Jeep Grand Cherokee Owners Love It Just the Way It Is

SUV Wins 2011 AutoPacific Ideal Vehicle Award for Meeting Owner Demands

Curtisy of by Cambridge PR Group via http://readme.readmedia.com/Jeep-Grand-Cherokee-Owners-Love-It-Just-the-Way-It-Is/2959159

BRAINTREE, MASS. (08/22/2011)(readMedia)-- Every year, automotive research and consulting firm AutoPacific puts together its Ideal Vehicle Awards (IVA), which shine light on vehicles that most live up to owner demands. This year, the redesigned 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee topped the Mid-Size Sport Utility category because its owners find little lacking in the SUV they left Jeep dealerships with.

To determine its 2011 IVA winners, AutoPacific surveyed 72,000 vehicle owners from the 2011 model year on 15 specific attributes they may want to change, ranging from exterior styling to driver visibility and handling. After the dust settled, the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee had an Ideal Vehicle score of 1,207 out of 1,500, beating out the Nissan Xterra and Dodge Nitro, which rounded out the top three. The Grand Cherokee's top score means it is the vehicle that owners least want to change in the Mid-Size Sport Utility category, with drivers particularly pleased with its new styling, seat comfort, ride and exterior size.

"People who buy a Jeep Grand Cherokee are buying an icon that has evolved to meet today's driving needs," said Eric Ao, general manager of Quirk Chrysler Jeep, a Greater Boston Jeep dealer. "They know what the Grand Cherokee offers, and that's exactly what they want, so it's no surprise that they wouldn't want to change anything about their ride later on."

With a fresh design for 2011, the Jeep Grand Cherokee has been racing up the sales charts, most recently posting a 76 percent increase in sales in July when compared with the same month last year. So far this year, the SUV's sales are up 107 percent, making Jeep's Grand Cherokee its second best-selling vehicle behind its other off-road icon, the Jeep Wrangler.

The most noticeable part of the 2011 Grand Cherokee's redesign is its sculpted exterior styling, which is both rugged and sophisticated, giving the vehicle a more luxurious air overall. That trend continues inside with high-quality materials used throughout the interior, including available two-tone leather, newly designed seats and best-in-class rear-seat legroom. A spacious interior means more cargo room as well, and the Grand Cherokee can fit anything from mountain bikes to camping gear thanks to its 68.7 cubic feet of space once the rear seats are folded. Even with the rear seats occupied, there is 35.1 cubic feet of space left for gear.

Jeep engineers did not neglect the Grand Cherokee's drivetrain during its refresh either. The vehicle includes a new standard Pentastar 3.6-liter V6 that twists out 290 horsepower and is paired with a five-speed automatic transmission with new components that allow drivers to manually select the top transmission gear range. Even with its size and power, the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee still returns a respectable 23-mpg on the highway, giving the SUV a driving range of up to 500 miles on a single tank of gas.

"With Jeep's redesign of the Grand Cherokee, capability has never been as comfortable," Ao noted. "The Grand Cherokee takes all the off-road technology that Jeeps are known for and wraps them in a sophisticated, refined package that is on par with any other luxury SUV. The only difference is that when the road ends, the Jeep can keep going where the others can't."

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