I saw my dealer yesterday, and crawled over a couple he had in the lot.

I'm dissappointed that Overland's won't be available until at least mid year.

Also suprised you can't get Off-Road pack with a Laredo. If you're going to beat on one, most would chose a Laredo wouldn't they?

You've gotta love the marketing gurus and accountants ......

The off-road pack includes the following

1.Fuel tank, transfer case, underbody and front suspension skid plates.
2.265/60 R18 BSW All-terrain tyres,
3.18 x 8-inch polished aluminium wheels
4.Quadra-Drive® II4WD system, rear Electronic Limited Slip Differential (ELSD)


You can get 1,2,3 with all models as accessories, however 4 is only available on the v8 variants.

I am getting it with my v6 limited along with the mopar rock rails.

Sorry, my mistanke. I meant to say I found it suprising that QDII wasn't avail on Laredo.

Ah yes, I was very disappointed that it wasn't there too, so I guess I will have to go after market, I am not even sure if diff locks would work with the QT1 and 2?

You may not need them, depending on what type of tracks you tackle? The QT2 still has traction control based wheel speed control, so, if it's smooth and fast in its operation, you might get away with it!

Given the diffs are based on Mercedes units, I'd be suprised if lockers will be made available.

Towing
 

Anyone know why the towing capacity is less for the 4x4 then the 4x2?

"10. Towing capacity

When properly equipped, the all-new Jeep Grand Cherokee can tow up to 5,000 pounds on V6 models and 7,400-lbs on V8 4x2 models (7,200-lbs on V8 4x4 models). "

I read in the Feb 2011 Overlander 4wd magazine "A generous 93.5 litre fuel capacity is made even more attractive by the fact that under the rear of the vehicle is a huge space that almost looks purpose made to take an additional fuel tank"

Let's hope one of the aftermarket mobs will take the initiative sooner rather than later on this one. I am sure the snorkel saga will not improve with the new model though.

It's been discussed elsewhere, and confirmed in the engineer chat, that its due to the "all up" weight of the vehicle. 4x4 is simply a bit heavier itself, slightly reducing the towing capacity.

Congrats on the purchase they're an amazing vehicle on and off road for stock.

I'm itching to buy one myself but will restrain until the CRD Laredo becomes available. Laredo spec is awesome value for money on the road. I'll be getting a coil sprung one for sure - 3" lift here we come :)

Oh and I tried fitting a 17" AEV Pintler on one the other day but there is almost no gap between the caliper and wheel. It needs more offset for 17"s but then that puts the tyre and rim outside the edge of the guard too much.

I'm about to do one up for a dealership here in Brisbane. I'll post some pics when I'm done with it. I maybe also using it on my display stand at the April 4x4 Show here in Brisbane at the RNA show grounds. I'll have 3 Jeeps on Display incl the Brute

Be great to see the pics Stu,

Cheers
Chumby

That doesn't make sense. By that reckoning, a Nissan Micra would be allowed to
tow more than a Patrol.

I thought the heavier the vehicle, the more it was allowed to tow!

Yes, but within the specified safety Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM) allowed for a specific vehicle. Made up of tare weight, fuel, passengers etc. That is why I think the current Diesel Prado or maybe V8 Diesel cruiser doesn't have the reserve fuel tank and 7 seats as it would exceed the GVM.

We looked at one on the weekend as had an invite from the stealer.
The 1st thing that jumped into my mind is how freaking low is it?

Also those stupid front mud flaps are about 1.5-2inches from the ground if that.

There was an mk sitting next to it and I swear the Patriot had more ground clearance from it. But I suppose that's not true when looking at the figures in black and white.

It looked very strange this one.

Did that have the air suspension set on the lowest park position maybe??

Good question mate.

Sorry do not know that.

Is the air suspension standard on these beasts?
This was a Laredo.

No but if it was a Stealer demo it probably was fully optioned....

Its not standard, but where I got mine the Laredo fully optioned with quadra-lift. I get mine delivered any day now, they are just installing the side steps and skid plates.

Diesel details from the Milan motor show:

http://www.thecarconnection.com/mart...or-show/page-1

I am rather concerned it looks like the Laredo may only get a low output version of the diesel. :(

I was talking to the dealer today seeing the progress of my car, my sidesteps are on they are just waiting on 2 skid plates to arrive, he mentioned that they have been told that the future limited models would no longer have the option of quadra lift and that would solely now be in the overland. Hopefully I get mine tomorrow.

What???! "no longer have the option"..... why? Whoever makes these decisions is a cockhead! lol

Yeah as I said, this is just what the dealer said based on what they have told him he can order. Would be interested to know if other dealers are being told the same.

My thinking is they've manufacturer a "run" ok them for Aussie consumption, gambling on what people would order, and they misjudged and see them being stuck with a few in a shitty spec.

ie, I doubt very much that you place a special order and they make it. (unlike the US where thats exactly what happens)

Its arrived
 

Ok So I have got delivery of the truck today minus the bash plates which havent arrived yet, I will get them fitted on my first service. I also ordered 5 air pressure valves for the set of off-road tyres that I intend to get.

I have been trying to learn the systems, this is one high tech machine! Sports mode feel really nice to drive in, throttle is good and its more aerodynamic and it seems more stable round corners, perhaps due to it being lower to the ground.

The onboard computer is great, and the amount of customisation options are great, eg. door locks when you drive after 30 secs, turn on interior lights when I approach, open my drivers door when I stop etc...

Let me know if you have any questions and I will see if I can answer them.

How is the new truck going kfc? Are you still happy with your purchase now that you've had a few days to settle in?
I just also wanted to add I finally made my way down to the Jeep dealer this morning to take the new Grand Cherokee for a test drive.
First I drove a Laredo V6. This has more than enough bells and whistles for us, even the "basic" 6 speaker sound system was better than expected. However, what didn't quite do it for us was the V6. Like said many times on the net, it is "adequate" (for someone who is used to say Mazda 3 performance or maybe a little more). My wife's words were "I want to feel like I have upgraded from Corolla performance, with this (V6) I don't".
So with that we took the Limited V8 for a spin. My wife's words after a few hundred metres in it "this is fantastic". I agreed. I also moved this one to Sport mode (the air suspension lowered) and I tried a few twisties. Very impressed for 2300kg of 4WD.
So if they made a Laredo V8 available, that would be it. As they don't, we would have to buy the bits on the Limited we don't need just to get the Hemi. An extra $15K, is it worth it... or maybe we wait to try the diesel... Hmmm :???:

Yes still extremely happy, I drive around in sports mode which seems to give the v6 much more punch, driving at 100 i can put my foot down and boom, overtaking is quite easy and I dont feel that I am lacking an acceleration at all. I have had many performance cars in the past and I suspect if you wanted anything more something like a mopar cold air intake and an ecu remap would give you what you are looking for in a v6. With the constant torque curve the acceleration at higher speeds to me is much more noticeable and punchy.

PS my other car is a VW Golf GTI which has acceleration of 0-60 at a tad over 6secs, whilst the Jeep doesn't push me back in my seat its no slow work horse like my 80s diesel :) Drive one of those and this Jeep is a sports car.

I suspect my criteria is slightly different to yours as well, the problem with my 80s was it was very uncomfortable getting from destination to destination, so I wanted something that was capable offroad with the comfort and luxury to get me to the destination. I have found, if I want to drive a fast then can I drive my sports car, after 2 days in the Jeep my GTI is gathering dust, and I suspect I will put it on the market soon. Yes the Jeep is that good, the smarts, luxury and comfort outweigh the my sports car needs.

Good to hear kfc. I have a Focus XR5 which we will be keeping, so I have a similar experience/expectation.
What we did not try was sports mode on the V6. Perhaps I need to go back and try this if it makes a noticeable difference.
Thanks for the feedback.

Ah great :) Did the one you test drove also have QL? That also seems to make a difference by lowering the center of gravity and dipping the front slightly giving it a more "sporty" feel

Try some acceleration when you are already at freeway speeds too.

Edit: Looking at sports mode a bit more in my reading it also changes the bias and directs 80% of the torque to the rear wheels

The Laredo was not fitted with QL, the Limited V8 was.
I did give the Laredo a try on the 100km/h freeway in Auto mode, we were a little underwhelmed. I think I need to try this in Sport mode. :)

Cool cool, I edited my previous post, I did a bit more reading and sports mode directs 80% of the torque to the rear instead of the 60/40 split hopefully that will be the difference that you feel, if not then im just biased :) QL lowering also stiffens the suspension, not directly but due to it having a lower center of gravity there is less body roll.

Oh also one that that took me a bit longer to get used to was breaking, I am sure you XR5 you could break on a dime, you feel the weight in this and I am still getting used to it.

Bewdy !

It appears from the details in this article that the cams are chain-driven and there's no mention of the need for AdBlue to meet Euro V emissions.

That's two definite benefits compared to some other diesels on the market.

Had it for a week now, and almost done 500km, yep I have been doing lots of driving.

So far touch wood, there have been no problems. Its currently running at 11.8/100 which isn't too bad considering it is an engine yet to be broken in and I am probably driving it a bit more aggressively than normal. I run in sports mode more often than not.

I have also been hunting from after market 18" offroad rims and finding some with the required 56mm offset has been super hard, I have a dealer working on this for me now. There is also a 6 week lead time if I just want to order the Mopar offroad rims directly from Jeep

The front and rear sensors make owning a 4wd effortless in tight places, it enables me to maneuver in and out of tight spots that I would have had trouble in before.

The voice recognition has had no problems picking up the aussie accent, I did train it eventually but before that It was still 100%.

I am still very happy with the v6 engine, I haven't been stuck on my feet yet, something my 80s diesel constantly did with acceleration or overtaking.

Visibility is excellent, the aircon is great too, in perth after a 38 degree day it normally takes at least 5 mins before the cool air comes though, with this it seems like its instant, I know how is that possible?

Might be worth talking to Peter at just for jeeps in the US about getting the factory 18" off road rims? Strong dollar of course might dodge the Jeep Aus tax.

(For instance, WH power steer pump in Oz, $397 and a 6 week wait. .... Just for Jeeps, $75, and $30 freight and here in 5 days!)

....... and they wonder why we shop on the internet! LOL:hammer:

Yeah, I bought an EGR valve around $70 delivered from the US and here they're around $250, I've even seen some ridiculous prices like around $700. It's a joke, at least you'd expect them to change it for ya as well, which I would still think it's a rip off.

A couple of questions if I may,

For those that have the 5.7lt HEMI how many Lt/ 100km are you obtaining?

Also, in the 2011 model jeep there is plenty of room under the back of the car which would be perfect for a long range tank or an LPG tank. Does anybody know what size LPG tank could fit under there? And speaking of LPG conversion, is there any issues converting the 2011 HEMI to LPG? Factory warranty might be an issue, also how does LPG effect the MDS system

Considering purchasing an overland HEMI then converting it to LPG instead of purchasing the diesel mid year, what do you guys think of that?

Cheers

James

I was getting around 25-27L/100 km (city driving).

Last weekend I've performed a major service and replaced a few parts that could affect fuel economy and prior to that cleaned the throttle body and now I'm getting around 22L/100 km (city driving) but I have yet to replace the MAP sensor and will see how it goes after that.

Personally if the economy of the Hemi was a concern, I'd wait for the diesel, no question. Not only will you have the added expense of LPG conversion, mounting the LPG tank, but also as you mention some potential warranty and MDS issues. In addition, I assume diesel is much easier to source than LPG if you take it out of town. Will using a Hemi powered LPG actually be cheaper than the diesel?

Just my 2c.

I'm thinking from my quick calculations and depending on the size LPG tank that the running costs will either be the same or a bit better with the LPG conversion.
For example, having owned the 2006 WH diesel for close to 5 years I have found that the servicing intervals and costs are greater than the petrol, also the dearlership have told me the diesel will $3000 dearer than the v8 ( will have to wait on that one) if this is the case then this will offset the cost of lpg conversion.

Therefore my thinking at the moment is that the savings gained from purchasing the v8 over diesel will offset the lpg conversion, and if I can fit an LPG tank with 100lt capacity, and the savings gained from the lower servicing costs and greater intervals I should be either ahead or even when compared to the running costs of the diesel.