By 1994, the Jeep Grand Cherokee was in its sophomore 12 months of manufacturing and had begun to amass fairly the next amongst shoppers. In some ways, this rise to prominence was fairly predictable. Though Jeep had lengthy since catered to the off-road and utilitarian market, the corporate’s presence inside the luxurious sector had been practically non-existent, till the Grand Cherokee’s 1992 debut.
The Grand Cherokee, which was initially supposed to interchange the getting older XJ Cherokee, made its preliminary debut on the 1992 Detroit Auto Show, earlier than coming into full-scale manufacturing simply months later. With XJ Cherokee gross sales remaining regular, the highest brass at Chrysler determined to market each fashions of their famed wagon, concurrently. This resolution proved invaluable, as each the bottom Cherokee and Grand Cherokee posted staggering gross sales figures for the higher a part of the last decade to come back.
Refining Earlier Success
The Grand Cherokee was hardly the primary Jeep wagon to obtain a considerable quantity of fanfare. In truth, America’s fascination with Jeep wagons dates again to the early Nineteen Sixties, at which period, the Jeep Wagoneer made its debut. The Wagoneer drew fairly the response from shoppers, who praised Jeep’s new 4X4 wagon for its luxurious facilities, which included sedan-style seating and flowing trim-work.
Then, in 1984, the Wagoneer was rebranded the Grand Wagoneer, as Jeep started manufacturing of two new fashions, each of which had been of a wagon format. The first of which, was a downscaled model of the Grand Wagoneer, which retained the “Wagoneer” namesake. The latter was a utilitarian-style wagon, which got here to be referred to as the Jeep Cherokee. Both fashions would proceed to be marketed in parallel to at least one one other till the Wagoneer was finally discontinued in 1991.
With the Wagoneer off the desk, Jeep had formally exited the luxurious wagon market, leaving the XJ Cherokee as the one descendent of such earlier efforts. However, the speedy improvement of the brand new SUV (Sports Utility Vehicle) market necessitated additional refinement of Jeep’s getting older product line. From this perceived want, got here the Jeep Grand Cherokee, which was first marketed through the 1993 mannequin 12 months. Though the mannequin’s success was largely instantaneous, additional refinement of Jeep’s new wagon got here in 1994.
A Wagon Like None Other
Several notable modifications befell through the Grand Cherokee’s second 12 months of manufacturing. Though Jeep had begun providing a Grand Wagoneer trim bundle through the latter days of 1993 manufacturing, this feature was pulled from the desk in 1994. However, the bundle’s bigger 5.2-liter V8 remained obtainable. This engine produced 220-horsepower, thereby besting the output of the Grand Cherokee’s base powerplant, the 190 horsepower 4.0-liter straight-six.
While the Grand Cherokee’s new V8 gained modest recognition, the 4.0-liter straight-six nonetheless accounted for the overwhelming majority of gross sales. By this time, the straight-six had already gained a repute of dependability, having immediately descended from the identical fundamental design as earlier inline Jeep engines of the AMC period.
By 1994, the Grand Cherokee’s prior Aisin AW4 four-speed automated transmission had been changed by a Chrysler-derived 42RE automated. Also obtainable, was a 5-speed guide transmission, which might be discontinued on account of restricted demand, previous to the 1995 mannequin 12 months.
The 1994 Jeep Grand Cherokee was obtainable with each Selec-Trac and Quadra-Trac four-wheel-drive programs. The Quadra-Trac system utilized by early Grand Cherokees was truly a re-engineered model of the corporate’s earlier 4WD programs of the identical namesake. In this utility, the Quadra-Trac system utilized an NP249 switch case and viscous coupler, which allowed for full-time four-wheel-drive help.
In order to deal with the pains of off-road use, the Grand Cherokee was outfitted with Jeep’s Quadra-Link suspension system, which included higher and decrease management arms, at every wheel finish location. This served to stabilize longitudinal motion and rotation, whereas a observe bar was employed to manage lateral axle motion. The Grand Cherokee’s entrance and rear axles additionally featured each coil springs and gas-charged shock absorbers, at every finish.
For the 1994 mannequin 12 months, the Grand Cherokee’s base trim bundle obtained the “SE” designation, whereas the “Laredo” trim bundle was quickly shelved. Additional modifications for the 1994 mannequin 12 months included the introduction of four-wheel disc brakes as customary gear inside the Limited trim bundle and the implementation of premium audio throughout all trims.
Setting The Standard
By all accounts, the 1994 mannequin 12 months proved to be fairly the success for Chrysler, and its newly launched Jeep Grand Cherokee. When all was settled, a complete of 238,390 Grand Cherokees had been bought through the calendar 12 months. Additionally, the Grand Cherokee proved to be a formidable entry into the trade’s quickly growing SUV market. Though the continued existence of the Jeep wagon appeared in query only a few years prior, the Grand Cherokee’s instant success served as a supply of inspiration for future Jeep design and improvement.
1994 Jeep Grand Cherokee Specifications
| Engine | SE: 4.0L Inline 6 cylinder5.2L V8- Auto Transmission solely |
| Horsepower | 190 horsepower |
| Torque | 225 lb-ft torque |
| 0-60 MPH | 10.0 sec |
| Quarter Mile Time | 17.4 sec |
| Weight | 3,674 lbs |
| Base Price | $21,256 SE$22,196 SE 4WD
$29,743 Limited 4WD |
| Production Numbers | 238,390 |
Available Exterior Colors
The 1994 Jeep Grand Cherokee was obtainable in Black, Light Driftwood Sand, Poppy Red, Dark Quartz Gray, Hunter Green Metallic, Blue Jewel Metallic, Wildberry Metallic, Teal, and Bright White.
Available Interior Colors
The 1994 Jeep Grand Cherokee inside was obtainable in Light Gray, Dark Gray, Light Driftwood, Black, Red, Driftwood, Beige, and Beige/MossGreen.
1994 Jeep Grand Cherokee Video
We discovered an incredible video in regards to the ’94 Jeep Grand Cherokee.