Jeep may have blown minds with their 2016 Moab Easter Jeep Safari concepts, but those concepts weren’t the most important reveals this year for the 75-year-old off-road mavens.
The New York International Auto Show (NYIAS) saw two significant announcements bound to excite fans of the Grand Cherokee.
Over the past couple of years Jeep has brought to market two different Trailhawk vehicles, the Cherokee and Renegade, but they haven’t given fans the original Trailhawk they were lusting after, the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk Concept, which bowed at the 2012 Moab event and got the whole Trailhawk rampage going. That’s all set to change.
Crawling down the presentation stairs in New York, the 2017 Grand Cherokee Trailhawk showed just what a Grand Cherokee from the factory can be. A specially-designed air suspension, Hill Ascent Control and rear limited slip differential make for the most trail-capable Grand Cherokee in years, if ever.
Red tow hooks and a flat black decal on the hood define this model as a Trailhawk to those who know what to look for. Trail Rated badges with special red accents complete the look.
On the inside there are quite a few features that set the Trailhawk apart from their more urban brethren. Leather and suede seats, a subdued gun metal finish on painted interior bits and red stitching make you suspect this is something different, and the Trailhawk logo on the seats and steering wheel confirm those suspicions.
The second announcement at the NYIAS took a completely different direction with the 2017 Summit edition.
The JGC Summit has been the highest level of Grand Cherokee luxury for several years, and the newest Summit takes that up yet another notch.
The entire interior is swaddled in high-level leather. A suede headliner sits overhead, while Berber carpet floor mats ride under your Cole Haan driving shoes. Active Noise Cancellation, as well as acoustic glass windshield and side windows make sure you can hear the sweet tunes emanating from the 825 watt Harmon/Kardon sound system. Bass lovers note: There are three – Count them. Three. – subwoofers in this baby. Yep. You’re going to the mall in style.
So, though the Moab concepts were a brilliant show of what Jeep is capable of, these two new Grand Cherokees show exactly what Jeep is doing, and we predict this expansion and improvement of the lineup can only bode well for the marque that made its mark on the dirt and rock paths of the rural United States as well as on the streets and parking lots of suburban America.
