How much is too much? Is everything in life better in moderation or are some things greater with no holds barred? In Morgan Spurlock's 2004 American documentary film, he went on a month-long McDonald's binge whereby the only foods he consumed three times a day and in super sized portions were items off the fast food joint's menus.
Spurlock's gastronomical experiment, which shed light on the stereotype that everything is big in America, left him overweight and lethargic. Americans are known to have a knack for most things larger than life and Jeep's latest update on its mammoth Grand Cherokee SRT8 (Street Racing Technology) is the automotive equivalent of an upsized Big Mac meal - massive, too much to handle for some but tempted to have a go at by everyone.
This facelift retains the best parts of the SRT while improving on areas that hindered it from taking the Germans head-on. But unlike the supersized Spurlock, this capricious cruiser behaves in every way but lethargic.
Welcome again, to the land of the free and the home of the V8.
Up close and Personal
Performance Sports Utility Vehicles (SUV) have never really been built as pageant queens. Instead this segment of beasts should come forth as tough and menacing, particularly when they dog the footsteps of smaller vehicles.
Since Jeep's previous design has already had that menacing allure on lock, changes to the SRT's exterior are subtle. Up front, they come in the form of an upper grille that has been shortened in height and LED headlamps that are slimmer in size.
Together with a lower front fascia that is now tweaked, the SRT bears an even more premium look without taking away its signature menacing appearance.
Adjustments to the rear consist of larger tail lamps featuring Jeep's signature LED lighting and a more aerodynamically designed rear spoiler to mimic the frontal revisions, giving the SRT a harmonious stylistic appeal.
Cabin layout generally remains the same but receives a few modern fixes. Replacing the old multimedia system is a Uconnect 8.4-inch touchscreen display that hosts a myriad of SRT-exclusive Performance Pages such as recent track records, lateral acceleration and century sprint timings - all of which can be shared with other SRT owners via a built-in 3G connection.
Other differences include a T-handle shifter that allows the driver to select between the regular Drive and Sport mode along with an SRT-exclusive heated three-spoke, flat bottomed steering wheel. Look beyond that and you will also find a modernistic gauge cluster reworked with a configurable multiview 7.0-inch instrument display screen.
The
Drive
Gone is the five-speed gearbox that retarded the SRT's performance capabilities and in its place is a fully electronic German-made eight-speed ZF automatic transmission. This drivetrain improvement is probably the biggest and most crucial revision that the SRT needed to put it on par with the Germans.
Size is the name of Jeep's game and the closet Murican in us rejoice at the delightful sight and sounds of the SRT's 6.4-litre HEMI V8, which now delivers 470bhp and 630Nm of torque.
Supported by the assistance of its launch control system, the SRT goes flat-out from 0 to 100km/h in 4.8 seconds while serenading you the with song of its wonderful V8.
Depending on your driving requirements, the Selec-Track system operated by a performance-tuned software allows for five dynamic driving modes - Track, Sport, Auto, Snow and Tow. With the addition of the Track mode, more torque is delivered to the rear wheels under hard cornering and acceleration.
Drive
Gone is the five-speed gearbox that retarded the SRT's performance capabilities and in its place is a fully electronic German-made eight-speed ZF automatic transmission. This drivetrain improvement is probably the biggest and most crucial revision that the SRT needed to put it on par with the Germans.
Size is the name of Jeep's game and the closet Murican in us rejoice at the delightful sight and sounds of the SRT's 6.4-litre HEMI V8, which now delivers 470bhp and 630Nm of torque.
Supported by the assistance of its launch control system, the SRT goes flat-out from 0 to 100km/h in 4.8 seconds while serenading you the with song of its wonderful V8.
Depending on your driving requirements, the Selec-Track system operated by a performance-tuned software allows for five dynamic driving modes - Track, Sport, Auto, Snow and Tow. With the addition of the Track mode, more torque is delivered to the rear wheels under hard cornering and acceleration.
Alongside improved capabilities, Jeep's mating of a rumbling powerplant to the eight-speed ZF doles out a level of performance on the SRT in a way that you soon forget it's an SUV.
Conclusion
Jeep's refinements to the Grand Cherokee SRT8 make it a car that has the brains to match its brawns. Unfortunately, there will still be a majority that find the SRT excessive and blunderous.
However, if you are someone who craves ballistic straight-line performance without compromising on the capabilities of a large SUV, then this plus-sized $378,000 (as of 21st August 2015) American beauty may just be right up your alley.
Conclusion
Jeep's refinements to the Grand Cherokee SRT8 make it a car that has the brains to match its brawns. Unfortunately, there will still be a majority that find the SRT excessive and blunderous.
However, if you are someone who craves ballistic straight-line performance without compromising on the capabilities of a large SUV, then this plus-sized $378,000 (as of 21st August 2015) American beauty may just be right up your alley.
