Jeep has shown a new restyled, more luxurious and roomier version of the Grand Cherokee in America, with air suspension included for the first time.

It also gets a much stiffer body, more electronic features - including hill descent control and a terrain response system – plus a new V6 flexi-fuel engine.

The vehicle will be launched in the US next year, and is not expected in New Zealand until late next year or even 2012.

The new Quadra Lift air suspension system provides height control and lifts the vehicle up to 114 mm from the easy-entry park mode to a maximum ride height of 282 mm to deliver off-road capability expected from Jeep.

There’s a choice of three 4WD systems, Quadra-Trac I, Quadra-Trac II and Quadra-Drive II with electronic limited slip differential.

The new Selec-Terrain system comes with Quadra-Trac II and Quadra-Drive II and offers five terrain settings: Auto, Sand/Mud, Sport, Snow and Rock.

Jeep’s all-new, flexible fuel 3.6-litre V6 engine features variable valve timing and produces 209 kW and 353 Nm at 4,800 rpm.

The Grand Cherokee is also available with a 268 kW/520 Nm 5.7-litre Hemi V8 with fuel-saving Multi-displacement System (MDS) technology.

Most important choice for the New Zealand market, however is likely to be the 3-litre CRD turbo-diesel. Jeep has not yet announced whether or not the current 162 kW/510 Nm will be carried over, or upgraded.

But interiors HAVE been upgraded, with premium soft-touch interior materials for all price classes, including leather instrument panel and door uppers on Overland model.

Other interior features include real wood and leather, heated steering wheel, heated and ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, four-way power lumbar controls, rain-sensitive wipers, keyless entry and start, a rear back-up camera and power tilt/telescoping steering column with memory.

In addition there are increased storage areas in the instrument panel, a larger glove box and a covered centre-stack storage bin.

Larger front and rear door openings (78 degrees) improve access and there’s more than 10 cm of increased rear-seat knee and leg room compared to the previous model, plus the luxury of reclining rear seats.

More than 1,000 litres of load space offers 17 percent more room for gear, and there’s a fold-flat front passenger seat on Laredo models.

The cargo compartment has removable dual storage bins inside the spare wheel compartment.

A Grand Cherokee “first” is the power rear lift gate.

Other features include new 20-inch wheels on Limited and Overland models, bi-xenon (HID) headlamps standard on Limited and Overland models, plus SmartBeam headlamps which adjust to ambient light and oncoming traffic.

Under the skin there’s all-new independent front and rear suspension systems with isolated front and rear suspension cradles and variable-rate rear springs, while the body is 146 percent stiffer than current model - and stiffer than the BMW X5.

 The increased stiffness has been achieved by using more than 5,400 welds in the body alone, a 53 percent increase in spot welds, a 42 percent increase in arc welds and a 38 percent increase in structural adhesive.

Safety features include Electronic Stability Control (ESC, with Electronic Roll Mitigation, Hill-Start Assist, Trailer-Sway Control and Hill Descent Control.

Full-length side-curtain air bags extend protection to front and rear outboard passengers, and there are seat-mounted side thorax air bags for the driver and front passenger, while active head restraints deploy in the event of a rear collision to reduce whiplash injury by minimising the gap between the head restraint and the occupant’s head.

In addition the Grand Cherokee gets a park assist system, a blind-spot/rear cross-path detection system with illuminated icons on the side mirrors/and/or an audible chime, adaptive cruise control which decreases the vehicle’s pre-set cruise-control speed when closing in on another vehicle or when another vehicle pulls into same lane, a forward collision warning system, and a remote start for the engine to get either aircon or the heater working before occupants get into the Jeep.

American models also feature various in-built audio, navigation and DVD functions, although it’s not yet clear whether they will all be available here.