Introduction

The Grand Cherokee comes in three trim levels, the Laredo, the TSi, and the Limited. Until 1996, when the Ford Explorer and Mercury Mountaineer debuted with V8 engines, the Grand Cherokee was the only sport-utility in its class to offer a V8 engine option, a significant piece of marketing one-upmanship in the highly competitive segment of so-called compact SUVs. While the Jeep still had the most powerful V8 offering last year, a 5.2-liter V8 with 220 horsepower, the game is different this year. Jeep went and one-upped the competition again with this new model, the 5.9 Limited, which uses a 245-hp 5.9-liter engine that develops a whopping 335 foot-pounds of torque. For 1998, there is a small group of minor improvements to the 7-year-old Grand Cherokee: Wrangler HP tires, driver and passenger air bags, a new ignition key lock and new Dark Saddle and Agate interior colors. Also available for 1998 is the sporty Grand Cherokee TSi package which was introduced at midyear in 1997.

Walkaround

The entry level Grand Cherokee is a Laredo, a two-wheel-drive, 4-door model with a 4.0-liter inline 6-cylinder engine and 4-speed automatic transmission. The lineup builds from there to the TSi, and 5.2-liter V8 Limited models with 4-speed automatics. For those who want the power and the space without the complexity and weight of a four-wheel-drive system, the low-volume two-wheel-drive model is also available with the 5.2-liter V-8 engine option. With the addition of the 5.9-liter V-8, the Grand Cherokee offers more drivetrain variations than any other sport-utility on the market. While no manual transmission is available on the Grand Cherokee, there are two drive systems available: Selec-Trac, which has a fixed ratio of torque split between front and rear axles, and Quadra-Trac, which normally puts all the torque to the rear axle but can automatically shift torque fore and aft at any split between zero and 100 percent, so that the torque always goes to the tires that have the best traction. The 5.9 Limited comes only with the Quadra-Trac system. Grand Cherokee comes with a large load of standard equipment, including air conditioning, power steering, power brakes, power mirrors, power door locks, 10-way power seats with power recline and lumbar systems, tinted glass, remote locking/security system, leather trim, tilting column, speed control, aluminum wheels, premium AM/FM/cassette stereo, fog lamps, a roof rack, alloy wheels, a security/entry system, both floor and overhead consoles. The Limited package adds heated seats, a power sunroof, and an upgraded sound system with 3-band graphic equalizer. The Grand Cherokee 5.9 Limited features a new exhaust system that reduces back pressure by nearly 25 percent, with a 3-inch chrome-plated exhaust tip. Unique 5.9 Limited exterior features include a grille with a mesh insert, hood louvres, body-colored sill molding, P225/70R16 Wrangler tires, chrome badging, 16-inch Ultra Star aluminum wheels and a roof rack. The 5.9 Limited's three exterior colors are Bright Platinum, Stone White, and Deep Slate. Also new on the 5.9 Limited is the 46 RE transmission, a high strength output shaft on the existing 249 transfer case, an electric engine cooling fan and a high-output 150-amp alternator.

Interior Features

The interior of the 5.9 Limited has features such as premium leather seat inserts, sunroof, spare tire cover with storage, a new 180-watt Infinity audio system amplifier with 10 speakers, 60/40 rear seat with fold-down armrest, birdseye maple woodgrain trim, leather trimmed door bolsters and armrests, as well as a leather-covered console armrest. From the left front seat, the Grand Cherokee 5.9 Limited is easy to figure out and easy to deal with. The instrument panel seems to be running out of space to put the various switches and controls for all the power options. The typical Jeep white-on-black instruments with blue, green and orange accents, are easy to scan and very good at night The leather chairs are very comfortable for long rides, and have a very wide range of power adjustments, with a two-person memory feature for the seats, radio stations and outside mirrors. The clear instrument covers and some of the plastic elements used in the interior are too shiny and glary for our tastes. If the Grand Cherokee has a handicap it is lack of interior space when compared its competition. While the interior is nicely done, the truck is built on a narrow Jeep platform and that dictates and governs how much space is available for shoulders, hips, heads and legs, and, behind the second seat, how much space awaits the cargo loads a truck like this will encounter. Compact sport-utilities that came onto the market after the Grand Cherokee boast much larger interior layouts and more usable space in the cargo area. Having said that, the Grand Cherokee 5.9 Limited, which is done up in soft, cushy leather and faux wood, offers quite a pleasant environment for four people and their collective stuff, or two adults and three kids. We wouldn't stretch it to five adults, though, at least not for long rides. The interior simply isn't roomy enough for five people.