The highly anticipated Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 has arrived in New Zealand with a reputation as the most powerful Jeep vehicle ever produced and among the fastest in its class.
This new addition to the Jeep Grand Cherokee range has just gone on sale in New Zealand priced from $91,990.
So how fast is the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8? It will scorch from 0-100km/h in less than 5 seconds, and complete a quarter-mile in less than 14 seconds. That puts the Jeep deep into supercar territory.
The Grand Cherokee SRT8 is the product of the Chrysler Group's performance centre, Street and Racing Technology, hence the SRT name. They have developed some of the highest performing vehicles in the world, including the Dodge Viper SRT10, Dodge Ram SRT10 (both powered by V10 engines) and the recently launched Chrysler 300C SRT8.
The new Jeep and the Chrysler SRT8 models have one thing in common - their 6.1-litre V8 HEMI engine, the source of their spectacular performance.
The 6.1-litre HEMI delivers a 25% power lift over the 5.7-litre V8 used in the standard Jeep Grand Cherokee. In addition to having 313kW (420hp) of power on tap it also provides an outstanding 569Nm of torque.
"On paper, the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 numbers are simply staggering and the anticipation for this vehicle among our customers has been extraordinarily high," says Brett Aspden, General Manager for the Chrysler Group of DaimlerChrysler NZ Ltd. "We have already sold our initial allocation and dealers are ordering more stock to meet demand."
In creating the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8, the Street and Racing Technology team didn't just go for grunt, they applied a balanced approach, resulting in a vehicle that combines speed with agility, comfort and sophistication.
"When we set out to create the most powerful Jeep vehicle ever, the Grand Cherokee presented us with an incredibly capable starting point," says Dan Knott, Director - Street and Racing Technology. "With an infusion of SRT DNA, the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 is our new benchmark performance SUV. It has outstanding raw power, while providing exceptional ride and handling, world-class braking, race-inspired interior appointments and functional, performance-oriented exterior enhancements."
Key to the performance is the specially tuned version of the 6.1-litre SRT HEMI engine. Inspired by the original family of HEMI engines, the 6.1-litre HEMI employs the namesake hemispherical combustion chambers that provide power and efficiency, while retaining classic HEMI visual cues, ie orange-painted cylinder block and black valve covers.
The engine achieves its additional power by adding more cubic inches, increasing the compression ratio, and redesigning the cylinder head, intake and exhaust systems for better flow and increased engine speed. The diameter of the cylinders was bored out by 3.5mm each to increase the total displacement to 6.1 litres from 5.7 litres. The compression ratio was also increased to 10.3:1 from 9.6:1, increasing engine efficiency and power.
Other modifications include new higher-flow cylinder heads, a specially designed intake manifold; fresh air induction system; exhaust headers with individual tubes encased in a stainless steel shell; larger-diameter valves and reshaped ports in the heads; performance-oriented camshaft profiles; sodium-filled exhaust valve stems; reinforced engine block, forged steel crankshaft, high-strength powdered-metal connecting rods, floating-pin pistons (cooled by oil squirters); and an oil pan modified to manage oil return to the pan sump at high engine speeds.
The Grand Cherokee SRT8 wouldn't be a Jeep without four-wheel-drive but it required a totally new system capable of handling the massive power and torque. SRT engineers developed a purpose-built transfer case with heavy-duty electronic full-time four-wheel-drive system components. "We wanted acceleration characteristics that only four-wheel drive can provide," Knott says. "Our goal was to have a well-balanced vehicle with a high fun-to-drive percentage. The SRT-developed electronic four-wheel-drive system is perfectly suited to this."
Chassis design is aimed at balanced performance with SRT-tuned dampers, unique sway bars and specially tailored spring rates and suspension bushings. Ride height 24mm lower than other Grand Cherokee models, which lowers aerodynamic drag, as well as the centre of gravity and contributes to the vehicle's stability and aggressive stance.
The Electronic Stability Program (ESP) has also been specially calibrated for enhanced safety.
Further contributing to its aggressive stance, the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 is fitted with forged 20-inch five-spoke aluminum wheels shod with high-performance, wide, run-flat 255/45/20 tyres contributing to the SRT8's stability.
The braking system of the all-new 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 is designed to provide a counterpoint to the vehicle's awesome launch and acceleration. All four wheels feature four-piston performance brake calipers developed by Brembo and finished in gloss black. These calipers clamp down on 360 x 32 mm vented rotors up front, with 350 x 28 mm vented rotors in the rear.
Photo Caption: The new benchmark performance SUV: Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8
For further information contact:
Brett Aspden
General Manager
Chrysler Group NZ
Phone 09-573 7800
or John Ellegard
Stanford James PR
Phone 09-815 0589
Mobile 021 975 452
