Henley
12-14-2001, 07:19 PM
One thing about Jeep: It hasn't forgotten where it came from. Nobody in the car business is quicker to declare their birthright (eg, fish-eyed concepts with names like Willys and Jeepster) or more opportunistic about it (eg, a tacky tie-in with HBO's Band of Brothers miniseries).
Jeep has decided to play the heritage card with the Grand Cherokee model by evoking the Overland name - as in Willy's-Overland, one of the originators of the Army vehicle and the company that turned "jeep" into "Jeep". Positioned above the limited, the Grand Cherokee Overland sports seventeen inch alloy wheels, unique bumpers, and metallic paint; inside, there's suede-and-leather upholstery, real redwood trim, side curtain air-bags, and a ten disc CD changer. Functionally, the Overland features Jeep's QuadraDrive four wheel drive system, and a hotter version of the 4.7 liter SOHC V8.
The engine (which is optional on the limited) is a definite honey. At 265 horsepower and 325 pound-feet of torque, the high output V8 is a significant 30 horses and 30 pound feet more powerful than the standard V8. The Overland surges away from stoplights in a satisfying, almost muscle car manner, and highway passing maneuvers are particularly effortless.
Unfortunately, this newfound hustle isn't matched by body control. Pitch, dive, sway and wobble follow driver inputs, even at moderate speeds. Such behaviour is nothing new for the Grand Cherokeee, but the Overland's 4364 pound curb weight and standard Up-Country suspension package exacerbate the condition.
Although the name harks back to the origin of the species, the Overland is really a trip back to the 1990s. In those halycon days, the flagship model was Jeep's sales darling year after year, no sticker price seemed too high, and product planners busied themselves dreaming up ever-pricier versions, such as the Orvis edition, and the 5.9 limited. Today, though, the Grand Cherokee lives in a different world, with far more competition and price resistance, and the $37,000 Grand Cherokee seems like an exercise in wishful thinking.
Jeep has decided to play the heritage card with the Grand Cherokee model by evoking the Overland name - as in Willy's-Overland, one of the originators of the Army vehicle and the company that turned "jeep" into "Jeep". Positioned above the limited, the Grand Cherokee Overland sports seventeen inch alloy wheels, unique bumpers, and metallic paint; inside, there's suede-and-leather upholstery, real redwood trim, side curtain air-bags, and a ten disc CD changer. Functionally, the Overland features Jeep's QuadraDrive four wheel drive system, and a hotter version of the 4.7 liter SOHC V8.
The engine (which is optional on the limited) is a definite honey. At 265 horsepower and 325 pound-feet of torque, the high output V8 is a significant 30 horses and 30 pound feet more powerful than the standard V8. The Overland surges away from stoplights in a satisfying, almost muscle car manner, and highway passing maneuvers are particularly effortless.
Unfortunately, this newfound hustle isn't matched by body control. Pitch, dive, sway and wobble follow driver inputs, even at moderate speeds. Such behaviour is nothing new for the Grand Cherokeee, but the Overland's 4364 pound curb weight and standard Up-Country suspension package exacerbate the condition.
Although the name harks back to the origin of the species, the Overland is really a trip back to the 1990s. In those halycon days, the flagship model was Jeep's sales darling year after year, no sticker price seemed too high, and product planners busied themselves dreaming up ever-pricier versions, such as the Orvis edition, and the 5.9 limited. Today, though, the Grand Cherokee lives in a different world, with far more competition and price resistance, and the $37,000 Grand Cherokee seems like an exercise in wishful thinking.