2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT review, test drive

There are plenty more European bits on the SRT as well. It gets ZF’s fabulous eight-speed automatic, the massive 380mm brakes are courtesy Brembo and unlike every other mud-plugging Jeep, the SRT gets a four-wheel-drive system customised for the race track rather than an off-road trail. It also gets launch control, Bilstein’s Adaptive Damping System and even a Track mode where 70 percent of the power is sent to the rear wheels. So clearly, this is anything but your regular Jeep SUV.

No technical exam of this car can be complete without paying homage to the hulk under the bonnet; the 6,400cc Hemi V8. Named after a series of engines that used hemispherical combustion chambers with two valves and centrally located plugs, this modern-day version uses a blend of high-tech and tradition. It still uses pushrods and two big fat valves, for example, but also uses cylinder deactivation to control fuel consumption.

Hitting the starter button causes an explosion of sound, a deep growl and rumble, unlike any heard on a car in our market. Imitators are always looking for that Nascar-like sound, this is the real deal, the sound of real American muscle. There’s none of that loose flatulence, no artificial ‘pop-pop-pop’, and no after effect of excessive chole bhature. This motor has an honest to God, bear-chested growl that can make your blood run cold. The sound is deep, wide and so smooth you imagine the internals of the engine swimming in oil. And unlike the medium-sized turbo motors we’re accustomed to, this one responds nanoseconds after you’ve hit the accelerator. In fact, tap the throttle a little harder than you strictly need to in Sport, use more than a couple of inches of travel, and the SRT just leaps forward like an enraged grizzly bear. It’s not safe in traffic either; if you feel a sneeze coming, make sure you put your right foot on the floor before, else you may find yourself several hundred metres down the road, without a warning. The sheer URGE is just staggering. Did I mention, the motor makes 475hp and pushes out 637Nm of torque.

What gives it the explosive throttle responses are the 6.4 litres of air, ready to be injected with fuel and ignited; no need to wait for an air pump or turbo to fill the pistons. And once you inject the venom and light ‘em up, the saucepan-sized pistons punch as hard as the Hulk, with real weight and shoulder in each throw. Hit the throttle and movement is instant, like there’s a tow truck yanking you forward with its heavy-duty chain. The inertia is just massive. The big pistons provide a large surface area, the crank is heavy enough to give powerlifters hernia and what makes the experience truly memorable is that there’s no fluff or delay; you just flex and fly.