Best Off-Roader – the Jeep Grand Cherokee 2.7 CRD

The Jeep Grand Cherokee has won a tough test to be crowned the best off-road vehicle in the world by Britain 's top four-wheel-drive publication 4x4 Magazine . In a unique shootout of ten of the top-selling five-door 4WD vehicles in the UK , 4x4 Magazine declared the Jeep Grand Cherokee 2.7 CRD the “World's Best Off-Roader” by a clear and decisive margin.

The luxurious Grand Cherokee left all-comers in its wake, as it mastered a series of real-world tests in the rugged Welsh hills conducted by independent four-wheel-drive experts, to gain 193 points out of a possible 250 – nine points clear of the second-placed Toyota Prado.

By the end of the exercise, the judges were in no doubt that the Jeep Grand Cherokee deserved its top place.

“This test was not about just driving the vehicles through the biggest mud-hole we could find,” declared John Carroll, editor of 4x4 Magazine. “It was about measuring their competence in a true off-road environment.

“Our judges felt that Jeep's Grand Cherokee stood out as being the most capable go-anywhere vehicle. The vehicle's coil-spring suspension and Quadra-Drive system puts it in a different off-road league to the other and makes it a worthy holder of the World's Best Off-Roader Title.”

And the fact that one of the judges is an admitted keen Land Rover fan underlines the performance and ability of the Jeep Grand Cherokee – his personal favourite, the Land Rover Discovery finished a distant sixth place in this shootout.

All contenders were assessed on key off-road criteria, including suspension flexibility, approach/departure angles, ground clearance and axle articulation. Then they were put through testing off-road challenges, where the Grand Cherokee really showed its abilities by being the only vehicle to successfully complete the tough hill climb - on standard road-going tyres!

Here in New Zealand , the Grand Cherokee 2.7 CRD joined the Jeep line-up last year and has proved itself as a superb all-round performer in our own testing conditions.

The flexibility of the 2.7-litre, 5-cylinder engine and smooth automatic transmission provide an ideal combination with the rugged Quadra-Drive four-wheel-drive system and long-travel coil suspension.

Yet, tough as it may be, the Jeep Grand Cherokee has all the luxury and comfort demanded by discerning 4WD buyers, featuring full leather upholstery, climate air conditioning, concert-quality sound system among its lengthy list of standard equipment. Thus proving that you don't have to sacrifice luxury and comfort for true off-road performance. And all for just $77,900.