Car Design Fetish

Did you forget about the poor ol Jeep Grand Cherokee.  Yes, they still make it, and yes, it has faded to the background of almost every other SUV out there.  But if you missed the New York Auto Show (like most of us Detroiters) then you were treated to the 2011 model at the Eve of the Eyes show last month.

At first glance the overall impression is wow! and when can I get one?  The designers did a great job evolving the current design and bringing back some of the successful details from prior generations.  The biggest detail being the termination of the round bug eye lights that were stuffed in there like a kid trying to put his head through the arm hole.

Exterior:

The surfaces are taught with bone line creases trying to push out to daylight.  Like all jeeps the lines on the vehicle are simple and easy to read but still with a sophisticated touch.  The headlights return to the late ’90′s shape but get intersected into the grill.  This front end graphic creates an intense and more aggressive personality for your rear view mirror.

The rear end gets a little busy but has a tough and rugged appearance in contrast to the clean and simple front clip.  There is also a plastic trim piece that travels all the way around the bottom of the vehicle to protect from off-road (freeway shoulder) debris.  My only complaint here is the the wheel arch trim piece is the same thickness as the flat on the body.  It looks a little odd with a double up look.

Overall the Jeep looks great.  How could it not when it has such a resemblance to the X5.  There in lies my issue with this.  It is definitely an evolution of the current Grand Cherokee, but they pushed it in a way that looks to close to the X5.  I assume the Bimmer was one of the benchmarks and it can be difficult to stray away from something you are trying to match.

Interior:This looks to be the next revolutionary interior since the Ram debuted this year.  Chrysler has definitely stepped up its game and this vehicle assures us that the boxy, primitive formed interiors are gone.  I could not get too close but it looks like they checked all the boxes.   Soft touch materials, check, metal looking accents, check, chrome pieces, check, accent stitching, check, interface knob controller thingy, plastic wood and so on.  The overall interior is nothing amazing but is a huge step for Jeep and the entire Chrysler/ Fiat group.

Lets hope they have chosen some fuel efficient options for the SUV that started it all.  Hemi’s are cool but who wants to fill that tank anymore?  I believe there will be a diesel option which has been gaining a lot of traction in the US lately.  I assume it will be out next spring since the vehicle is far in development and they are driving them around already.

Will this attempt put Jeep back in the luxury SUV segment?