Awe-inspiring powertrain
The proven and powerful 6.4-liter HEMI® V-8 with Fuel Saver Technology now delivers 475 horsepower (354 kW) at 6,000 rpm and 470 lb.-ft. (637 N•m) of torque at 4,300 rpm, and is mated to the fully electronic eight-speed automatic transmission featuring on-the-fly shift-map changing.
The 2015 Grand Cherokee SRT runs from 0-60 mph in 4.8 seconds, 0-100-0 mph in 16.3 seconds, can cover the quarter mile in the mid-13 second range, has a top speed of 160 mph, and brakes from 60-0 mph in 116 feet.
For an even sportier, more driver-controlled experience, the eight-speed transmission can be manually shifted using ergonomically efficient steering-wheel paddle controls. Grand Cherokee SRT features an Eco mode that optimizes the transmission’s shift schedule and extends the range of the Fuel Saver Technology, which deactivates four cylinders when conditions allow. A button on the center stack allows drivers to engage Eco mode for improved fuel economy.
The eight-speed automatic transmission is specifically engineered to optimize shift quality and shift points for fuel economy, performance and drivability. The intelligent software takes into account variables, including engine torque gradients, kick-down events, longitudinal and lateral acceleration, grade changes, friction detection and downshift detection to determine the appropriate shift map.
Additional parameters integrated into the control strategy include vehicle speed control, electronic stability control interaction and temperature. The result is automatic shifting that is ideally attuned to
the performance requirements of almost any driving demand.
Towing capacity is rated at 7,200 pounds – a 44-percent improvement versus the 5,000-lb. towing capacity of the previous model.
The electronic T-handle shifter provides the flexibility for drivers to choose a transmission shift schedule independent from the Selec-Track system. Drive and Sport shifting can be selected via the T-handle with no effect on the chosen suspension, stability control and driveline torque split settings.
The standard launch control system mimics a professional driver’s inputs to optimize Grand Cherokee SRT’s performance by bringing engine, transmission, driveline, stability control, and suspension in line for a textbook launch. Controlled by a button behind the T-handle shifter on the center console, the result is improved and more consistent straight-line acceleration. The performance experience of the 2015 Grand Cherokee SRT is further accentuated by transfer case proportioning and dynamic controls for the Selec-Track system when the vehicle is in Track Mode. When this mode is selected, 70 percent of the engine’s torque is delivered to the rear wheels for a more pronounced rear-wheel-drive experience. Grand Cherokee SRT drivers will notice a vehicle that is more responsive from mid-corner to exit.
Outstanding ride, handling and capability
Grand Cherokee SRT rides on a short- and long-arm (SLA) independent front suspension with coil springs, Bilstein adaptive damping suspension (ADS), upper- and lower-control arms (“A” arms),
and a stabilizer bar.
The rear suspension is a multi-link design with coil spring, Bilstein ADS, aluminum lower control arm, independent upper links (tension and camber), plus a separate toe link, and a stabilizer bar.
The Selec-Track system uses performance-tuned software to distinguish the five dynamic modes: Auto, Sport, Tow, Track, and Snow, enabling drivers to choose a vehicle setting that ideally meets their requirements and ambient conditions. Drivers will find the torque split change in Track mode provides a vehicle that is more responsive from mid-corner to exit and one that delivers faster lap times at their favorite track.
Benchmark braking
The 2015 Grand Cherokee SRT delivers excellent braking performance, requiring only 116 feet to come to a full stop from 60 miles per hour (mph). Credit belongs to red-painted, Brembo six-piston (front) and four-piston (rear) calipers, and vented rotors at all four corners measuring 15 inches (front) and 13.8 inches (rear).