The Jeep Grand Cherokee is already capable off-road, but according to CarScoops, the upcoming Trailhawk version is going to take its abilities in the rough up a notch.
Jeep has tweaked the Trailhawk’s Quadra-Lift air suspension system so it provides improved articulation and more suspension travel. The highest setting should be good for close to 11 inches of ground clearance (Jeep says the regular Grand Cherokee’s air suspension currently raises the vehicle’s “ground clearance up to a maximum of 10.8 inches higher”). The Grand Cherokee’s top-of-the-line Quadra-Drive 4×4 system with an electronic limited-slip differential comes standard.
So does a removable lower front fascia. That should make the Trailhawk’s beak mug less vulnerable to the boulders and stumps the SUV is bound to be eventually taken over. The Trailhawk’s Kevlar-reinforced Goodyear Wrangler rubber, which wraps 18-inch wheels, should help it get over obstacles such as those and many others.
Other exterior touches include a glare-reducing hood decal, badges accented with red, and red tow hooks that are a visual signature of Jeep’s Trailhawk models.
The Grand Cherokee Trailhawk’s interior features red-stitched seats, piano black trim, and gunmetal accents. Information such as suspension height, wheel articulation, and current driving mode are displayed on the updated infotainment system.
The 2017 Grand Cherokee Trailhawk itself will be displayed at the upcoming New York International Auto Show.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
