Looking again, we now bear in mind the Grand Cherokee as one of many best Jeep fashions to have come out of the Chrysler period. However, within the mid-Nineteen Nineties, Jeep’s latest wagon was merely starting to search out its place within the quickly developing SUV market. This was no small process in itself, as stiff competitors from such home manufacturing giants as Ford and Chevrolet, put fairly the squeeze on these making an attempt to profitability.
Nonetheless, Chrysler’s imaginative and prescient for the Grand Cherokee proved spot-on. The Grand Cherokee blended each on and off-road capabilities, with a bunch of luxurious inside facilities, to create a driving expertise like none different. Success got here rapidly, as over 250,000 Grand Cherokees have been offered through the 1995 mannequin 12 months alone, simply three years after the wagon’s preliminary launch.
However, Chrysler’s design and growth staff nonetheless felt as if the Grand Cherokee may benefit from additional revision, a lot of which got here to go previous to the start of the 1996 manufacturing 12 months. Many of those revisions centered round bolstering the Grand Cherokee’s journey high quality, and increasing upon its already prolonged checklist of luxurious options.
Finding Room For Improvement
Though the Grand Cherokee skilled its greatest 12 months thus far in 1995, these on the helm of Chrysler nonetheless discovered vital room for enchancment. While critics have extensively praised the Grand Cherokee for being equally sound, in each kind and performance, the general public had additionally been fast to level out factors of discontent. Luckily, Chrysler took observe and got down to treatment previous shortcomings.
During its first three years of manufacturing, shoppers had usually voiced considerations over the Grand Cherokee’s journey high quality, which may very well be considerably harsh compared to different sport utility automobiles of the day. Likewise, complaints concerning the plentiful engine noise and fewer than stellar acoustic dampening have been additionally widespread. Before the start of 1996 manufacturing, quite a few diversifications have been made to quell such considerations.
Credit: jeepexperts.comA “Better” Grand Cherokee
Some of the obvious enhancements to the 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee concerned modifications made to the road’s 4.0-liter inline-six powerplant. Prior to 1996 manufacturing, the 4.0-liter inline-six acquired a revised camshaft with reshaped cam lobes, remoted valve cowl fasteners, and new primary bearing bracing. These enhancements drastically diminished working noise, whereas bettering engine torque.
For 1996, Jeep dropped its beforehand supplied Command-Trac part-time four-wheel-drive system from the Grand Cherokee’s choices sheet, as a substitute choosing use of Select-Trac full-time four-wheel drive. The Grand Cherokee’s entrance suspension was additionally upgraded, in a bid to attenuate vibration, whereas bettering journey stability.
Additional enhancements have been made to the Jeep Grand Cherokee’s security techniques as nicely, which most notably included the addition of a passenger-side airbag. The Grand Cherokee’s entrance and rear shoulder belts additionally gained top adjustment, permitting for higher driver/passenger consolation and security.
Not to be neglected, the Grand Cherokee acquired a collection of refined beauty revisions for the 1996 mannequin 12 months. The most noteworthy of those modifications included the addition of a restyled grille, which sat proportionately decrease in relation to the Grand Cherokee’s bumper than in years prior. The Grand Cherokee’s fog lights have been additionally relocated to inside the wagon’s entrance bumper.
Additionally, the 1996 Grand Cherokee was the recipient of quite a few inside upgrades, which most notably included the addition of a brand new steering wheel, adorned with built-in cruise management and a centrally-located horn pad. The Grand Cherokee’s sprint was additionally redesigned to current a extra streamlined look.
A Crowning Moment
Credit: jeepexperts.comBy all accounts, Chrysler’s 1996 try to revitalize the Grand Cherokee was nothing wanting an immense success. By 12 months’s finish, a complete of 279,195 Grand Cherokees had been offered. Perhaps extra importantly, 1996 noticed the manufacturing and sale of the 1-Millionth Grand Cherokee, lending additional credibility to Jeep’s try at dominance over the rising domestic SUV market.
1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee Specifications
| Engine | 4.0L Inline 6
5.2L V8 |
| Horsepower | 185 horsepower |
| Torque | 225 lb-ft torque |
| 0-60 MPH | 10.8 sec |
| Quarter Mile Time | 17.8 sec |
| Weight | 3,614-3,790 lbs |
| Price | $24,903/$26,871 Laredo/4WD
$30,629/$33,056 Limited/4WD
|
| Production Numbers | 279,195 |
Available Exterior Colors
The 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee was accessible in Light Driftwood Satin, Char-Gold Satin, Opal Gray, Black, Flame Red, Light Iris Pearl, Dark Rosewood, Moss Green, Forest Green, Stone White, and Bright Jade
Available Interior Colors
The 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee inside was accessible in Light Slate, Dark Slate, Camel, Agate, and Camel/Moss Green.
Credit: jeepexperts.com1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee Video
We discovered an amazing video concerning the ’96 Jeep Grand Cherokee.