Jeep Grand Cherokee review

In hybrid mode with a full battery, the system begins by mostly using electric drive, tapering-in the engine either when you demand full power, or as the battery depletes. Even when it's flat, the engine will switch off when you can decelerate or go downhill and the motor harvests regeneration.

The engine itself isn't a very charismatic unit, emitting strained and tingly noises if you floor it and the tacho needle rises. Mostly though, the hybrid management and autobox cleverly use electric power to cover up for turbo lag, and to avoid big revs.

What’s acceleration like?

Use the full combined power and performance is useful: 0-62mph in 6.3 seconds. Electric mode alone is fine for suburban driving, although Jeep claims the Grand Cherokee has completed California’s 22-mile Rubicon Trail on e-power alone. Good news if you live off the grid and, er, have a wallbox on your hut. 

The steering is a bit too quick just off-centre, as if they were trying to show this is an SUV that can be hustled. And actually it is OK in bends, but really it prefers a more relaxed driving style. After all, it's heavy, and prone to pitch and diagonal lean.

To get best ride comfort, as well as the advantages in off-roading and load-carrying, opt for the air suspension. That's pretty comfy, and allows multiple ride heights (max ground clearance is 275mm, and it’ll wade through 610mm or water) and self-levelling too.

Running in Electric mode the overriding noise is tyre slap. Everything else – suspension, gearboxes, interior, even wind noise – is well suppressed. On higher-level models there is also active noise control that hushes things up even more.

Any other modes I should know about?

There are three modes to the drivetrain: as mentioned, Electric, on which it has a pure battery range of 25-ish miles; Hybrid, which is a blend of both petrol and electric; and finally eSave, which allows you to hold onto battery charge for when you're approaching a city and can efficiently use it.

There is also a Max Regen button which can be on in any mode. This effectively acts as a one-pedal driving activator. In normal free-flowing traffic, you don't need to use the brake pedal until down to 10mph.

You’ve also got various off-road presets courtesy of Jeep's Selec-Terrain system. So Auto, Sport, Rock, Snow and Mud/Sand.

How is it off-road?

Stupendous, even if it can't match a Wrangler for talent. We put it through its paces in the far reaches of the North Yorkshire Moors alongside that very sibling, and the Grand Cherokee clambered over the same rocky hill route without once coming up short.

We bashed it up, over, down and around bogs, mud pits, rock outcrops, rivers and worse… and it just took everything in its stride. As a Jeep should.

Off-road the Electric and Max Regen buttons – allied to the low range, when necessary – are a great combo. You can silently climb and descend rocks and hills and reuse a good chunk of the energy in the process.

If you do that regularly or to extremes, get the Trailhawk version. It doesn't just have extra hardware and more suitable tyres, but adds surround cameras so you're aware of obstacles – off-road, or in the multi-storey. A godsend when all you can see through the windscreen is the heavens.