Jeep shoots and scores with the new Grand Cherokee

Hunting and fishing might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but next weekend SUV enthusiasts might want to toddle on down to the CLA Game Fair to check out the new Jeep Grand Cherokee.

From July 22-24, the event will be held at Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire and Claire Zambuni will be there as the Grand Cherokee brand ambassador. In case you’re not familiar with Claire’s work, she is regarded as one of Britain’s leading women in shooting and is listed in The Field’s magazine’s 100 Best Shots Ever.

But enough about country pursuits, we’re far more interested in what the Grand Cherokee has to offer (and our own hound would rather lie by the fireplace than chase wildlife. He may be the world’s first hippie hound...).

Jeep has caught on to the UK diesel boom and this new Grand Cherokee will be more economical and greener than its predecessor. The new 3.0-litre V6 CRD diesel engine lets the car go from 0-62mph in 8.2 seconds (a ripping figure for such a large car), has a top speed of 126mph and pumps out 237bhp. But the combined fuel economy is an impressive 34mpg.

The Grand Cherokee’s starting price is £36,795 OTR and the full-bells-and-whistles version, the 3.0-litre CRD V6 Overland is £43,995. Zambuni herself says it is a great city and country car - time will tell whether there is still a market for serious SUVs in frugal Britain and it will be interesting to see how many are used for country pursuits and tough terrain and how many will be spotted sparking clean in London.





By Georgia Lewis

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