[theMAG]

Thats a nice SUV- seen many here in Denver: seems to be the only modern American automobile people here have taken to- apart from the quistessential truck of course.

[Wanderers]

Hi SS-Traveller

What a Machine did you get, WOW !!
I was wondering where the hell did SS-Traveller disappear as I could not see any activity from you.
But this is mother of all and will more than account for the miss time at TEAM-BHP.

Thanks & let it flow.

[autobalan]

Thanks SS Traveller for the exciting vehicle and pictures, i had visited sydney and melbourne last month and saw a lot of Jeeps, Holdens and Fords..
this is a dream trip i am waiting to happen soon.

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by drmohitg

Lovely pics Sir. Although I am still desperately waiting for the actual driving impressions on the car.

Ah, that!

What would you like to know, that cannot be described in very few words?

Acceleration: Not supercar levels, but most Indian cars south of the 40L INR bracket would be left behind in its dust. This, in automatic mode. One can switch the gearbox to manual mode, with Tiptronic-like paddle shifters behind the steering wheel, and it is great fun to play with that on curvy hilly roads as you barrel down at 80-100 km/h, the body utterly flat and roll-free - but then the ladies in the back complained about the centrifugal forces affecting their comfort.

Braking & handling: Has amazing levels of grip, and with all the acronyms added in (ABS, EBD, ESC, ERM, BA, TC, FCW, CM) this is one safe and stable SUV, under braking as well as around corners. It's a breeze to drive despite its bulk.

Safety: Maybe not Volvo-class, but not very far short either.

Comfort: The only SUV I have ridden / driven that is more comfortable and spacious is perhaps the Volvo XC90 - but this one definitely makes one feel like he's in the lap of luxury too.

Fuel Economy: Well, there's the one Achilles' heel for this massive petrol-engined vehicle. The diesel-powered Grand Cherokee is certainly more frugal according to the numbers.

I think the owner, rideon, would be in a better position to comment in greater detail.

[Boomerang]

Thank you for the pictures and thoughts.

I especially am impressed with Australia's road labelling. they are so many that you would fear the tread.

I have been in one these in dubai,

Cons:

i must say the suspension is not compassionate at all. Wrangler like suspension. I, particularly, was not a fan of the dash infotainment. the touch and feel could have been better. Since i did not drive i wouldn't comment; although i felt the turning radius was bad. Fortuner (Dubai edition) could have done a better job.

Pros:
Seating position: commanding (Yukon level)
Space: Awesome (thigh support not enough)


Would like to know if the vehicle was loaded?

Thanks.

[SS-Traveller]

The small and interesting bits...

The wiper stalk is on the left. More familiar.

Rear view of paddle shifter and buttons for operating the cruise control, without removing your hand from the wheel

Steering rake and reach adjustment control

Lights control and fuel lid release

Window controls and seat presets

Cavernous boot

Push button for rear hatch - for motorized closure

Shopping bag hooks and speaker

View showing reversing camera & hatch lock

Interesting and colourful fuse box

ORVMs

Tyre placard

Roof rack precautions placard

Engine oil specs

Oil filter cover

Battery is inside the cabin. Jump start points inside the engine bay

And something very interesting - a gateless transmission shifter. It's completely electronic!

Originally Posted by Boomerang

Cons:

i must say the suspension is not compassionate at all. Wrangler like suspension. I, particularly, was not a fan of the dash infotainment. the touch and feel could have been better. Since i did not drive i wouldn't comment; although i felt the turning radius was bad. Fortuner (Dubai edition) could have done a better job.

Was the one you rode equipped with pneumatic suspension? Turning radius was never a problem.

Would like to know if the vehicle was loaded?

Loaded? As in equipped? Or with a full load?

[samarjitdhar]

Nice Doc. Didn't realize that you were visiting Sydney. I have been based out of Sydney for the past year and could have met up.

My colleague based out of Melbourne also owns the exact same version, the only difference being the V6 3.0 L TDI beast under the hood. It spits out a whopping 570 Nm of torque. I experienced it once on my way back to Melbourne airport. Besides the 7 star luxury, the TDI version has tremendous pulling power specially when towing a trailer or a camper van. Undoubtedly its a very capable car but was out of my budget when I was in the market for one last year. Waiting for the rest of your experience.

[Boomerang]

Was the one you rode equipped with pneumatic suspension? Turning radius was never a problem.

- Not sure. didnt ask the driver.

Loaded? As in equipped? Or with a full load?[/quote]

- Full load.

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by samarjitdhar

Nice Doc. Didn't realize that you were visiting Sydney. I have been based out of Sydney for the past year and could have met up.
...
Waiting for the rest of your experience.

That's good news! This wasn't our last visit to Australia / Melbourne / Sydney by any means, but just the beginning. Will definitely meet up.

Originally Posted by Boomerang

- Full load.

Not really full load, but yes, a full complement of passengers.

[Vahanam]

A thing that caught my attention is that the Spare is 245/65 and the regular is 265/50. I was amused to see this in Punto itself. Now If i am seeing this in Jeep, it does not look like cost cutting measure. What is the reason? I did some search and found the following. Can the experts comment if this is indeed the case?

Fuel economy requirements, trunk space considerations and safety concerns have prompted automakers to shift toward smaller temporary spares.

What is the safety concern with the same size tire?

Automakers have shifted to temporary spare tires or "donuts" because they offer the best balance between size and usability. Temporary spares are smaller than the vehicle's other tires, take up less trunk space and are light enough for most people to handle when they're changing a flat.

Source : http://www.edmunds.com/car-buying/th...pare-tire.html

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by Vahanam

Can the experts comment if this is indeed the case?
What is the safety concern with the same size tire?

Not an expert on tyres, but I don't see any safety concerns either way, whether with full size spares or space-savers, as long as speed restrictions applicable to space-savers is strictly adhered to.

[Samba]

Just finished reading the whole thread! I must appreciate the way you covered the minute details of the Jeep. Your detailed description with the neat pictures made it a very pleasant read. Loved every bit of it, specially due to clubbing in the inputs and picture of the Australian highways. It almost gave me the feel of traveling with you in the jeep and feeling the adrenaline rush through those highways!

A speed limit of 110km/hr with that kind of tempting highways and this powerful Jeep really tests the self contentment level of a car enthusiast! On the other hand i must appreciate these rules. Abs and Airbags are must over there plus excellent roads with decent speed limits makes human life more safer. I sincerely hope India catches up with these rules soon enough.

And last but not the least being honest i must admit am feeling jealous on you reading this thread!

Rated 5 star.

[Spinnerr]

Had one question, did you happen to observe a clunk when shifting from 1 to 2nd gear in really low speeds. Say just after start?

It is like the computer upshifts, but the vehicle is not really in 2nd gear speed yet; resulting in a 'Clunk' and sight jerk. Did you happen to experience that in your drive?

Really liked those exterior pics. , the one under the tree.

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by Spinnerr

Had one question, did you happen to observe a clunk when shifting from 1 to 2nd gear in really low speeds. Say just after start?

It is like the computer upshifts, but the vehicle is not really in 2nd gear speed yet; resulting in a 'Clunk' and sight jerk. Did you happen to experience that in your drive?

Never felt anything like that. Shifts are extremely seamless. Perhaps rideon can say more since he lives with the car every day!

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by Spinnerr

Really liked those exterior pics. , the one under the tree.

Originally Posted by Samba

...neat pictures...

Glad that you liked the pics - thank you.

Some more random pics of the Jeep coming up:

Rideon and his car!

This one is at Bondi Beach, Sydney

A pic of the GPS navigation display on our way back from Sydney to Melbourne

The Jeep reaches the significant odo reading of 11111