Wednesday, June 30, 1999 THE OAKVILLE BEAVER ARE GRAND An Oakville Beaver Advertising Feature To advertise in this section call 845-3824 Fax:337-5567 12/ parts remain from the previous generation and most of those are minor clips and fasteners. But before Jeep loyalists start wailing and gnashing their teeth, let me give this quick reassur ance. On approach, or from any angle for that matter, this is still a Grand C h e r o k e e . Chrysler is not stupid enough to "throw out the baby with the bath water." So tradi tional styling ele ments still pay homage to Jeep heritage. Between the new quad-halogen headlamps, the seven slots of the vertical grille are mirrored by an a g g r e s s i v e l y barred, larger air intake under the front bumper. The body shape, wrapped in low ered, protective b o d y -c lad d in g , prevails in classic Jeep lineage but it looks almost as if some automotive plastic surgeon has grabbed the skin of the Grand Cherokee's roof and tugged upward, pulling all the elements towards the vehi cle's center in a more fluid, steep- er-raked, almost w i n d - s c u l p t e d style. The new Grand Cherokee is four inches longer, an inch and a half wider and stands two inches taller. Ground clearance is maintained at near previous lev els, 9.1 inches (10.1" with the Up-Country off road suspension package) while doors sills have been lowered for step-in ease. Model selec tion has been sim plified for '99 with two models and two engines We're closed to observe Canada Day on July 1st Come see us July 2nd to make a deal! WANTED Rugged outdoor types seeking fun and adventure for Lockwoods... Jt*®> I I CLEAROUT!Tbere's nothing like die feeling of die open-air Jeep experience. A standard retractable roof, soft top, zip out windows, removable half doors and fold down windshield Pure freedom / V '" 1 combined with four wheel / / j I I drive toughness. Nothing <■■«.. . 1--/.■■■■ else comes dose. *** ever. Your choice of wheels drive system off-road capable. Ea includes a low rai control in severe ( conditions. Get ready for outdoor adventure whoever you go! Voted Petersens "4x4" of the year more times than any other vehicle in history. Equipped with a mighty 190 hp 4L ngine for aD the passing, pulling & All cars are clearly marked so you can browse at your leisure. low-end power you need P r ic e d *Ja B e lt! 97 Volkswagen '96 Chrysler Intrepid Finished in island teal with Wkms. Ready for the road Features include A/C, V6, power windows & locks, auto., cassette stereo, dual airbags & more. Stk #P3232 '94 Dodge Caravan SE 10th Anniversary Edition, onK 89,000kms, a rare find Finished ir forest green, features indude V6 power, A/.C, 7 passenger, power windows & loots, aDoy wheels, cassette stereo sunscreen, glass ant more. Stk. #3255*7, Golf 2 Door Finished in forest green, only 19,0001cms. A perfect second car! Stk #9K94-1 OR LEASEF mished in forest green. Features include V8 power, power windows & locks, air conditioning, cassette stereo, balance of factory warranty & more. Stk #P3265. a $ 3 3 , 9 9 9 OR LEASE $4 4 9 / m o . $2,000 DOWN & ^ $ 1 4 , 9 9 9 & f c * 1 2 . 9 9 9$1,000 DOWN Leases are for 48 months - 20,OOOkmsyai; phis taxes and license. Purchase prices - plus taxes and license. By Rob Beintema SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER Every eyebrow in the room lifted. "Yes," Harv Martel, Manager of Product Planning for Chrysler Canada, repeated from the podium. "The 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee is the most capable sport utility ever." Whew. Now, that's what I call a bold state ment. Not that autojoumalists aren't used to hearing bold statements. Product launches are usually filled with "forget what I told you last year, this year it's even better" kind of boasts. But using that word "ever". Obviously, Chrysler has a lot of confidence in their product. And why not? Since its first appearance as an offshoot of the Cherokee line back in '92, the Jeep Grand Cherokee has evolved to meet increasingly sophisticated customer demands in the sport ute segment of the market. That seg ment has doubled in size since those earlier days but the Grand Cherokee has kept pace, combin ing the tough functionality of a sport ute with the comfort and performance qualities of a luxury sedan. The 1999 Grand Cherokee, internally code- named the "WJ" ("W" for "world") is a brand new vehicle. New drive train, new suspension, new steer ing, new brakes, new interior, new almost every thing. In fact, according to Jeep's count, only available. The entry-level Laredo comes with the clas sic 4.0 litre, in-line 6-cylinder engine, buffed up and trotted out for another year. Engineering refinements have hushed this Jeep workhorse somewhat, while nudging up its numbers to loftier peaks of 195 hp and 230 lb.ft. of torque. Although the Laredo comes with a healthy list of standard equipment, you can pick and choose from a lengthy wish list of luxo goodies or sim ply opt up to the upscale Limited model. The Grand Cherokee Limited comes inclu sive with techno-goodies like the Dual-Zone cli mate control that monitors passenger tempera tures with an infra-red scanner in the dash. This systems works well and can create surprising variations of temperatures between the driver and passenger sides. There's also a neat miiTor, seat and radio positioning memory system pro grammable for two drivers on his & her key fobs. For Grand Cherokee power-mongers howev er, the most important option will probably be Jeep's new V8 engine. The new 4.7 litre engine is a fast-bum, high-swirl SOHC engine topped with aluminum heads. This Power Tech V8 offers more oomph (235 hp), increased fuel effi ciency (13.8 17100 km combined), 30 percent lower emissions and tips the scales at a svelte 50 pounds less than the 5.2 litre engine it replaces. Chrysler offers a 3.1 turbo diesel to energy- crunched Europeans but with gas prices at their current North American levels, there's no demand for diesel here. What about the former 5.9 litre V8 option? Fuggitaboudit. The 4.7's increased power num bers makes the heavier 5.9 virtually redundant. The heavy-haulers might pine for pound-feet but trailer towing ratings are officially unchanged at a 6500 max. load and the 4.7 litre V8 provides abundant pulling for almost any application. Power translation is seamless through a new 4- spd auto tranny with overdrive and an extra sec ond gear ratio for demanding driving. Following further down the driveline, Jeep now offers optional Quadra-Drive, a system that links the Quadra-Trak transfer case to new Vari-Lok axles and can divert torque to a single non-slipping wheel, if necessary. Combine all these factors with standard 16" wheels, enlarged 4-wheel disk brakes with ABS and a completely new suspen sion in front and back and you feel you're at the wheel of a vehicle that handles both highway and off-road with equal ability. All of the mechanical improvements outside are complimented by increased civility inside a comfortable cabin. Dash layout is clean and sim ple with excellent control access. The Grand Cherokee Limited still has the friendliest steer ing wheel in the industry with cruise controls on the front and audio switches within fingertip reach on the back of the spokes. Summer Special A ir Conditioner Special We w ill check operation of the a ir conditioning system; inspect components, hoses and belts; check for leaks. $4 9 *Value Price WITH COUPON Keepin' it real." VOLKSWAGEN PARTS & SERVICE Oakville V olksw agen 557 KERR STREET (905) 844-3285 ARE An Oakville Beaver Advertising Feature To advertise in this section call 845-3824 Fax:337-5567 Rugged outdoor types seeking fun and adventure for Lockwoods... All cars are clearly marked so you can browse at your leisure. 97 Volkswagen '96 Chrysler Intrepid '94 Dodge Caravan SE Golf 2 Door &^$14,999 &fc*12.999 By Rob Beintema Summer Special Air Conditioner Special Oakville Volkswagen 557 KERR STREET (905) 844-3285