Jeep Grand Cherokee

Jeep's latest package is noticeably bolstered by the inclusion of a totally new 160kW Mercedes-sourced three-litre V6 diesel that replaces the previous incarnation's ropey old 2.7 CRD. It's this diesel unit that warrants attention here.

There is a 5.7-litre Hemi V8 on offer as some sort of white-knuckle flagship, but with a hefty price tag, less torque than the diesel and eye-watering fuel returns, it doesn't make an enormous amount of sense.

The 3.0 CRD Limited, at $68,690, is a decent punt at an on/off-road Jack-of-all-trades. It doesn't handle quite with the confidence of BMW's X5, but it's over $15,000 cheaper and would give the German a bloody good hiding away from the asphalt.

There is a catch, though. Jeep's budget has undoubtedly gone on striking this delicate balance between on-the-road and on-the-range, and the cabin is discernibly down on quality as a result. Dash plastics are immediately cheap to the eye and most sound pretty hollow to the touch.

Disappointing contact points like the wobbly handbrake instil further doubts in the Grand's final fit and finish, and grab handles that are scarcely in reach, in an off-roader mind you, smack of myopic initial design.

Still, if your idea of a weekend away involves pumping the Arkansas air full of lead and filling the hose-down boot with still-twitching carcasses, then you probably already have a Grand on order. It'll be hard to make your case to Australian buyers, who have the seven-seat Discovery and nearly one grand change in their pockets, but this is a car that ably fulfills its purpose.

Matt Master