SALT LAKE CITY — SUVs have undergone a transformation in recent years. They’ve become more luxurious and less capable off-road vehicles.

Several, such as the Nissan Pathfinder, have abandoned their off-road heritage and become crossovers. Most new models that look like SUVs are actually crossovers sitting on sedan underpinnings with all-wheel drive and front-wheel drive in place of traditional four-wheel drive offerings.

Auto manufacturers are happy to build less rugged vehicles with smaller engines, less towing capacity and better gas mileage. Jeep has resisted the urge to abandon its roots entirely and while its Trail Rated lineup of vehicles may have some smaller options today they are all more truck-like in their capabilities and handling than most comparable vehicles.

The Grand Cherokee sits at the top of the Jeep food chain and offers a wide variety of models that offer everything from muscle to luxury. The Trail Hawk version offers a good mix of comfort and capability. While Jeeps will never handle around town or on a long road trip the way crossovers do, weekend warriors can tackle any terrain with confidence in the new Grand Cherokee.

“Not many luxury SUVs have all the modern goodies combined with true off-road capabilities for a trip to Moab”, according to Nic Edwards, sales manager at Larry H. Miller Jeep at Southtowne Auto Mall.

Overall Grade: A-

Exterior styling

The Trail Hawk version trades the chrome accents found on many of its models for a blacked out appearance. Black, grey and red accents can be found in several places, including the red tow hooks front and rear.

The front end seems leaner and more stylish this time around, particularly the headlight housings which taper toward the vertical sectioned grill which has been synonymous with the Grand Cherokee for years. The Trail Hawk model has a matte finish hood treatment that divides the hood into three sections visually.

In addition to the tow hooks on either side, the front end features a lower air intake with a camera and sensors mounted in the center to aid in parking and brake assist. The front bumper turns downward at each end to house fog light housings.

Narrow LED taillights and dual exhaust outlets compliment the large red Trail Hawk emblem in the rear. From the side, a single ledge runs horizontally about a third of the way up from the bottom and ties together similar lines at the front and rear bumper. Red accents help the body colored Jeep and Grand Cherokee logos stand out against black paint.

Interior styling

The red Trail Hawk theme carries over to the dark colored interior. Red stitching trims the steering wheel, seats, door panels and dash. Trail Hawk logos are embroidered into the top of the front seats.

The seats are attractive and supportive laterally. The leather seats are appointed with suede panels that, fortunately, are both cooled and heated. The suede would keep things warm if not for the cooling.

A large touchscreen sits front and center with climate and safety controls below. Large center vents sit at either side of the screen and everything is trimmed in chrome and brushed metal-looking plastics. The center console is dominated by two large cup holders and the various four-wheel drive settings, accessed by a combination of dial and buttons.

A large moon roof covers the entire front and rear seating areas. The instrument panel is well laid out and contains a physical tachometer to the left and physical gas and coolant temperature gauges to the right. The center section is animated and either a digital or traditional speedometer can be chosen, in addition to a variety of trip, performance and informational settings.

The interior is very well laid out and attractive. While some of the metal-looking plastics would be better suited as actual metal, the quality of the materials overall is excellent, including the faux-wood trim.

Technology

Impressively, the Grand Cherokee is loaded with technology in the areas of entertainment, safety and off-road handling. First and foremost is an air suspension that can be raised to add up to 4 inches of ground clearance and lowered to help with entering and exiting the vehicle.

The Selec-Terrain dial located on the center console can be left in auto mode but offers selections for mud, snow, sand and rock. When in four-wheel drive low, the descent of the vehicle can be automatically controlled when rock crawling. I tested this feature on a drive through Butterfield Canyon and back, overlooking Kennecott Copper Mine at the top of the mountain.

While not an especially treacherous drive, it was striking to see the difference between what the descent control could accomplish over rough stretches compared to simply braking with the transmission in manual mode and using lower gears.

Blind spot warning indicators are located in the side mirrors and park assist and lane departure compliment front brake assist, which can stop the vehicle automatically if the driver is distracted. Lane departure can be turned off but works well. Many of these systems seem too sensitive and can almost be exhausting as drivers fight them continuously. Jeep has done an excellent job of keeping balance between safety and annoyance.

Same with the adaptive cruise control. Many systems seem more indecisive than this one. Larry H. Miller Jeep’s Edwards claims he has driven from Salt Lake City to Jackson, Wyoming, without having to use the brake pedal once on the highway.

The Grand Cherokee can park itself both in parallel and standard spaces. Once I understood the instructions given in the center of the instrument panel while searching for a parallel parking spot, the system worked flawlessly. I was able to repeat the process multiple times under different circumstances.

The 8.4-inch touchscreen and UConnect system shared by Fiat and Chrysler brands works very well and offers the widest selection of options of any vehicle I’ve tested to date. The phone functions, for example, are very complete and make life easy when calling or texting.

Dual climate control is standard and the optional 505 watt, 9 speaker sound system is a very good one. Sirius XM radio is included for one year.

Performance and handling

As mentioned previously, the Grand Cherokee handles in a way that is more truck-like than most crossover vehicles that make up most of this segment currently. The ride is not uncomfortable by any means, but daily city driving and spirited highway driving is where the Jeep is least at home, but very capable.

The Pentastar V6 makes 295 horsepower and delivers 260 feet-pounds of torque. The 8-speed automatic transmission, with manual mode and paddle shifters, is fairly smooth but lacks the manners found in many crossovers. In sport mode especially, the transmission can occasionally be caught guessing.

Power is excellent and always at the ready, whether climbing a hill or passing on the freeway. Jeep reports a zero-to-60 miles per hour time of 7.6 seconds.

Steering is very responsive and body roll is better than expected in an SUV when cornering. Braking is the only disappointment. The pedal feel is soft and it was frequent that braking in traffic made me slightly nervous. The brakes simply don’t grab in a way that is proportional to the force applied to the pedal.

Off road is where the Jeep shines. While I certainly didn’t challenge its off-road capabilities, it was a pleasure to visit a variety of easy trails and dirt roads. The suspension soaks up most conditions very well and, as mentioned previously, descent control was very impressive. Off-road enthusiasts, however, may find that feature a bit condescending.

The Goodyear Wranglers can be a bit noisy at highway speed and are Kevlar reinforced for off-road driving.

Conclusion

It was easy, over four days of use, to enjoy the Grand Cherokee and discover many excellent features. I found myself reaching to find the negatives. The interior was attractive and inviting. There was a trim piece or two that could have been improved but it’s a minor complaint.

The Jeep drives well and has plenty of power. Technology and safety features abound. Braking could be better, however.

The black exterior, combined with the lack of chrome, and red accents looked great and perhaps even better after getting it dirty. The mistake consumers will likely make is to compare this vehicle to a variety of crossovers and find the ride too unforgiving.

Yes, a vehicle with these capabilities will be somewhat more expensive than many of those same crossovers. The Jeep Grand Cherokee is special, however, precisely because it isn’t a sedan-like crossover. It’s worth the investment.

Specs

• Vehicle Type: front-engine, four-wheel drive, 5 passenger SUV
• Engine: DOHC, 24 valve V6, aluminum block and heads, port fuel injection
• Displacement: 220 cubic inches
• Power: 295 HP, 260 feet-pounds torque
• Transmission: 8 speed auto w/ manual mode and paddle shifters
• Curb Weight: 5077 pounds
• Performance: 7.6 sec 0-60 miles per hour; 15.9 sec qtr mile @ 88 mph
• Fuel Economy: EPA city/highway 18/25 miles per gallon
• Warranty: 3 year/36,000 mile bumper to bumper; 5 year/60,000 mile powertrain
• Price as tested: $49,225

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