From the passenger’s seat: The 2012 Grand Cherokee SRT8 is a monster Jeep on Steriods

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The 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee as a whole builds off of the extremely successful and much-loved 2011 Grand Cherokee that debuted as an off-road on-road SUV in late 2010. New for 2012 however, is a road-ripping track day monster called the SRT8. Stepping into the rather intimidating SRT8, you feel the pure quality and luxury the Jeep has to offer.

From the passenger seat, the new Grand Cherokee SRT8 is very deceiving. At first, it feels comfy and cozy, with seats that wrap their leather and suede microfiber arms around you. The heated and cooled seats give a sense of peace, relaxation and comfort in the hands of the SRT8. While listening to the stellar 19-speaker sound system, you may ask the driver what SRT means.

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Super Ridiculous Tranquility? No. Street Racing Technology. The driver puts their foot down, and the world changes. The SRT turns into a 5000 pound, 470-horsepower, 6.4-Liter demon who’s prey is the road ahead. Without hesitation, the engine roars and the Jeep is thrusted forward, turning nearby scenery into a blur. Passengers are fed their daily dose of G-Forces.

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By this time, the Hemi engine is absolutely screaming with its finest deep-throated snarl. The exhaust pops and rumbles, and the blue-red speedometer flies past sixty in just 4.6 seconds of pure, fighter-jet like propulsion. When the brake pedal is floored, all of the passengers that were previously drop-kicked into their seats by acceleration are then snapped into their seatbelts, safely and quickly.

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Should the monster of a car ever get out of control, there are six airbags, a top safety pick award, ESC, ABS, and Brembo brakes to rein in the SRT8 away from danger and protect during a crash. When the test-drive is over, exiting the SRT is like leaving an old friend behind. Should you not want to leave, write a check for $54,000 and the rip-roaring über-SUV is yours.

In essence, the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 is a successful evolution of previous SRT vehicles, symbolizing jeep’s willingness to pursue goals beyond off-road SUVs.

About the Author: Colin Chambers, age 13, has been writing car reviews since a very young age. He has been invited to many different car crash test facilities and has a strong passion for cars, sparked by his mom and dad.

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