May 28, 2003
JEEP® ACCENTUATES ITS APPEAL WITH NEW LOOK MODELS
 New Grand Cherokee features a fresh look
 Cherokee Red River Edition expands Jeep® appeal with unique exterior package
Zwartkops, Pretoria. – Today, the Chrysler and Jeep Division of DaimlerChrysler South Africa announced a refreshed and
extended Grand Cherokee model range and a limited production Jeep Cherokee Red River Edition to further emphasise the best-ofboth-worlds value proposition offered by the planet’s 4x4 icon.
The new Jeep Grand Cherokee features a fresh new appearance that accentuates the vehicle’s distinctive design and 4x4 leadership.
“Jeep SUVs have really proven themselves over the past three years in South Africa, becoming the best selling vehicles in their
category and proving their prowess in both the on- and off-road arenas,” explains Guy Franken, Chrysler and Jeep marketing
manager. “The advent of a new Grand Cherokee with some significant cosmetic changes heralds in a new era of market domination
for the brand and is part of ongoing aesthetic and technical improvements that keep all Jeep vehicles at the cutting edge of design
and ability.”
Similarly, in keeping with the Jeep brand’s robust off-road philosophy the limited production Cherokee Red River Edition plays
suitable homage to 62 years of Jeep off-road leadership with a rugged and unique exterior package.
“Named after an historic town high in the Rocky Mountains, within the Sangre de Cristo mountain range in New Mexico, the
Cherokee Red River Edition embodies the pioneering spirit of frontier towns of the Wild West,” continues Franken. “Settlers
formed the town of Red River in the late 1800s when gold was discovered in the region. Now surrounded by a 1.5-million acre
national forest, the town of Red River is known for its natural beauty and rugged outdoor activities. In this vein, the new vehicle
premieres production features that further epitomise the “go anywhere, do anything” ethos of Jeep.”
Jeep Grand Cherokee
A fresh, new look for the brand’s flagship
The new Jeep Grand Cherokee features a fresh look with a new front fascia, grille and round fog lamps for all models. The more
upright grille bars enhance the trademark seven-slotted grille design, and the sculpted front fascia holds round fog lamps that
invoke Jeep’s heritage and strengthen the family resemblance with the Cherokee and Wrangler.
For all Grand Cherokee models, new convex outside mirrors reduce high-speed shake, and a new exterior colour - Deep Lava Red has been added to the palette.
Overland Model for the ultimate in SUV luxury
As the creator of the sport-utility vehicle segment, Jeep continues to offer unique vehicles to a wide range of customers. And the
Grand Cherokee Overland V-8 is no exception, offering rugged off-road ability, cosseting luxury and executive saloon car
performance in one superb package.
Grand Cherokee Overland is distinguished by unique machined-rim “Rogue” 17-inch aluminium alloy wheels, body-colour exterior
fascia panels and grille surround, rock rails to protect the sills and a bright finished exhaust pipe. The Quadra-Drive® four-wheeldrive system is standard on Overland, as is a skid plate set for optimum off-road protection.
Inside, extra equipment includes a power sunroof, 10-disc CD changer with remote control, unique suede and leather seat trim, 10way powered and heated front seats, and real Redwood Burl wood trim on the instrument panel, centre console, upper door trims
and upper part of the steering wheel.
Laredo trim levels for the 2.7 CRD diesel model, and one other petrol engine, the 4.7-litre V-8 (164kW), round out the range.
In all Jeep Grand Cherokee interiors, a new cubby bin for holding sunglasses or other small items is added to the instrument panel.
An optional ashtray can be ordered in place of the bin.
Enhanced Ride and Safety Features
The Jeep Grand Cherokee’s suspension features reduced pressure shocks for improvements in overall ride comfort. Reduced brake
pedal effort allowing shorter stopping distances during braking manoeuvres was accomplished by increasing the master cylinder
output pressure for a “lighter” brake pedal feel. New brake calipers complement the lighter brake pedal feel, providing smoother
and more linear braking. Jeep engineers also reduced steering effort both on- and off-centre through the use of a revised steering
gear torsion bar.
Standard multi-stage driver and passenger front air bags are designed to deploy at different levels depending on the severity of the
impact. Standard ceiling-mounted side curtain air bags offer additional head protection for both front and rear occupants.
Utilising a rain sensor attached to the windscreen, Grand Cherokee offers rain-sensing front wipers. When the windscreen wiper
control is turned to “AUTO,” the wiper system automatically activates when it rains and adjusts its speed according to the severity
of the rain. This feature is standard on Overland.
Jeep Cherokee Red River Edition
Unique exterior package expands Jeep appeal
The limited-production Red River Edition features a high-gloss graphite painted grille, front and rear fascias and “bolted-on” wheel
flares. Body-colour painted door mouldings complete the colour-keyed appearance. Complementing the exterior are fog lamps and
all-season tyres mounted on 16-inch graphite painted six-spoke cast aluminium wheels.
Inside, the Jeep Cherokee Red River Edition has well-tailored, supportive low-back front seats with a unique combination of flat
woven cloth and leather. The driver’s seat includes a seat-back map pocket for added storage. The steering wheel is also wrapped in
leather, while speed control comes standard on the vehicle. Multi-function, steering wheel mounted controls for the CD audio
system further differentiate the Red River Edition from other Jeep Cherokee Sport derivatives.
In keeping with the nature of the town after which it’s named, unique optional Mopar equipment was designed to complement the
Cherokee Red River Edition. These accessories include graphite painted tubular side rock rails, taillamp guards, and a front brush
guard to further accentuate the Cherokee’s already excellent off-road ability.
The 2003 Jeep Cherokee Red River Edition will only be powered by the 3.7 PowerTech™ V-6 petrol engine with four-speed
automatic transmission in South Africa.
Cherokee Interior and Safety Features
The Jeep Cherokee continues to delight customers with new interior features. A new overhead console, based on the Grand
Cherokee design, includes a unique interface that allows customers to program the operation of nine convenience and safety items
to their own requirements. Cherokee owners can now personalise features, including which doors unlock with the first press of the
remote keyless entry unlock button and the amount of time the headlamps remain on after exiting the vehicle. A new cubby bin
found in the dash features a rubber mat with a lip to keep sunglasses or other items in place.
Drivers will also have a better view of the world with newly available electrochromic interior and driver’s side rearview mirrors that
help reduce headlight glare from following traffic. Standard sliding sunvisors keep the sun out of the driver’s eyes by providing
added coverage of the glass.
Standard multi-stage driver and passenger front air bags are designed to deploy at different levels depending on the severity of the
impact. Jeep Cherokee also features a seat belt pretensioner in the driver’s position, and constant force retractors for both driver and
front passenger.
Exclusive to Jeep vehicles, Cherokee’s “uniframe” construction incorporates all of the strength and durability of a body-on-frame
construction into a unitised construction. Also, more than 70 per cent of Cherokee’s underbody is made of high-strength steel. Jeep
Cherokee earned the United States government’s highest side and driver front safety ratings. The National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA) issued Jeep Cherokee side impact ratings of 5/5 star and frontal crash ratings of 4/5 star.
Innovative Suspension and Steering
In response to customer feedback, Jeep engineers reduced Cherokee’s steering effort for improved manoeuvrability and even more
fun-to-drive characteristics. Cherokee is the first Jeep vehicle to offer rack and pinion steering, tuned to give the driver precise
control and positive feedback on-road, with enhanced durability for off-road use. Also as part of the continuous improvement
process, new shock absorbers, springs and jounce bumpers give Cherokee better on-road ride and a slightly lower ride height to
improve highway ride and handling.
Cherokee’s Jeep-engineered, coil spring independent front suspension combines with a link-coil rear suspension to provide
exceptional on-road refinement, while maintaining its 20 cm of suspension travel and legendary off-road capability and durability.
Red River Edition available in limited numbers
To preserve this special vehicle’s uniqueness, Chrysler and Jeep South Africa will only be offering a limited number of 120 Jeep
Cherokee Red River Edition models. Available in either Bright Silver Metallic or Black exterior colour with special Red River
Edition badges on the driver and front passenger doors, the Cherokee Red River Edition retails for R291, 100.
Pricing on all Grand Cherokee models remains unchanged.
Media Enquiries:
Guy Kilfoil
Media Manager: Chrysler & Jeep
Telephone: (012) 677 5791
Mobile: 082 569 9693
Email: guy.kilfoil@daimlerchrysler.com