Grand Cherokee Trackhawk

Rivalling the likes of the Range Rover SVR, BMW X5 M and Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 S, the Trackhawk packs the same 6.2-litre supercharged V8 engine as the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat, that produces a tyre shredding 522 kW and 868 Nm of torque.

Displacing the non-supercharged 6.4-litre SRT model as the most powerful production Jeep ever made, the mill is connected to a eight-speed TorqueFlight automatic gearbox, with Jeep claiming a top speed of 289 km/h and a supercar equalling 0-100 km/h time of 3.7 seconds.

In addition to a number of Trackhawk specific interior and exterior touches, the monster Jeep rides on 20-inch forged alloy wheels and comes with an electronic limited slip differential, Brembo brake calipers with six pistons at the front and four at the rear, adaptive dampers, Quadra-Trac on-demand four-wheel drive, a Track and Launch mode as well as the curiously named Valet mode that locks out first gear, the steering wheel mounted shift paddles, deactivates the launch control and puts the Electronic Stability Control on permanently.

Initially, only 62 Trackhawks have been allocated for Down Under at $134 900 (R1 393 413) each, although orders for some 200 have been received. FCA South Africa is to announce final model pricing.

Compass

Also heading for South Africa in 2018 but with a launch date yet to be confirmed, the second generation Compass arrives Down Under in a choice of four trim levels, three transmissions options, front or four-wheel drive and a single petrol and diesel engine.

Trim levels

Sport

Intended to be a global model and riding on a stretched version of FCA's Small Wide 4x4 platform known as Small Wide LWB 4x4, the base Compass Sport comes powered by a 2.4-litre Tigershark petrol engine that makes 129 kW and 229 Nm of torque, channelled to the front wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox or similar ratio automatic. Fuel consumption is rated at 8.6 L/100 km for manual and 7.9 L/100 km for the automatic.

Standard equipment consists of a five-inch UConnect touchscreen infotainment system with DAB+ digital radio and Bluetooth, a 3.5-inch TFT instrument cluster display, 17-inch alloy wheels, leather wrapped steering wheel, reverse camera and seven airbags.

Longitude

Using the same drivetrain but only available with the automatic 'box, the Longitude adds a rain sense wipers, roof rails, auto on/off headlights, ambient lighting, cornering headlights, privacy glass and a folding front passenger's seat. Forking out an extra R22 216 gets the Premium Audio Package with a bigger 8.4-inch touchscreen display incorporating satellite navigation, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as dual-zone climate control.

Limited

Available only with four-wheel drive, the next step up Limited comes with the petrol engine as standard but adds the option of the a 2.0-litre turbodiesel that punches out 125 kW and 350 Nm of torque. A ZF-sourced nine-speed automatic gearbox is the sole option on both with Jeep claiming a fuel consumption figure of 9.7 L/100 km for the petrol and 5.7 L/100 km for the diesel.

Upping the list of creature comforts, the Limited gets the aforementioned Premium Audio Package as standard, as well as 18-inch alloy wheels, bi-xenon headlights, a nine-speaker BeatsAudio sound system, seven-inch instrument cluster display, leather seats with the fronts both electric and heated, front and rear parking sensors and Park Assist.

Options include a two-tone black roof (R5 114), dual pane panoramic sunroof (R20 149) and the Advanced Technology Package (R25 316) consisting of Autonomous Emergency Braking, Forward Collision Warning, Lane Departure Warning, Adaptive Cruise Control, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Blind Spot Monitoring, Auto High Beam and an electric tailgate.

Taking care of its all-terrain duties, the Limited features Jeep's Active Drive 4x4 system, that includes the four mode Selec-Terrain dial with Auto, Snow, Mud and Sand settings.

Trailhawk

At the top of the range, the diesel only, off-road focused Trailhawk build on the Limited's list of standard kit and boasts cloth/leather seats, all-weather floor mats, full-size spare wheel, Hill Descent Control, recovery hooks, off-road suspension, a raised ride height, underbody skidplates and Active Drive 4x4 Low that adds a Rock mode, a crawl mode instead of a low range gearbox and off-road specific 17-inch alloy wheels.

An optional Comfort and Convenience Pack (R29 449) brings Trailhawk branded leather and heated seats with memory function for the driver's chair, keyless start and passive entry.

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