The Jeep Grand Cherokee is one of the most popular Jeep models you can find on the market today. Its long history of success dates back to the original model. Now in its current generation, Jeep is perfecting a vehicle that’s already a gleaming example of excellence to SUV makers everywhere. The current generation has been building on the 2011 model with Jeep adding perfecting touches and technology updates to an already outstanding vehicle.
Most Jeep fans are aware of its amazing outdoorsy features like off-road suspension and tough tires, but what interior features does the 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee have? The list may surprise you. After all, Jeep is synonymous with off-roading, and they know it. Call it successful marketing or a long line of awarded adventurous vehicles, but Jeep’s adventurous and outdoorsy reputation is still going strong. However, with so many others trying to break into the off-road market, vehicles have to be more luxurious and sophisticated on the inside than ever before.
The Original Grand Cherokee
Back in 1992, Jeep premiered the Grand Cherokee to rave reviews. Those who followed the 1992 Detroit Auto Show may well remember its outrageous reveal, wherein a driver powered the new Jeep SUV up a staircase, crashed it through a window, and then barrelled onto the auto show floor. The crowd went wild, and eventually, so did auto review outlets. With a 4.0-liter I-6 engine, available 4-wheel drive, and smartly engineered chassis ready for the off-road, the 1992 Jeep Grand Cherokee was a hit.
Features like its available 5-speed manual transmission and steel unibody frame combined for excellent driving performance on city streets or rocky terrain. In fact, it was one of the first SUVs to be marketed for its rough terrain performance – what with its ability to climb stairs, after all. It was also known for its safety, something that plagued almost every other SUV on the market, which were top-heavy and had a high rollover risk.
Throughout its development up to its current generation, the Jeep Grand Cherokee has been known for its all-around excellence. Developments in drivetrain power, safety, comfort, and perfected off-road performance have made it a popular vehicle worldwide. In fact, it’s been so popular that it almost single handedly saved its entire parent company, Chrysler, from the verge of collapse after the new millennium.
So what’s left for a vehicle that by 2010 had become a critical darling and commercial success? Jeep committed to perfecting any flaw one could find in this well-balanced SUV, starting with its luxury appeal. The fourth-generation WK2 edition underwent a dramatic redesign, sharpening its silhouette and upgrading its interior with a snappy infotainment system and available luxury leather seats bound in decorative stitching. Add to that its multiple electronic off-road driving modes and impressive engine performance, and Jeep cemented the Grand Cherokee as the best-all-around SUV on the market.
Almost 10 years later, the 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee has only improved. Many have been speculative of Jeep continuing the same generation of Cherokees for over a decade rather than premiering a new, revised generation of their popular SUV, but the sales and awards speak for themselves. Jeep doesn’t need to redesign the Cherokee, at least not yet. Annual improvements to keep the Cherokee ahead of the curve are enough to keep it competitive.
Surprising Interiors
Don’t listen to sardonic reviewers who may frown upon the lack of changes in the 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee. While minor, the updates are significant, especially when it comes to cabin design, evidenced by its competitors in the outdoorsy SUV market. Jeep is clearly pulling ahead of other SUVs makers who have neglected interior tech, comfort, and good value.
Take the Land Rover, for example. What the Land Rover achieves in luxury refinement and reliable off-road performance, it loses in value. Should you upgrade a Land Rover to a higher trim package, you can potentially pay six figures to get the kind of sports/utility performance you can get from a Grand Cherokee. Plus, Jeep is upgrading the interiors of its prized SUV to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the Land Rover. The 2020 Grand Cherokee’s available premium finishes, like genuine wood trim, crisp ventilated leather seats, and a top-rated Harman Kardon Premium Audio system with a whopping 20 surround sound speakers.
Now take a gander at another Jeep Grand Cherokee competitor, the Toyota 4Runner. The latest edition is affordable and has excellent off-road handling, but you lose value in its poor fuel economy. Also, its on-road performance is below-average. Worst of all, though, Car and Driver called its interior design “shabby.” The same can’t be said of the 2020 Grand Cherokee.
Even the Grand Cherokee’s base model includes a sleek LCD dashboard display, soft-touch materials with an ergonomic design in mind, and ample interior cargo space. The easy control seat configurations allow you to adjust from roomy passenger seating to maximum cargo space for all your luggage or sports equipment, all at the simple touch of a button. Every 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee also includes the UConnect infotainment system, which is smartphone compatible, adds smartphone control features like remote start, and has been recognized for its excellent processing speed and responsiveness.
Customize Your Drive
It’s not that the newest Jeep Grand Cherokee has abandoned its rugged outdoorsy feel in favor of luxury frou-frou glamour. Instead, Jeep has now offered its drivers the opportunity to customize their Grand Cherokee to their heart’s content. Whether that means staying true to the sporty appeal that initially made the Grand Cherokee popular or turning your SUV into a roving glamping machine, you can make it your own. Jeep’s website for the 2020 Grand Cherokee has a fun, interactive interior gallery that lets you explore different cabin designs in the available trim packages so you can craft an interior ambiance that’s perfect for you.
You can also add touches of modern tech into your Grand Cherokee that give it the on-road appeal its competitors like the Toyota 4Runner are lacking. For example, consider the Active Safety Group available on the Grand Cherokee Laredo trim package. Its active lane-keeping, automatic emergency braking, and other driver-assist features are practical for everyday driving and keep you safe when traveling busy urban streets. You can even upgrade to the Summit package, which has adaptive cruise control, parking assist, and other active safety technology as standard features. Essentially, Jeep never forgot that paved streets are often just as dangerous as natural terrain.
Sophistication on a Budget
The Jeep Grand Cherokee is now more customizable than ever, especially when it comes to the interior cabin, infotainment technology, and available safety features. While going wild with the 2020 Grand Cherokee can certainly burn a hole in your pocket, the great-value base model still has some award-worthy features that beat out its competitors’ base packages. As for the future of the Grand Cherokee, we expect more minor tweaks and improvements that reflect the latest in auto comfort and technology, all while they continue to improve on its already stellar off-road capability. No vehicle can do it all, but year by year, the Grand Cherokee gets a little closer to perfection.
