A Design That's Rugged, Yet Refined

The 2011 Grand Cherokee pulls off the challenging feat of possessing a clear design connection with its predecessor while looking completely new and modern. It's clearly a Grand Cherokee, but it has a sleekness that its predecessor lacked. The old Grand Cherokee's design was blocky, but the new model looks like it was shaped by a wind tunnel. In keeping with its looks, the new design cuts through the air better, with a 0.37 drag coefficient compared with the old model's 0.41.

The SUV is about 2 inches longer, 3 inches wider and one-half inch taller than the 2010 model, but its wheelbase has grown by 5.3 inches to 114.8 inches overall, resulting in more backseat legroom. Mark Allen, Jeep's head of design, said current Grand Cherokee owners made it clear they didn't want the SUV to get too big with its redesign, and it's evident that Jeep listened. (To see a side-by-side comparison of the 2010 and 2011 Grand Cherokee, click here.)

    See also:

    Driver’s Seat
    Pull upward on the recline lever and bring the seatback to its full forward position. Recline Lever Rotate the entire seat assembly toward the instrument panel. Tip n’ Slide ...

    To Open And Close The Hood
    To open the hood, two latches must be released. 1. Pull the release lever located below the instrument panel and in front of the driver’s door. Hood Release 2. Reach under the hood, move saf ...

    To Raise Rear Seat
    Raise the rear seatback and lock it into place. If interference from the cargo area prevents the seatback from fully locking, you will have difficulty returning the seat to its proper position. ...