At the end of last week, Mopar finally came through and announced the list of goodies for the newest entry in the Jeep lineup, the full-size SUV Grand Cherokee L. Shown a few months ago, the L starts at $38,635, but with enough care and consideration, and a bunch of Mopar accessories, one can take that much, much higher.
But first, a short recap of what the Cherokee L is all about. Joining a family of vehicles that has sold over 7 million units in over three decades, the L is the first offering in the Cherokee family with seating for six or seven people.
Keeping Jeep's three 4x4 systems (Quadra-Trac I, Quadra-Trac II and Quadra-Drive II with rear electronic limited slip-differential), the SUV takes its power from one of two powertrains. First up we have the 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 engine, considered standard and delivering 293 horsepower and 260 lb.-ft. of torque, enough for a towing rating of 6,200 pounds.
The top of the range (can it be called that, when there are only two engines?) is the 5.7-liter V8, rated from the factory at 357 horsepower and 390 lb.-ft. of torque, and a “class-leading towing capacity of up to 7,200 pounds.”
These engines come fitted inside no less than six trim levels – Laredo, Altitude, Limited, Overland, Summit, and Summit Reserve. The price we mentioned earlier is of course the one for the Laredo, as the Summit Reserve, which is the fanciest, sells for almost twice that, namely $63,635.
That, again, is the price before the Mopar accessories, revealed a couple of days ago. It’s not that long of a list, but one that could set you back considerably. There are in all 14 Mopar-made accessories for the Cherokee L, ranging in price from $54 to $1,625.
At the bottom of the list are the cargo-basket net complete with 14 plastic hooks ($54), followed by molded-black splash guards (set of two) that retail for $65. These are, of course, not the kind of Mopar accessories one would brag with, so we’ll move on.
Part of the list released last week includes items that are under $200, or thereabouts, and here we’ve got a collapsible pet kennel ($190), a cargo liner ($165), and a cargo tray ($150).
You can get things you can really use for between $200 and $400. In this price range Mopar offers for the big SUV things like all-weather floor mats ($260), bike or watersport carrier (each going for $200), or black roof-rack crossbars, two per set at $300.
For the really outdoorsy types, a tent kit is on the table, complete with a “10-by-10-foot sleeping area, overhead storage net, inside pockets, two doors, three large mesh windows, exterior canopy (7 feet by 6 feet), 7-by-6-foot screened room, and a carrying case for easy storage.” This one goes for $390.
If you really want to spend the big bucks for Mopar parts, the last two items on the list are the way to go. The most expensive one is the rear-seat entertainment system that comes with a roof-mounted DVD player, 10-inch display screen mounting bracket with hardware, two Bluetooth headphones, and one Bluetooth remote control. For all that, you’ll have to pony up $1,625.
Not that expensive, but a lot more important are the Mopar wheels. Each one, sized 21 inches and offered in Granite Crystal and a five-spoke, triple-split design with Jeep center cap, comes with a price of $550, but given how you need at least four of them, that would be a total of $2,200.
So, if you add all those prices together you get a total for Mopar bits of $6,899. For reference, that’s about 20 percent of the price of the entry-level Laredo.
Keeping Jeep's three 4x4 systems (Quadra-Trac I, Quadra-Trac II and Quadra-Drive II with rear electronic limited slip-differential), the SUV takes its power from one of two powertrains. First up we have the 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 engine, considered standard and delivering 293 horsepower and 260 lb.-ft. of torque, enough for a towing rating of 6,200 pounds.
The top of the range (can it be called that, when there are only two engines?) is the 5.7-liter V8, rated from the factory at 357 horsepower and 390 lb.-ft. of torque, and a “class-leading towing capacity of up to 7,200 pounds.”
These engines come fitted inside no less than six trim levels – Laredo, Altitude, Limited, Overland, Summit, and Summit Reserve. The price we mentioned earlier is of course the one for the Laredo, as the Summit Reserve, which is the fanciest, sells for almost twice that, namely $63,635.
At the bottom of the list are the cargo-basket net complete with 14 plastic hooks ($54), followed by molded-black splash guards (set of two) that retail for $65. These are, of course, not the kind of Mopar accessories one would brag with, so we’ll move on.
Part of the list released last week includes items that are under $200, or thereabouts, and here we’ve got a collapsible pet kennel ($190), a cargo liner ($165), and a cargo tray ($150).
You can get things you can really use for between $200 and $400. In this price range Mopar offers for the big SUV things like all-weather floor mats ($260), bike or watersport carrier (each going for $200), or black roof-rack crossbars, two per set at $300.
If you really want to spend the big bucks for Mopar parts, the last two items on the list are the way to go. The most expensive one is the rear-seat entertainment system that comes with a roof-mounted DVD player, 10-inch display screen mounting bracket with hardware, two Bluetooth headphones, and one Bluetooth remote control. For all that, you’ll have to pony up $1,625.
Not that expensive, but a lot more important are the Mopar wheels. Each one, sized 21 inches and offered in Granite Crystal and a five-spoke, triple-split design with Jeep center cap, comes with a price of $550, but given how you need at least four of them, that would be a total of $2,200.
So, if you add all those prices together you get a total for Mopar bits of $6,899. For reference, that’s about 20 percent of the price of the entry-level Laredo.