A premium version of the Jeep Grand Cherokee has gone on sale in New Zealand.
It is the new Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland, which adds further luxury appointments and under-stated style to underscore the heritage of the Overland name.
Priced from $83,990 the Overland's sumptuous soft-touch interior and elegant platinum-accented exterior take the Grand Cherokee to a new level of sophistication.
The Overland name is reserved for special vehicles as a tribute to the century-old Overland Company of Toledo that eventually became Jeep after World War Two and whose original production facility was still making some Jeep models until earlier this year. At the beginning of the 20th Century Overland was regarded as a car for refined ladies and gentlemen and the tradition is carried on today through the latest Grand Cherokee model.
The interior of the Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland delivers bespoke ambience, with enhanced trim, offering:
Available colors include: Medium Slate Gray and Dark Khaki with contrasting Light Graystone.
The exterior of the Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland model is distinguished from the Limited model through platinum accents on the honeycomb mesh front grille; mirror housings; roof rack side rails; rear bumper; lift gate light bar, side-window trim and body-side mouldings. The Overland sits on 18-inch, ten-spoke alloy wheels.
"It is pleasing to see the return of the Overland name, which was very successful for us when it was part of the previous Grand Cherokee range," says Brett Aspden, General Manager of the Chrysler Group of DaimlerChrysler New Zealand.
"The understated luxury of the Overland edition adds another dimension to the Grand Cherokee, paying homage to the heritage of the Jeep brand and its Overland roots, putting customers in touch with that rich and proud history."
For the first time, New Zealand buyers of the Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland can choose between petrol and diesel power - the previous Overland model was only available with a 4.7-litre V8 petrol engine. The 3.0-litre V6 Common Rail Diesel provides a superb combination of performance and economy (10.2L/100km combined fuel consumption), together with extremely low emission levels, thanks to the standard fitting of a particulate filter in the exhaust system. The 5.7-litre HEMI® petrol engine delivers raw power for those who require the performance and pulling power of a 240kw V8, yet it also has a frugal side through the use of MDS technology that switches off four of the eight cylinders when cruising or at low throttle settings.
Both engines are matched to a smooth five-speed automatic sequential drive transmission and have the benefit of the Quadra-Drive II full-time 4x4 system that instantly tells when any wheel is losing traction and sends power to the remaining wheels. Only a limited number of Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland vehicles will be made available in New Zealand, ensuring its select status.
