu's MU-X, Holden's Trailblazer, Nissan's Pathfinder, and Land Rover's Discovery.

Within the broader Jeep Grand Cherokee range, the Grand Cherokee Trailhawk (from $76,950 drive-away) is priced above the Laredo (from $48,950 drive-away) and Limited (from $64,950 drive-away), but below the Overland (from $85,232 drive-away) and well below the 'high-performance' Grand Cherokee models, the Grand Cherokee SRT (from $99,116 drive-away) and the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk (from $145,980 drive-away).

We love the sheer scope of this Jeep – it's got just about all the features you could want in terms of comfort, convenience and safety, yet it can also lay claim to some serious off-road potential courtesy of its driveline and air suspension.

The latter allows the vehicle to settle down low for entry and exit, before rising to any of three other height settings – one for road travel, and two for off-road exploration. Jeep claims maximum ground clearance of 260mm in the most extreme off-road setting, but we measured a massive 290mm underneath the rear diff (when unladen).

Remove that front fascia to achieve a 36-degree approach angle, and together with its four underbody skid plates it's ready for some serious off-road action.

The suspension does a great job on the road, too. With the suspension in its lowest 'Aero' on-road setting, the Grand Cherokee Trailhawk displays only minimal body roll through the bends for a large SUV, while still affording a compliant, controlled ride over a range of road imperfections.

The off-road ride height settings can only be maintained, however, at lower speeds – travel over 68km/h and the vehicle will automatically drop down to its road setting. This annoyed on some roads in the Grampians, which were smooth enough for faster travel yet still had the odd pothole or wash-out that caught us out.

While the accelerator is a little sensitive right off the bottom – something to which you acclimatise soon enough – otherwise the Grand Cherokee Trailhawk delivers solid performance. After all, there's a hefty 570Nm on tap, and good grunt from low down in the rev range, making it a willing companion over slow-speed, technical terrain.

The cabin's noise suppression is excellent, with active noise cancelling helping to deliver a remarkably quiet interior, only encroached upon marginally by the muted growl of the V6 turbo-diesel under load. General cabin comfort is also exemplary, the only black mark concerning the foot-operated park brake, which leaves the dead-pedal area a little cramped.

This weekend Grampians getaway underlined just how flexible in application and effective Jeep's Grand Cherokee Trailhawk can be. If you can see past the current generation's recall history, the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk is a capable, comfortable and practical proposition – one equally at home in the city or out in the bush.

How much does the 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk cost?
Price: $76,950 (drive-away)
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo-diesel
Output: 184kW/570Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 7.5L/100km (ADR Combined); 10.0L/100km (as tested on-road); 13.5L/100km (as tested off-road)
CO2: 198g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star ANCAP (2014)