Luxury SUVs: Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT v. Land Rover Range Rover

Many think of SUVs as rugged automobiles, but there are actually a lot of luxury SUVs with high-end exterior features and comfortable upscale interiors. While some luxury SUVs like the 2017 Land Rover Range Rover are only available as luxury vehicles, other luxury SUVs, like the 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT, are built for convenience, tech, and off-road adventure.

So how do the two match up? This will be interesting.

2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT

The Jeep Grand Cherokee is an icon for the Jeep brand. Two rows, five passengers, it’s built to be unique and for what the Jeep is known for – off-road glory! But when Jeep put the all-powerful SRT-tuned 6.4-liter HEMI V8 engine under the Grand Cherokee’s hood, Jeep decided to match its high-end performance with high-end features. With record-breaking times and award-winning features exclusive to the 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT, the Jeep brand has reached new heights. MSRP starting at $66,895.

2017 Land Rover Range Rover Supercharged

It may already seem like an unfair advantage – the Range Rover is a two-row five-passenger luxury SUV built by a luxury manufacturer. In the 2017 model year, it’s hard to say whether this is a luxury SUV capable of off-road mayhem, or a master of roads with luxury features as a plus. Given we’re looking at luxury and power, we’re going to go with the supercharged model, powered by the strongest engine in the lineup, a 5.0-liter Supercharged V8 engine. MSRP starting at $103,895.

Wow we have quite the battle going on here, so let’s dive right in.

Performance

The 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT is powered by a 6.4-liter HEMI V8 engine capable of generating 475-horsepower and 470 lb-ft of torque. Paired to an eight-speed automatic transmission tuned for performance, it goes from 0-60 mph in 4.8 seconds. Locked into four-wheel drive (4WD), or 4×4, it makes great use of the Jeep 4×4 system, Quadra-Trac SRT.

The Quadra-Trac SRT is a full-time 4×4 system that offers superior performance in all driving conditions. Built to handle the power and torque provided by the SRT engine, this system maintains rear-wheel traction by sending 100 percent of available torque to the rear wheel that has traction if the other is slipping. It also comes with a five-mode Selec-Track system for: low range crawl ratio, FWD, 4WD part-time, 4WD full-time, and 4WD low range.

In contrast, the strongest engine in the Range Rover lineup is a 5.0-liter Supercharged V8. At first glance, one would think it’s not as powerful, but being a supercharged engine, it actually has an output of 510-horsepower and 461 lb-ft of torque. It accelerates from 0-60 in 5.1 seconds – it has 40 more units of power, but it’s a little slower to launch. For off-road performance, the Range Rover Supercharged is also locked into a 4WD drivetrain.

The Range Rover’s 4×4 system is more so a variation of the Jeep Selec-Terrain System, under the name of “Terrain Response 2”. There is an electronically controlled transfer case included with this system however, which allows for torque transfer automatically if the vehicle senses a need to adjust to the terrain/driving conditions. However, some statistics claim 90 percent of luxury SUV consumers don’t ever leave the pavement, thus the factory has improved the AWD system for roads versus off-road rock-crawling, though the capability to do so is still there.

Style

Okay so we all expect some pretty nifty features for these two luxury vehicles. A little side-by-side specs should help clear things up.

Jeez that’s a lot of great stuff. Depending on what you’re looking for, one vehicle may have the advantage where the other does not, and vice-versa.

Technology

The tech in a vehicle can also give one or the other the upper-hand. Let’s take a look.

A little crunched, but both of these vehicles are pretty similar aside from Bluetooth and various video systems to keep passengers entertained.

Safety

When it comes to safety, most vehicles are similar but differ depending on the advanced safety feature systems available.

The 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT has traction and stability control systems, an advanced multistage front airbag system, supplemental and side-curtain front and rear airbags, active head restraints, an enhanced accident response system, Keyless enter-n-go, LATCH ready child seat anchors, a ParkView rear back-up camera, and a Sentry Key Theft Deterrent System with engine immobilization.

Advanced systems include – adaptive cruise control with stop, blind spot and cross path detection, full speed forward collision warning plus automatic braking, LaneSense lane departure warning plus, and parallel and perpendicular park assist.

Jeep vehicles are protected by a three-year or 36,000-mile basic warranty, a five-year or 100,000-mile powertrain warranty, roadside assistance for five years or 100,000 miles, and rust-through coverage for five years or 100,000 miles.

The 2017 Land Rover Range Rover has traction and stability control systems, driver and passenger airbags, keyless entry, a rearview backup camera, and engine immobilization.

Advanced systems are adaptive cruise control, blind spot and reverse traffic detection, automatic emergency braking, lane keep assist, 360-degree surround camera system, and parallel and perpendicular park assist.

Land Rover vehicles are protected by a four-year or 50,000-mile basic warranty, a four-year or 50,000-mile powertrain warranty, roadside assistance (restrictions apply), and corrosion/perforation coverage for six years and unlimited miles.

Both of these luxury SUVs are very closely matched in all categories. One may out do the other in some aspects, where the other falls just behind. Are you looking for a vehicle for luxury, or a vehicle that can handle off-road adventure and still be luxurious and comfortable on the inside? Check out our Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT models here.

Photo Sources/Copyright: Chrysler Ad Planner/LandRoverUSA.com