Jeep® Grand Cherokee Once Again Named 'Four Wheeler of the Year'
Date 2001/11/16 23:00:00 | Topic: Grand Cherokee
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Four Wheeler magazine editors today named the 2002 Jeep® Grand Cherokee Overland "Four Wheeler of the Year," marking the fourth time the Grand Cherokee has won this prestigious award -- more than any other vehicle since the publication began the award in 1974. The Grand Cherokee upstaged seven rivals in both on- and off-road evaluations.
" Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland outclassed the other vehicles in the 'Four Wheeler of the Year' competition with its outstanding performance, excellent off-road capability, superb on-road ride and handling, and top-of-the-line interior," said Jon Thompson, editor, Four Wheeler. "It's clear that Jeep engineers have a long history of building true 4x4 sport-utility vehicles. The Jeep brand created the SUV market and maintains its leadership in this segment." The magazine also noted that the all-new Jeep Liberty, which went on sale earlier this year, was a close second in the annual competition, giving Jeep a 1-2 finish.
"We're honored to be named 'Four Wheeler of the Year' by Four Wheeler magazine, the longest-running four-wheel drive enthusiast publication," said Tom Marinelli, Vice President, Chrysler/Jeep Global brand Center, DaimlerChrysler Corporation. "We have
the ultimate respect for the tough performance tests that Four Wheeler staff puts the competitive field through. This award speaks directly to our Jeep heritage as the original 4x4 and innovator of the SUV market."
To be eligible for the annual Four Wheeler competition, a four-wheel drive vehicle must be new or significantly revised for the model year. For 2002, Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland features a new, high-output 4.7-liter V-8 engine that produces 260 horsepower at 5100 rpm and 330 lb.-ft. of torque at 3600 rpm, representing a 15 percent increase in horsepower and a 12 percent increase in torque over the highly acclaimed 4.7-liter PowerTechTM V-8 engine.
This year's "Four Wheeler of the Year" competition included Chevrolet TrailBlazer, Ford Explorer, Isuzu Axiom, Jeep Liberty, Land Rover Freelander, Mercedes-Benz ML 500 and Nissan Xterra.
As a four-time winner of the "Four Wheeler of the Year" award, Grand Cherokee secured the top spot in its first year on the market in 1993, again in 1996 when it was significantly revised, and a third time in 1999 with the 5.9-liter engine, which made Grand Cherokee the fastest SUV available in the U.S. market.
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