Review: Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT Goes Down Under

At one point this looked like a good idea. A big, grunty 4x4 with a socking great V8, cooled leather seats, a wicked sound system with 19 speakers and enough attitude even for Australia. Then you start driving in Australia, driving up the whole West Coast.

That’s when another points strikes. Why do you need a vehicle that has launch control? Press the button, hold the brake, press the throttle and hey presto, you’re off like a kangaroo on speed. And when will you get the chance to try out the SRT’s Selec-Trac which will adjust the engine, suspension and everything else, to make it corner better? The corners are approximately a hundred miles apart.

Then again, it’s reassuring to see that the V8 is mated to an ‘efficient’ eight speed transmission and you also get Eco Mode and Fuel Saver Technology. Fuel stations are a long, long way apart here, although not as widely spaced as places that serve anything other than instant coffee and deep-fried whatever. But even with all that economy shtick you’re just not going to manage the claimed 20.9mpg so be prepared for a certain amount of tension in your day.

Still, a V8 with 468bhp is still a bit of a hoot to drive. It’s also just the thing when you have to surge past one of those long – like 100ft long – road trains, as the oncoming road disappears into the truck’s dust. Then you need that acceleration, which can get you to 60mph in 5sec and then on.