Two engines are offered. Jeep's 4.0-liter inline-6 has been re-engineered for 1999. It's quieter, cleaner and more powerful, producing 195 horsepower -- up 10 horsepower from last year.
A new 4.7-liter V8 is optional. With single overhead cams on each cylinder bank, it produces 235 horsepower, or 15 horsepower more than the previous 5.2-liter pushrod V8. Torque is down slightly, which accounts for the diminished acceleration.
Two familiar trim levels are available, Laredo and Limited, each with a long list of standard features.
Base Grand Cherokees come with rear-wheel drive, but that seems like buying a Louisville Slugger just to hit rocks. Four-wheel drive is the soul of the Grand Cherokee and three different systems are available.
Grand Cherokees with the 6-cylinder engine come with Jeep's renowned Selec-Trac system. In full-time mode, the vehicle is in four-wheel drive with a planetary differential allowing the front and rear axles to turn at different speeds; in part-time mode, the center differential is locked providing maximum traction in severe conditions.
With the V8 engine, you get the clever new Quadra-Trac II system. Its simple but effective automatic locking center differential apportions torque to the front wheels whenever the rear wheels slip.
The Quadra-Drive system is optional on both the 6-cylinder and V8 models. Quadra-Drive is the same system as Quadra-Trac II, but it adds hydraulically locking front and rear differentials. By using three differentials, the system automatically sends torque front-to-rear and side-to-side whenever a wheel slips. It can lock all four wheels together for maximum traction. If just one wheel has the slightest bit of grip, the Quadra-Drive system can keep the Grand Cherokee moving -- a real benefit when it's icy.
None of Jeep's three available four-wheel-drive systems need any input from the driver for four-wheel-drive operation. And all three systems come with a low-range set of gears that can be used for serious traction situations. Next Page