2014 Grand Cherokee leaked
It seems like yesterday that the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee was launched to critical acclaim. Grand Cherokee was refreshed in 2013 — and then more seriously refitted for the 2014 model year.
The basic look of the luxury-Jeep was unchanged, but serious functional upgrades lie under the moderately-tweaked skin. Buyers now get a state of the art transmission that provides faster acceleration and better mileage; a diesel brings higher torque and economy; underbody protection has been enhanced; and many other updates were made to improve both on-road and off-road performance.
The eight-speed automatic comes in two forms, ZF’s 8HP70 and Chrysler’s 845RE version of the same automatic; the latter is only used on the V6. Eventually, all engines will use Chrysler-built automatics.
The eight-speed has a wide range of gears, aiding both acceleration and economy, with the ability to skip multiple gears at once, and fast gear changes and torque converter lockups. The transmission is the main reason why gas mileage rose for 2014, by 1-3 mpg, depending on configuration, and why V6 towing capacity rose 24%, to 6,200 lb.
The main benefit will likely be performance; many buyers who thought they needed a Hemi may change their minds after trying the six, with the eight-speed now standard.
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