Jeep Grand Cherokee VS Audi SQ5
Jeep Grand Cherokee
Likes
- Air suspension
- Very capable 4WD
- Smooth and refined PHEV
Dislikes
- Hefty price-tag
- Disappointing electric driving range
- Wheel and tyres not suited to off-roading
Audi SQ5
Likes
- Big torque from turbo-diesel V6
- Comfortable and easy to drive
- Quick
Dislikes
- Rear legroom could be better
- Needs better cabin storage
- Three-year warranty only
Summary
Jeep Grand Cherokee
Jeep Australia's first plug-in hybrid, the Grand Cherokee 4xe, has arrived at a time when the company’s sales figures need a decent shot in the arm.
Though it’s seemingly spearheading a large and extra-large SUV hybrid push into the Aussie market, with the likes of a Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series hybrid on its way, the marque’s debut PHEV is only available here in the range-topping Summit Reserve spec, and only as a five-seater.
So, does the 4xe have enough of a jump on any large SUV hybrid rivals – including a rumoured but postponed Ford Everest hybrid – and is it enough to give the brand a much-needed boost?
Read on.
| Safety rating | |
|---|---|
| Engine Type | 2.0L |
| Fuel Type | — |
| Fuel Efficiency | 3.2L/100km |
| Seating | 5 seats |
Audi SQ5
Audi makes some mind-blowing cars. There’s the R8 which comes up to my knees and has a V10, or the RS6 wagon which is like a missile with generous boot space. The model, however, most Audi buyers purchase is the Q5.
It’s a mid-sized SUV, which means it’s basically the shopping trolley in the carmaker’s range. But like all things Audi, there’s a performance version, and that’s the SQ5. Audi launched its updated Q5 mid-sized SUV a couple of months ago and now the revised sporty SQ5 has thundered in.
| Safety rating | |
|---|---|
| Engine Type | 3.0L turbo |
| Fuel Type | Premium Unleaded Petrol |
| Fuel Efficiency | 8.7L/100km |
| Seating | 5 seats |
Verdict
Jeep Grand Cherokee7/10
A wise man* once said "Being first can sometimes feel like being wrong" and perhaps that's how it is with the 4xe, but at least Jeep Australia is giving the large SUV hybrid realm a good ol' try.
* Former CarsGuide Big Kohuna, Glen Knowles.
The company's first plug-in hybrid, the Grand Cherokee 4xe, is not perfect by anyone's standards, however, it is a definite move in the right direction.
It's a quiet and refined drive, it retains the brand's renowned 4WD capability, and even its hefty price-tag likely won't dissuade Jeep loyalists from giving it a go.
Audi SQ57.5/10
The SQ5 is the best version of a hugely popular SUV, and the turbo-diesel V6 provides a thunderously enjoyable and easy driving experience. The update has brought little in the way of new looks, and practicality remains an area where the SQ5 could be improved, but it’s hard not to appreciate this excellent SUV.
Design
Jeep Grand Cherokee
Audi SQ58/10
It might just be me but the Q5 seems to be the best looking SUV in Audi’s range. It doesn’t have the overly large and cumbersome appearance of the Q7, but it has more heft than a Q3. That ‘Tornado line’ which twists itself down the side of the car, with the wheels appearing to push up into the body at the guards, adds to the dynamic look.
The SQ5 looks even more athletic with its S body kit, red brake calipers and 21-inch Audi Sport alloy wheels.
The update has seen the grille restyled to be lower and wider, with a more complex honeycomb design, while the side sill trim has been redesigned, too.
SQ5 colours include, 'Mythos Black', 'Ultra Blue', 'Glacier White', 'Floret Silver', 'Quantum Grey', and 'Navarra Blue.'
The cabin is much the same as before, with the addition of Nappa leather upholstery as standard. While prestigious and well-appointed, the cabin styling has been the same since the arrival of this second-generation Q5 in 2017, and is beginning to show its age.
The SQ5 is 4682mm end-to-end, 2140mm wide and 1653mm tall.
Want more coupe in your SQ5? You’re in luck, Audi has announced that an SQ5 Sportback will be coming soon.
Practicality
Jeep Grand Cherokee
The Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit Reserve 4xe PHEV retains the regular model’s level of functionality but adds a reasonably classy touch to everything.
All seats offer adequate comfort, support and room.
There are plenty of storage spaces, cupholders etc, and charging points - two USB-A and two USB-C plus a 12V socket in the front and two USB-A and two USB-C plus a 230V point in the back.
Controls are generally easy enough to locate and operate although some buttons are positioned in awkward places – including drive-mode buttons under the steering wheel – and it sometimes takes a few finger-stabs at the multimedia touchscreen to get to where you want to go in the operating system.
In terms of packability, the rear cargo area has a listed 1067 litres of space, and, with the second row folded and out of the way, that space opens up to 2004 litres.
Audi SQ57/10
This mid-size, five-seater SUV could do a better job on the practicality. There’s no third-row, seven-seater option, but that isn’t our main gripe. Nope, the SQ5 is short on rear legroom, and cabin storage isn’t great.
Sure, I’m 191cm (6'3") tall and almost 75 per cent of that is legs, but I can sit pretty comfortably behind my driving position in most mid-sized SUVs. Not the SQ5, which is getting tight back there.
As for cabin storage, yes, there’s a decent-sized console box under the centre armrest and slots for keys and wallets, plus the front door pockets are big, but rear passengers again don’t get the best treatment with small door pockets. There are two cup holders back there, though, in the fold-down armrest and another two up front.
The boot’s 510 litres of luggage capacity is almost 50 litres less than the cargo space of the BMW X3 and Mercedes-Benz GLC.
Four USB ports (two in the front and two in the second row) are useful and so is the wireless phone charger in the dashboard.
Privacy glass, directional air vents for the third row and roof racks that now have cross members are great to see.
Price and features
Jeep Grand Cherokee
The five-seat Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit Reserve 4xe PHEV has a MSRP of $129,950 (excluding on-road costs).
Standard features include a 10.1-inch multimedia system (with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto), a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, 19-speaker audio system, quilted Palermo leather-trimmed seats, air suspension and 21-inch alloy wheels.
It also has a heated steering wheel, 12-way power-adjustable seats and four-way power lumbar adjustment with memory for driver and front passenger, driver and front passenger seat massage function and heated and ventilated seats (driver, front passenger and rear outboard passengers).
A Mode 2 charging cable is also included.
An 'Advanced Technology Group' pack is available as a $5500 option and that includes a head-up display, a 10.25-inch screen for the front passenger, wireless phone charger, and night vision camera.
Exterior paint options include 'Bright White', 'Diamond Black', 'Silver Zynith', 'Velvet Red', 'Baltic Grey', 'Rocky Mountain', 'Midnight Sky' and 'Hydro Blue'.
Audi SQ58/10
The SQ5 lists for $104,900, making it $35K more than the entry-grade Q5 40 TFSI. Still, the value is good considering this king-of-the-range is loaded with features, including an armful of new ones coming with this update.
New standard features include, matrix LED headlights, metallic paint, a panoramic sunroof, acoustic glazing, Nappa leather upholstery, an electrically adjustable steering column, a head-up display, a 19-speaker Bang and Olufsen stereo, and the roof racks now come with cross members.
That’s along with the standard features which came on the SQ5 previously such as, LED DRLs, three-zone climate control, a 10.1-inch media display, 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless charging, 30-colour ambient lighting, digital radio, power adjustable and heated front seats, privacy glass, 360-degree view camera, adaptive cruise, and auto parking.
The SQ5 also gets the sporty S exterior body kit with red brake calipers, and the interior also has S features such as sports seats with diamond stitching.
Of course, the SQ5 is more than just a cosmetic pack. There’s sports suspension and that magnificent V6, which we’ll get to soon.
Under the bonnet
Jeep Grand Cherokee
The Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit Reserve 4xe PHEV has a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-charged petrol engine, two electric motors (one on each axle) and a 17.3kWh battery.
Combined engine and electric outputs for power and torque are 280kW and 637Nm, respectively. The 4xe has it over any of its stablemates equipped with the 3.6-litre Pentastar V6 petrol engine because that yields 210kW and 344Nm.
The 4xe has an eight-speed automatic torque-converter transmission and regenerative braking.
Drive modes include 'Hybrid' (with combined engine and electric motor providing “maximum instant torque and impressive acceleration”, according to Jeep), 'Electric' (“zero emissions”) and 'eSave' (aims to save battery power).
There are a few options available when it comes time to charge the 4xe.
The 4xe vehicle has a Mode 2 charging cable so you can charge it at home in less than 10 hours, according to Jeep.
With a full charge, the 4xe has a claimed driving range, on electric charge alone, of 52km.
Jeep reckons a Mode 3 (wall box) single-phase electric vehicle charger will fully charge the 4xe in less than three hours.
If out and about and looking for a charge, a 4xe driver can use the onboard 'UConnect' system to locate an appropriate public charging station.
Audi SQ58/10
The SQ5's 3.0-litre, turbo-diesel V6 is a development of the engine that was in the Special Edition SQ5 from the previous model, now producing 251kW from 3800-3950rpm, and 700Nm from 1750-3250rpm.
This diesel engine uses what’s called a mild-hybrid system. Don’t mistake this for a petrol-electric hybrid or a plug-in hybrid because it’s nothing like them, but more an auxiliary system for electrical storage which can restart the engine, which shuts down during coasting.
Shifting gears is an eight-speed automatic, and of course drive goes to all four wheels. Claimed 0-100km/h for the SQ5 is 5.1 seconds, which should be more than enough to help you out when that lane ahead runs out. And towing capacity is 2000kg for a braked trailer.
Is there a petrol variant? There was one in the previous model, but for this update Audi has only released this diesel version so far. That’s not to say a petrol SQ5 won’t appear later. We’ll keep our ear to the ground for you.
Efficiency
Jeep Grand Cherokee
As mentioned, the 4xe has a listed electric-only driving range of 52km.
On our official test day, we drove just under 50km on a full electric charge and then the rest of the trip was courtesy of the good ol’ petrol engine.
Jeep's official figure for the combined cycle is just 3.2L/100km, but that's predicated on keeping the hybrid battery charged at all times. On fuel-only we recorded 11.6L/100km.
The 4xe has a 72-litre fuel tank (you need 95RON premium to fill it), so going by that on-test fuel-consumption figure, you could reasonably expect to get a driving range of about 620km out of a full tank.
Add an approximate electric range of about 50km on a full charge to that figure and you have a total estimated driving range of 670km.
Audi SQ57/10
The Aussie launch didn’t give us a chance to test the SQ5's fuel consumption, but Audi reckons after a combination of open and urban roads the 3.0-litre TDI should return 7.0L/100km. That sounds like ridiculously good economy, but it’s all we have to go on for now. We’ll put the SQ5 through some real-world testing soon.
While the mild-hybrid system does contribute to fuel saving it would be much better to see a plug-in hybrid Q5 on sale in Australia. An e-tron EV version would be even better. So, while the diesel is efficient, consumers need more environmentally sound choices for this popular mid-sized SUV.
Driving
Jeep Grand Cherokee
We’re all time-poor, right? So, why should I take up your time and rattle on about the 4xe for a thousand words when I can get the essence of it across to you, the reader, in a few sentences? Call me, Mr Thoughtful.
This is generally a big, quiet and refined, easy-steering large SUV, but it feels bulky at times and tends to be quite fussy on irregular surfaces, exhibiting a jittery ride on even brief sections of light corrugations on dirt tracks.
The 4xe’s PHEV set-up is smooth and highly responsive on-road and you can switch between the aforementioned drive modes to suit the circumstance.
Driving range on electric only is listed as 52km. I only recorded a total distance of just under 50km, and it’s a very quiet and smooth drive while relying on electric power.
It regenerates power rather quickly down big hills and via braking, but we’d exhausted all electric charge by the time we’d reached our 4WD test track.
As expected, this Grand Cherokee tackled every off-road challenge without any strife.
The air suspension, set to full off-road height, is a bonus.
Our 4WD test track consists of difficult set-pieces, including one small steep rocky hill that I’ve seen heavily modified vehicles struggle to conquer and, to the Jeep’s credit, it climbed the incline, no sweat.
The 4xe’s efforts were only ever hampered by its 'all-season' Continental CrossContact tyres (275/45R21) which are much better suited to blacktop driving and the fact the 4xe costs upwards of $129,950 and I didn’t want to risk any damage to it.
The 4xe has a listed wading depth of 610mm but our test track was dry so I never had the chance to do any water crossings.
The Grand Cherokee has a solid enough rep as a towing vehicle but, take note, the 4xe is rated to tow 2722kg.
Audi SQ58/10
If I had to choose the best thing about the SQ5, it’s the way it drives. This is one of those cars that feels like you’re wearing it rather than driving it with the way it steers, the smooth eight-speed auto shifts, and the engine responds.
Like a low-flying army helicopter - voomp-voomp-voomp. That’s what the SQ5 sounds like at 60km/h in fourth, and I love it. Even if the sound is enhanced electronically.
But the oomph is completely real. The 3.0-litre, turbo-diesel V6 is a development of the engine that was in the Special Edition SQ5 from the previous model, but it’s better because the 700Nm of torque now comes in lower, at 1750rpm. Power output is also a smidge higher at 251kW.
Just don’t expect the SQ5 to be brutally dynamic, it’s not a Mercedes-AMG GLC 43. Nope, it’s more grand tourer than super SUV with colossal torque and a comfortable ride. It handles impressively, but the SQ5 seems more at home on gentle country roads and highways than switchbacks and hairpins.
My drive route took in only a small amount of city running, but the SQ5’s ease of driving made traffic as stressless as stressful peak hour traffic can be.
Safety
Jeep Grand Cherokee
The Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit Reserve 4xe PHEV has the maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating from assessment this year.
Safety gear includes AEB with pedestrian detection, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, driver monitoring, traffic sign recognition, intersection collision assist, and a surround-view parking camera.
The Summit Reserve spec brings with it 'ParkSense' parallel and perpendicular park assist and (low-level autonomous) 'Active Driving Assist'.
It has eight airbags including front, side, and knee (for driver and front passenger), sides (for second-row passengers) and full curtain airbags.
Audi SQ58/10
The Q5 was given the maximum five-star ANCAP score when it was assessed in 2017, and the SQ5 carries the same rating.
Coming standard is AEB, although it’s the city-speed type which works to detect cars and pedestrians at up to 85km/h. There’s also rear cross-traffic alert, lane keeping assistance, blind spot warning, adaptive cruise control, auto parking (parallel and perpendicular), 360-degree camera view, front and rear parking sensors, and eight airbags.
For child seats there are two ISOFIX points and three top tether anchor mounts across the rear seat.
Ownership
Jeep Grand Cherokee
The Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit Reserve 4xe PHEV has a five-year/100,000km warranty and a lifetime roadside assist service.
Servicing is set at 12-month/12,000km intervals and capped price servicing keeps what you pay for each appointment at $399 for the first five.
Audi SQ56/10
Audi refuses to budge on its three-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, despite other prestige brands such as Genesis, Jaguar, and Mercedes-Benz going to five-year/unlimited km coverage.
As for servicing, Audi offers a five-year plan for the SQ5 costing $3100, covering every 12 month/15000km service over that time, for an annual average of .