You can see a European American from afar
The fifth generation Grand Cherokee catapults Jeep to a new level. But how good is it next to an Explorer, a model from a brand that has been preparing American cars for Europe for decades? Roy put them next to each other
Isn’t it really an American car, such a Jeep Grand Cherokee?
Jeep has such a well-known name that many people use that brand name to indicate a type of car. “My neighbor bought a Jeep from BMW”, if one means an X5, for example. However, the brand’s actual sales have never been extremely high. Too American in size, in terms of driving and in terms of emissions. Especially since our BPM is based on CO2, the American models have been sparse. But as part of the Fiat Chrysler group, Jeep also became part of the Stellantis group and the brand is getting a new chance in Europe. Partly thanks to a car like the Renegade, it was a kind of Peugeot 2008/Fiat 600 E with a Jeep sauce. But also in the higher segments. The new Jeep Grand Cherokee is an American-designed car that is based on the platform of both the Alfa Romeo Stelvio and the Maserati Grecale. In some markets it is available as usual with a Hemi V8 and a big V6, but that was hopeless for the Netherlands. This time, however, there will also be a PHEV with a 2.0 turbo engine and powerful electric power. And that works much better in the Netherlands. A new opportunity for the big Jeep.
And that Ford also looks very American.
At a glance, the Explorer is a thoroughly American car that has little business on our roads. But there is also a plug-in version of this. With the 3.5 liter V6 Ecoboost engine and an electric motor. And just like the aforementioned Jeep, the PHEV is the only version that is officially delivered. The car is about to be replaced by a new electric Explorer, but for the time being the large SUV is still available. You start driving and it’s like you’re sitting in a high Focus. Unbelievable how well and European this car drives. That is more than a coincidence, the European engineers have worked hard on the American car on their test track in Lommel, Belgium to make it drive as we are used to in Europe. We already noticed with the large Ford Edge that real automotive magic is being applied here. Very clever and an example for many other brands of what is possible. It is both the chassis that makes the car feel much lighter than it actually is, but also the steering that offers the typical Ford feeling that we appreciate so much in a Focus or Kuga.
I think it would be nice for a family holiday
Certainly. Both cars are large and you also notice this on the inside. An important difference is that the Ford is a seven-seater as standard. Now that is not the approach of this test because the new Jeep is not available with it at all. Or well, the Grand Cherokee is available with seven seats, but not on this side of the pond. And if you don’t need it in the Ford, it’s not a plus. But of course that applies just as well the other way around.
You sit very well in the back seat of the Jeep, with more than enough head and leg room. Moreover, it is also luxurious there. Not only is the space good, the sofa itself is also very comfortable. The trunk has 533 liters. Neat but not extreme for this size car. If you fold the benches, you go to 1,300 liters. The Ford offers more if you use five seats, namely 635 liters. If you fold everything up, you get a gigantic 2,274 liters: the Explorer is really one hell of a car. Also impressive is that when you use the third row of seats you always have 330 liters left!
The seating comfort in the Ford is much less than in the Jeep. In any case, you often see this when three separate chairs are used instead of a sofa, but the level of luxury is simply significantly less in the Explorer. The fact that you have a very spacious seat does not affect this much, also because the Jeep is already quite fine.
But aren’t cars like the Jeep Grand Cherokee unsellable due to the high BPM?
Because they are plug-ins it makes a big difference. But both cars are not cheap either. What plays a role is that they are both only available in one version. The Ford is always an ST-Line for just under 90,000 euros, but then it has everything you need: multimedia, good audio, a sliding roof, heated seats, ADAS and other automatic systems: if Ford has it on the shelves, it’s done. The Jeep is also only sold in the most expensive version, the Summit. This means you will have lost just over a grand. But it is clear where the money is for the Ford. The car has every option that the Explorer has, but offers noticeably more luxury, nicer materials, a more extensive off-road system with air suspension and offers additional luxury options such as seat cooling. The few separate extras that it still has are still available from Ford, such as the TV screens for the rear passengers, the extra multimedia screen for the front passenger and nightvision. The Jeep may be more expensive, but a theoretically less luxurious version would not be inferior to the Ford and would not cost more. And what’s more: if you buy a car for this money, 10k more or less won’t make a difference.
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– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl