Honda restyles CR-V from cute-ute to cuter-ute for 2007
VANCOUVER, B.C. — Honda has redesigned its CR-V for 2007, equipping the compact crossover SUV for another generation of maneuvering deftly through the competitive battleground against all sorts of competitors, both old and new.
Wearing an entirely different appearance, the new CR-V looks a lot more like a compact MDX, from upscale cousin Acura’s styling chambers, than a progression from the existing 2006 CR-V – which met every user-friendly target, but left styling to more upscale models. Uncharacteristic though it may be for Honda to make major styling changes for the sake of style, the CR-V is a bold departure from the pragmatic, form-follows-function approach.
The best thing the recent gasoline-price scare did was to cause a dramatic turn away from large, oversized, overpriced, and overpowered SUVs. Sanity apparently has taken hold. Consumers are well aware the next fluctuation might take us up toward $4 gallons, but even if prices drop to $2, it simply makes good sense to find a family-hauler vehicle in a more cost-effective manner.
Honda resisted the urge that caused Toyota to lengthen the RAV4 by 14 inches, stuff a third-row seat in the rear, and add a V6 under the hood. Honda chose to keep the CR-V where its compact roots were planted, with two rows of seats, and with fully adequate 4-cylinder power. In fact, the new CR-V is actually 3 inches shorter than its predecessor, just by moving the spare tire off the rear door.
The automotive media assembled a couple of months ago in Vancouver for the CR-VÂ’s press introduction, then we were ordered to withhold our opinions for nearly six weeks, so that the vehicles could start heading for dealerships before our opinions stirred up potential demand. The previous CR-V appealed to young families, and to the wives/moms most of all because of its easy and sure-footed four-wheel drive handling in foul weather.
The first version was Honda’s first SUV attempt, and it became a universal success as it went through one modest styling revision, selling over 2.5 million copies altogether in 160 countries, while being built in seven different countries. In fact, it led the segment with 15,000 unit sales for July. Honda officials foresee a 119 percent increase in the “CUV†– for Crossover Utility Vehicle – segment by 2010, at which time it also suspects it will be second only to the large pickup trucks in the non-car side of the market, as usual segment-leaders such as Escape and Jeep Liberty are joined by the Jeep Compass, Dodge Caliber and Nitro, the Ford Edge, and a fleet of other newcomers.
Christina Ra, CR-V project manager, said that buyers of the previous generation CR-V responded to market research by saying they thought the vehicle was just right, and were indifferent to its styling. “But those who didn’t buy it said that styling was a drawback that caused them to look elsewhere,†Ra said.
The newly top-hinged tailgate acquires some tastefully contoured creases and bulges. Same for the side silhouette of the car, where the roofline tapers at the rear, and encases the rear side window outline, which now is something of a hairpin-shaped oval. I suggested to chief engineer Mituru Horikoshi that before his time, we had something called a 1953 Buick coupe that had a similar rear window curvature. Poor fellow. He never knew whether I was praising, joking, or just being properly cynical, and I wasnÂ’t about to try to break down the language barrier as regards sarcasm.
“The old model appealed mostly to stylish young moms, whose major concerns were her personal career, her family, and her husband and friends,†said Horikoshi. “We wanted to expand the appeal of the new CR-V by making it more advanced and emotional – a ‘coolÂ’ SUV that is fun to drive and fun to use – with a more dynamic stance.Ââ€
To do that, the new CR-V got more than a new look. Positioning the engine and transmission lower, relocating the spare tire underneath where it no longer blocks any rearview mirror view, and widening the track, all contribute to a lower center of gravity, which aids handling agility and safety.
Safety is a high priority item at Honda these days, and to achieve the five-star crash-test ratings it seeks, the new CR-V construction boasts of 58 percent high-strength steel, giving it the rigidity of the larger Accord. HondaÂ’s ACE (advanced compatability engineering) crashworthiness allows the new CR-V to stand up well even in severe impact tests with HondaÂ’s Ridgeline pickup truck.
{IMG2}
While the more rigid structure improves safety characteristics, an obvious exponential benefactor is handling. Front suspension is a MacPherson strut design similar to the new Acura RDX sporty-SUV, while the rear suspension has a larger stabilizer bar and a rear multilink suspension similar to the very impressive Civic. The combination means the CR-V sweeps around the tightest curves and responds precisely to steering and swerving input. We drove a couple different CR-Vs hard through some seriously tight curves up through the mountains from Vancouver to Whistler and back, and power and handling were improved from the previous CR-V to a firmness that almost qualifies as sporty.
The 2.4-liter 4-cylinder has HondaÂ’s iVTEC variable-valve-timing technique in place, maximizing power and efficiency. Its 166 horsepower is up 10 from the old one, and peaks at 5,810 RPMs, with 161 foot-pounds of torque at 4,000 RPMs. The 5-speed automatic transmission reads driving habits as it decides on shiftpoints, and cruising speed in fifth gear has been lowered from 2,758 to 2,162 revs, which will improve gas mileage. The revised all-wheel-drive system is primarily front-wheel-drive, but can shift up to 70 percent of total torque to the rear wheels whenever traction gets dicey up front.
If I had a complaint, it would be that there is no available auto-manual shift gate, or steering wheel paddles, with the automatic. Honda apparently wants to make it sportier, but doesnÂ’t want to make it too sporty. The first two versions of the CR-V had a manual 5-speed as a base implement. That is no longer available, simply because fewer than 3 percent of buyers chose it.
The front-wheel-drive base model LX gets the same drivetrain as the upscale EX, and has EPA estimated fuel economy of 23 miles per gallon in city and 30 mpg highway. The all-wheel-drive models are estimated at 22 and 28. Compared to the well-equipped LX, the EX adds a sunroof, alloy wheels and an upgraded audio. Above that is the EX-L, which adds leather upholstery to the EX, and the top model is the EXL-Nav, which adds a navigation system. Prices are in the “low-$20,000 range†for the base model, up to about $26,000 for the EX, with the navigation system, and backup camera video readout, a $2,000 option.
A redone interior takes on the attractiveness first shown in the 2006 Civic models. Larger and more comfortable seats give the driver a height adjustment, and are aimed at reducing fatigue, it creates a pleasant occupant environment. Typically, Honda finds clever ways to use space. The second-row seats, which now fold down in 40/20/40 thirds, can fold and tumble down to a flat floor, and the center backrest folds down independently to be an armrest for the other two. The rear floor lifts and can be reinserted as a shelf, for convenient loading ideas, with the lower part being out of normal view. A 270-watt, 7-spearker audio upgrade is available.
Honda is as good as any company at walking the tightrope between keeping satisfied customers and attracting new ones, and thatÂ’s a major achievement when the existing model already sets such a high standard.
Reshaped BMW 3 Series Coupe adds turbo power
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF. — At the press introduction of the BMW 3-Series Coupe, a fascinating computerized display showed the 3-Series 4-door sedan morphing into the Coupe. The front changed a bit, the contours on the side changed over the front wheelwell, of course in the roofline, and on the other contours toward the rear.
Amazing. There is nothing in the shape or lines of the sedan that are identical on the Coupe. There has been some controversy over the design of BMW sedans, from the 7 Series to the 5 Series and even the 3 Series, which I think looks outstanding in its new form. But, typical of BMW, the plan is to wait a year or two, then bring out the Coupe version. In this case, any idea that the Coupe would just be a chopped off version of the sedan – the way the last few coupes have been – was pretty well eliminated by first glance at the Coupe. Then it was completely wiped out by the graphic.
Designer Udo Lindner explained that the lines and contours along the side were all put in place to accelerate the reflection of light as your eye passes over the shape. Interestingly, the front retains the closest resemblance to the sedan, while the rear is entirely different, wikth horizontal LED taillights. Everything is designed to accent the lower and wider stance of the Coupe, and it works.
To the surprise of nobody, pleasing as the CoupeÂ’s design is, the true pleasure comes from climbing behind the steering wheel. And the stunning performance of a new turbocharging system puts the new Coupe over the top of any performance scale.
But before getting to that, the lean, sleek shape of the Coupe is stiffened by 25 percent over the current coupe, even though the new car has been lightened by 22 pounds compared to the sedan. Thermoplastic front fenders, aluminum suspension components, and all sorts of weight-reducing features, including a magnesium steering wheel frame, have contributed to the performance diet.
The big news is that the Coupe will come to the U.S. in two forms – the 328 and the 335. The 335 is the hottest news, but again, before getting to it, let’s recognize that the 328 is a formidable vehicle, with 230 horsepower at 6,500 RPMs and 200 foot-pounds of torque at 2,750 RPMs from its 3.0-liter inline 6. That’s the same engine BMW has been using for years, as the standard of the industry for a smooth-running, flexibly powerful engine. It has been thoroughly revised several times, the most recent of which is to adapt to BMW’s superb double-Vanos variable valve-timing scheme, and now to be rebuilt out of a cast combination of magnesium and aluminum.
The 328 gets another special treatment, and that is an all-wheel-drive system that BMW has upgraded to be much quicker in transferring power from rear to front, and power distribution is now 100 percent variable between the axles.
The 328 base price is $35,995, while the 325 with all-wheel drive starts at $37,795. The customers who simply canÂ’t live without all the potency these autobahn screamers can muster will ante up $41, 295 to get the 335i.
The 335 starts with the same 3.0 inline 6. BMW engineers have taken not one but two turbochargers, affixing one to three of the cylinders and the other to the other three, each summoning up their exhaust-driven compressor-spinning power to force extra air-fuel mixture into the pistons by direct injection. The two turbos work in concert, much like a variable-flow turbo might work. The result is 300 horsepower at 5,800 RPMs and 300 foot-pounds of torque, regulated to come to apeak as early as 1,400 RPMs and stay on a plateau all the way to 5,000.
In comparing the two models, the 328Â’s 230 horses are up 46 from the 2006 model, and the torque reading of 200 is an increase of 25. ThatÂ’s enough to send the 328 from 0-60 in 6.2 seconds, which would seem fast enough to the normal shopping center sortie. The 335, however, represents an increase of 75 horses and 86 foot-pounds to reach its 300 figures, compared to the 2006 330 Ci. The 335i Coupe goes 0-60 in 5.3 seconds with the 6-speed stick shift, and 5.6 seconds with the 6-speed Steptronic automatic.
That automatic can be used with a manual shift gate, and, if you order the Sport Package, optional steering wheel paddles can come along for the ride. The Steptronic model gets an EPA estimated 20 miles per gallon city and 29 highway, while the stick gets 19 city and 28 highway. If it comes to living up to the EPA estimates, apparently itÂ’s assumed the heavy-footed types will be stomping on the stick more than the auto.
{IMG2}
Tossing the 335i Coupe around the steep hillsides up from Sausalito, where the morning fog never quite lifted completely from the Golden Gate Bridge, we went on to try some other prescribed curvy roadways along the mountain range inland, and back out to Bodega Bay, which is north of San Francisco on Hwy. 1.
The car handles with about what you’d expect from BMW – a company that has made the 3-Series the standard of high-performance handling in a street machine for 30 years, and 40 if you count the 2002 model, which was the standard before being replaced and renamed by the 3 Series in 1976 as a 1977 model.
Going to turbocharging may seem a dramatic move, but if BMW and Honda are arguably the best technical high-performance companies on the planet these days, there are top engineers at both that see turbocharging as a key to getting major power out of limited size engines without losing fuel efficiency.
Handling in the new car is enhanced by an aluminum front subframe with aluminum front suspension components, for a near-perfect 50-50 weight distribution on the front and rear axles. And the phenomenal Active Steering that debuted on the 5-Series is available on the new Coupe, adding to the quick-reacting precision of any steering input.
Features such as cornering lights, Xenon adaptive headlights outlined by those neat little rings for parking lights, adaptive brake lights, rain-sensing wipers, automatic climate control with separate left-right settings and bi-directional solar sensor to assure the interior temperature is retained, standard dark burled walnut wood trim, are all standard.
Options such as active cruise control, the Active Steering, Bluetooth capability for hands-free telephone use, iPod interface, leather upholstery, either grey poplar wood or light poplar natural wood, with brushed aluminum trim, heated front seats, a navigation system with voice command, a 13-speaker audio upgrade, can run the sticker price up there.
The Sport Package includes sport seats with adjustable side support, 18-inch wheels instead of the standard 17s, and a 155 mph speed limiter.
All of those options are impressive, and tempting. But even without ‘em, the new 3 Series Coupe is going to be a huge factor in any decision making by those seeking grace and class in a high-performance coupe.
New sedan gives Saturn line a whole different Aura
SANTA BARBARA, CALIF. — You could say that Saturn is taking on an entirely new Aura for 2007, and youÂ’d be correct, although you also might be arrested by the Bad Pun Police. The Aura is the name of SaturnÂ’s newest vehicle, a no-nonsense sedan that could indeed change the way consumers perceive the Saturn brand in particular, and General Motors in, ah, general.
Saturn started up when a group of loyal workers who believed General Motors could compete with the innovative technology of the Japanese companies was sent off almost as outcasts to defy corporate logic and prove their point. They did it, featuring advanced vehicles, attentive customer care and no-hassle pricing. They also aroused the envy of the other corporate branches, which demanded enough attention to detract from needed upgrades to Saturn models.
Before the proud Oldsmobile branch was discontinued, one Olds official – explained plans to me for upgrading the brand, and he repeatedly used the phrase “Saturnization of Oldsmobile.†Then he made me promise not to quote him using that phrase. Meanwhile, Saturn and its loyal customer base wound up languishing on the back burner for the next decade, as its products became dull and dated.
In its current corporate restructuring, GM has rejuvenated Saturn. The Sky roadster is the boldest new car, and it will have a high-powered version with a turbocharged engine as well, and new crossover SUVs will bolster the brand. But the Aura could become the focal point for all of Saturn, and it just might be the best sedan GM is building, this side of Cadillac, at least.
It is a front-wheel-drive sedan with spacious room in the rear seat and the trunk, and it is good-looking enough to take a real competitive run at Honda Accord and Toyota Camry buyers – which also includes those considering Mazda6, Nissan Altima, Volkswagen Passat, and other prime import sedans.
While GM is not without other sedans, its dependence on large truck-based SUVs has left its sedan fleet in the background. One of its latest advances involves the “epsilon†platform, which underpins the Chevrolet Malibu, Pontiac G6, Opel Vectra from Germany, and Saab 9-3 from Sweden. Opels don’t come to the U.S., and the Malibu and G6 are nice cars without high-tech engine choices, so I’ve said that the Saab 9-3 might be the best of that batch, because it gets a turbocharged 2.8-liter version of the Cadillac “high-feature†V6.
The Aura shares that epsilon platform, and if you choose the XR upgrade, you get the Cadilla engine – not turbocharged, but also not reduced from that full-size 3.6 displacement.
The introductory press drive was through the mountains adjacent to Santa Barbara, where we got a chance to wring out the new models pretty thoroughly. The base XE Aura comes with a 3.5-liter V6 with 12 valves from the pushrod family of corporate V6es. The XR comes from a whole ’nother branch, much higher on the GM family tree – the Cadillac-built dual overhead camshaft “high-feature†3.6-liter V6 with 24 valves.
The 3.5 has 224 horsepower with 220 foot-pounds of torque, and for those consumers who donÂ’t care about being high-tech, it will be fully adequate. For those who do care about having a high-tech engine (and why wouldnÂ’t you?) the 3.6 has variable cam timing on both intake and exhaust valves, and it puts out 262 horsepower and 251 foot-pounds of torque. ThatÂ’s enough to send the Aura winging from 0-60 in less than 7 seconds.
In addition, the base XE gets the old 4-speed automatic, while the XR gets the new 6-speed auto, with paddle shifters on the steering wheel. It is the first use of the 6-speed with a front-wheel-drive car. The stiffened chassis has struts up front and a four-link rear suspension, and it definitely feels more Saab-ish than Chevy or Pontiac-like. If it falls a bit short of an all-out sport sedan in handling, the Aura is a 3,600-pound vehicle.
The EPA estimates are 20 city and 29 highway miles per gallon for the 3.5 XE model, and the 3.6 is only a tick behind, at 20/28. My guess, however, is that GM is exceptional at coaxing big figures out of the EPA calculations, and after a few break-in miles, the 6-speed 3.6 might get better real-life fuel economy with the overhead-cam efficiency.
{IMG2}
As impressive as the Aura is, the price tag is remarkable. The XE starts at $20,595, and the XR at $24,595. The 3.6 engine is worth the difference, and beyond the standard 4-wheel disc brakes, the XR has bigger wheels (17-inch instead of 16), advanced audio, and StabiliTrak on top of the conventional traction-control.
A large, bold, silver insignia bar runs across the top of the grille, flanked by very large headlight enclosures that offer a distinct European (Opel Vectra?) appearance; the side silhouette has a sweeping roofline that is almost BMW-like; the rear has a high-rise trunklid with large angular taillights, not unlike the G6. The Aura rides on the elongated, 112-inch wheelbase of the Malibu Maxx, with very little front overhang.
While the Aura performs well, a significant effort has gone into the interior, where sound-deadening has been impressively executed from engine and suspension bushings, to double-walled acoustic glass, and even the decklid. All the latest safety inclusions enwrap the occupants, and Saturn designers insist that despite similarities to the attractiveness of the Opel Vectra, they were able to design the Aura from a clean sheet of paper.
One neat feature is the use of the six-section sunroof that tilts or slides to create an enormous opening. With it wide open, the Aura was still quiet enough to exchange conversation. With it closed, and the windows up tight, the car is almost eerily silent.
During my driving phase of the introductory test, I repeatedly rolled down the window, just so I could hear the powerful strains of that V6 engine revving toward its 7,000-RPM redline. We were, of course, driving the XR. Inside, we also had one stint in the optional Moroccan brown leather interior, which would be my choice of interiors. The Aura also comes with a choice of fake woodgrain or a brushed silver trim. IÂ’ll take the silver, because clean sheet or not, give me real wood or keep it out of my car.
Because the customer satisfaction and no-hassle pricing remain, there is plenty for the traditional Saturn buyer to appreciate. However, after walking in and seeing the Sky , customers might wonder what showroom theyÂ’ve entered when they get their first glimpse of the Aura. SaturnÂ’s brand new Aura, as they say.
Chevy Silverado, GMC Sierra revealed early for 2007
MILFORD, MICH. — It was just a couple of weeks after I had attended a concert by the renewed John Prine, and a bit after I had missed the chance to attend a concert by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, renewed at least for a lucrative concert tour, at least. So it seemed appropriate that a whole bunch of automotive writers dutifully responded to a summoning by General Motors to fly to Detroit and be whisked to the GM proving grounds for the first look at the completely renewed Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickup trucks.
We all stood around in a large tent, sipping coffee and munching fresh fruit and muffins, then we strolled down to a grandstand, tastefully covered with a tarp to protect us from the sun that was baking the 90-degree Michigan grass. GM honcho Rick Wagoner spoke, and so did truck boss Gary White, and then they came at us from around the corners and over the grassy hills – pickup trucks. Dozens of them. They were being driven empty, with regular cabs, extended cabs, crew cabs, and then came some with full beds, and others pulling trailers, from light to hefty.
They all came to predetermined spots and parked in front of us, as carefully choreographed as if they were named Crosby, Nash, Stills, Young, Silverado, Sierra, and Denali. And we all sat there on our folding chairs on the rows of risers, watching the multicolored array roar up to a stop. It was show-biz, pure and simple, so I could excuse my peers for applauding. These corporate introductions have reached the point where an array of company executives are on hand to applaud eagerly enough to prime the pump of sometimes skeptical journalists, who generally respond by also giving a hand to the arrival of the main “performer†being presented, even if we don’t like that particular song. Or those taillights.
This particular show was not part of the regular tour, and even though it was at the GM proving grounds, where weÂ’ve driven Corvette Z-06es, Impalas, Cobalt SSes, and even Saab 9-3s, for crying out loud, we were allowed to look but not touch. Actually, we could look AND touch, but we couldnÂ’t drive.
This was not a typical “introduction,†we’d been told, but a “reveal.†That means they were going to tip us all off to the wonderfulness of the first redesign of the corporate pickup trucks in nine years – a huge endeavor, without question. And in keeping with the show-biz concept, it truly was a preview of coming attractions.
General Motors has lived the good life through its large trucks – pickups and SUVs – and with the new “G900†platform coming out first as the underpinnings for the Tahoe, Yukon and Escalade last winter, the debut of the pickups has been long anticipated. The industry standard, year after year, is that the Ford F150 full-size pickup is the No. 1 selling vehicle in the automotive world, with the Chevy Silverado second. But as White pointed out, if you combine the Silverado and the Sierra, the GM twins outsell the Ford F150.
The current model, denoted as the G800, came out for1999, which means except for external alterations, the truck itself is somewhat long in the tooth. Or the chassis. In the time since the last new Chevy/GMC pickups, Dodge, Ford, Nissan, Honda, and now Toyota will all have come out with new large pickups. Each time, the advancements in computer-aided design have helped those competitive trucks get stiffer and stronger and more solid-feeling.
The GM folks have loaded up the Silverado/Sierra with features, which makes good sense in the face of the competition. GM claims the Silverado is the first pickup with two entirely different interiors, but the latest Ford F150 came out with two distinctly different interiors, including different instrument packages; the GM trucks features a 170-degree opening rear door on the extended-cab models, which is brilliant, and copies the Nissan Titan’s great innovation; the rear seat has been designed with storage space underneath, and flip-up seat for more room – very Honda Ridgeline-like; and aluminum grooves are located along the walls of the bed for versatility in locating tie-down anchors – also copied from a clever idea by the Titan.
Including such features isn’t a criticism of the GM trucks – in fact, it’s only smart to add the best features of you adversaries. The Silverado adds its own special feature with the addition of a rear window that power-rolls up and down.
All the usual features, such as interior revision, more head room, legroom and hauling capacity, the biggest news is how much stiffer the chassis is. One of the ironic good things about not being upgraded for so long is that while the GM twins had some quantum catching up to do, they also could display the largest leap in improved chassis specifications of any truck.
The frame, White said, is improved no less than 234 percent in torsional stiffness, and 62 percent in vertical bending stiffness. Taken alone, the hydroformed front section is 90 percent improved in stiffness. That shows tremendous technical capabilities by GM – and it also indicates that the outgoing pickup was as lacking in stiffness as some critics suggested.
Four different engines, from a 4.3-liter V6, to V8s measuring 4.8, 5.3, 6.0, and 6.2, give the trucks lots of power options, and with the 6.0 listed at 367 horsepower and 375 foot-pounds of torque, while the 6.2 – appearing in a new and flashy Denali version of the GMC – has 400 horsepower and 415 foot-pounds of torque. GM claims trailer towing capacities ranging from 4,300 pounds to 10,500 pounds, while payload capacities range from 1,564 to 2,160 pounds.
The enormous improvement in safety allows the new Silverado to incorporate great improvements in safety as well. An assortment of five different suspension systems and revised steering components share the spotlight with the new exterior looks and the new and fresh looking interior.
{IMG2}
In appearance, the front end shares a family resemblance to the SUVs, both the Chevy with the horizontal bar across the middle of the grille, and the GMC with the large open grille. Nice contours blend the headlights into the side of the fender flares, and a choice of regular cab, extended cab, and full crw cab, with various size beds, means you can pretty well configure a Silverado or Sierra as you choose.
The trucks were scheduled to come out around the first of the year, but it got moved up several months.
By moving it up, the trucks weren’t ready even for media drives. Hmmm, I hmmmed to several corporate types, so why bother moving them up to an August display? They dismissed my theory with assorted public relations feints, but finally I suggested to Ed Peper, Chevrolet’s general manager, that moving the “reveal†up by five months just happened to display the Silverado and Sierra comfortably one month ahead of the planned September introduction of the new and impressively large Toyota Tundra.
Anything to that coincidence? I asked Peper.
“We’ll do whatever we have to, and make things as tough for our competition as we can,†said Peper, with a smile.
Such competitive fire may be a lot like an old song from a reunion concert, but regardless, itÂ’s good to see a big-shot from Chevrolet cutting through the PRspeak to sing a competitive refrain.
SRT8 puts Grand Cherokee onto SUV fast track
When the venerable Jeep brand came under Chrysler Corporation, and then DaimlerChrysler, many skeptics thought it might be the demise of the popular off-roading icon. Instead, the brand has flourished and expanded to the point where 2007 promises to offer the widest variety of Jeep vehicles ever, with quality and diversity that Jeep lovers never could have anticipated.
Amid the crop of Wranglers, Grand Cherokees, and Commanders, Jeep is adding compact twins Compass and Patriot for 2007. But the Grand Cherokee by itself has gone beyond the recently upgraded and renovated family hauler with two extreme models. On one hand, you will be able to buy the Grand Cherokee with an optional Mercedes turbodiesel that should push it up among the leaders in SUV fuel economy. On the other, you can find the Grand Cherokee SRT8.
The SRT8 includes an enlarged, fire-breathing Hemi V8 massaged by Chrysler GroupÂ’s Street and Racing Technology team, and suspension, handling and styling tweaks. It is guaranteed to NOT be among the leaders in fuel economy. But hey, at least Jeep offers the high-mileage alternative of the world’s cleanest diesel, unlike some competitors who boast of high EPA estimates but rarely reach 15 miles per gallon.
In the dog days of a 100-degree 2006 summertime, letÂ’s deal with the SRT8, just for fun, because fun is what it’s all about, and the fun is measurable several ways — audible, spinal, sensual, and visual.
Visually, the SRT8 has flares and bulges and contours and side sills and spoiler edges exclusive to the model, and its meaningful front end says “Jeep†with its vertical-bar grille, but it says it with a shout that has never before been heard by the brand. Same with the rear, where two giant tailpipes stick out right in the middle of the rear bumper – right where a tow hitch might normally be. Don’t worry, a tow hitch can still be affixed, for those who want to tow things in a hurry, but we aren’t going to complain about the flashy appearance of the bright chrome twin pipes.
The test-vehicleÂ’s pearlescent silver-white paint, which fairly glowed, added to the visible impact by accentuating all the contours more subtly than some of the more dramatic colors IÂ’ve seen on it. If the looks contribute to the sensual impact of the Grand Cherokee SRT8, other elements run the sensual part of it right on up to overload.
The “spinal†measure is involved when you happen to be in one of the well-bolstered leather bucket seats, and you find out exactly how well-bolstered they are when you, or someone else, stomps on the gas and shoves your back hard against the backrest.
The “audible†portion adds to the overall sensual pleasure whenever someone stomps on the gas. ItÂ’s best, of course, when you do it yourself. Even then, it should be mandatory that you have the audio system — and the windows — cranked down. The sound of that big Hemi is that sweet, a blast of rumbling, low-throated thunder that smooths out as its pitch rises at just about the same rate as the speedometer needle climbs, although your perception is that your velocity will soon outdistance the sound.
Of course, others sharing the road with you will also be able to capture the audible part of the SRT8’s assets, because – trust me on this – you will have left them behind, where the business end of those chrome exhaust pipes will be blowing sweet music at them.
The looks are good, but the main sensual impact of the SRT8 is the vehicle’s response to the input of your right foot on the gas pedal. True, it also handles well, corners hard, stays flat and shows a curvy-road agility that can’t be anticipated, even by Jeep fans familiar with the rock-crawling mountain-goatness of the vehicleÂ’s Wrangler cousins. But the rate of “go” is still startling.
You already could get a Hemi in the Grand Cherokee, a 5.7-liter garden variety, if any Hemi can be so described. It converts the Grand Cherokee from a utilitarian vehicle into a potential hot rod, and obviously must have been what caught the fertile imagination of those white-smocked fellows who pretend to be working while having such fun as SRT engineers.
The SRT8Â’s Hemi is, instead, a 6.1-liter expansion of the 5.7, carefully crafted to push the performance envelope upward and outward, to 420 horsepower and 420 foot-pounds of torque. You have to be precise to extract maximum horsepower, because it peaks at 6,200 RPMs, which just happens to coincide with the redline limit of engine revs. The torqueÂ’s prodigious peak comes at 4,800 RPMs, so you can run the revs up swiftly, then try to keep the revs between 4,800 and 6,200 between shift points.
You will only do that a couple of times, of course, before you will be attracting plenty of attention, and unless you are on a dragstrip, a closed course, a German autobahn, or the Bonneville Salt Flats, you will run completely out of “legal†in a few seconds.
While your sports-car-powered friends have been spending a ton to try to find cars that will go 0-60 in less than 6 seconds, the SRT8 will go 0-60 in 4.5 seconds. It has been tested over quarter-mile runs at 104 miles per hour, in a mere 13.2, which is modified Super Stock drag-racing territory. The Grand Cherokee SRT8 needs more than a quarter-mile to show all its stuff, though, because it also will hit a top speed of 155 mph. Large disc brakes at all four corners will promptly haul you back down to zero, without a parachute.
{IMG2}
The Grand Cherokee itself was vastly improved a year ago, transformed into the tightest, best-looking and best-built Grand Cherokee ever. Loading up the Grand Cherokee with options can put it up there in price with other mid-size SUVs, but those other SUVs are nowhere near as special as the SRT8. It starts at $39,995 – or, “under $40,000†as the marketing folks like to say. If you dip liberally into the option bin, you can find enough interesting additions to get the sticker up to $45,000 or so, but no matter how much you want to spend for it, you’re still getting a genuinely unique member of the SUV cult.
The metamorphosis of a Jeep model into such racy territory is intriguing, because Jeeps were hauling troops across impassable terrain in World War II and Korea before kids in the U.S. started souping up cars to racing trim. The SRT8 shows that Jeep has not only kept track of where the automotive trends have brought us, it has decided to join the fun.
All that power is controlled by a beefed-up 5-speed automatic, with Autostick, which lets you switch into a manual gate and click right to upshift, left to downshift. Being a Jeep, the SRT8Â’s main concession to Jeepdom to make sure all four wheels get to join in. Jeep has several 4-wheel-drive systems, with the test vehicle having the Quadra-Trac Active on-demand system. A clutch in the center differential alters the split of torque, varying how much power is sent to the front when you attempt a burnout with the rears.
The high-performance suspension, plus stability bars fore and aft, are complemented by ESP – the Electronic Stability Program – and quicker-tuned steering improves the SRT8 Cherokee’s swervability, and 4-wheel traction control further keeps it on the ground. Standard 20-inch, chrome plated 5-point alloy wheels further improve stability. Goodyear Eagle RS-A EMT tires – 255/45R on 9-inch wide wheels in front and 285/40R on 10-inch width rears – also grip the corners well enough to make the SRT8 feel far more agile than its 4,794 pounds would indicate.
The Cherokee SRT8 is firm enough to let road irregularities be transmitted to your steering feel, which is altogether fitting and proper for a vehicle that intends to focus on performance. Towing capacity is still 3,500 pounds, and you still have room to haul the neighbor’s daughter, with her dogs in the rear. Folding the second seats down, you can slide large sheets of plywood into the rear. It is safe to say that no other piece of plywood ever had as much fun being hauled home from MenardÂ’s. Or made it there as swiftly.
About the Author
John Gilbert is a lifetime Minnesotan and career journalist, specializing in cars and sports during and since spending 30 years at the Minneapolis Tribune, now the Star Tribune. More recently, he has continued translating the high-tech world of autos and sharing his passionate insights as a freelance writer/photographer/broadcaster. A member of the prestigious North American Car and Truck of the Year jury since 1993. John can be heard Monday-Friday from 9-11am on 610 KDAL(www.kdal610.com) on the "John Gilbert Show," and writes a column in the Duluth Reader.
For those who want to keep up with John Gilbert's view of sports, mainly hockey with a Minnesota slant, click on the following:
Click here for sports