Looks like Jeep wants a bit more of the limelight in anticipation of the launch of this year's Los Angeles Auto Show.
The Fiat-Chrysler owned company is releasing a special edition Jeep Grand Cherokee and a new Jeep Wrangler Backcountry just in time before the show begins on Nov. 18 this week.
The special edition variant of the Cherokee, the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT Night, follows the lead of other carmakers building special editions of their models such as Rolls Royce's Phantom Drophead Coupe Nighthawk, Nissan's Juke Midnight, and Cadillac's CTS Midnight among many others.
Following the trend with the Cherokee SRT Night, the vehicle takes design cues from its name with darker stealth-like finishes inside and out. Available in three colors – Velvet Red, Billet Silver, and Granite Crystal – each model rides on satin black finished 20-inch wheels, front and rear badging, grille surround. The rest of the outer trimmings such as rear spoiler, roof, seven slot front grille bezels, and B- and C- pillars are all finished in gloss black. In the cabin, the dark night theme prevails with light black chrome trim and Black Laguna leather upholstering with silver stitching.
More about style than substance, the upgraded Cherokee SRT Night retains the original Grand Cherokee's powertrain. The same 475 horsepower and 470 pounds per foot of torque 6.4 liter V8 engine still runs the show under the hood. The whole package is reported to have a price tag of about $5,000 more than the original. Nonetheless, compared to its competitors like the Porsche Cayenne Turbo or the Range Rover Sport Supercharged, the Jeep Grand Cherokee is comparatively a much cheaper alternative.
For off-road enthusiasts, the special edition Jeep Wrangler named the Backcountry debuts with a winter theme in five colors: Hydro Blue, Black, Bright White, Granite Crystal, and a standout Xtreme Purple. Based on the Sahara, the Backcountry distinguishes itself with gloss black 17-inch rims, Rubicon rock rails, a black hardtop, and even Backcountry decals on the front and rear corner panels. Inside, the Backcountry sports a nine-speaker Alpine sound system, black McKinley leather seats, all-weather slush mats, and piano black trimmings on vents and handles
The 2016 Jeep Wrangler Backcountry should arrive in showrooms at the end of this month while the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT Night is expected to roll off the production floor in the first quarter of next year.
