The Grand Cherokee Trailhawk is the Perfect Blend of Posh and Rugged

2017 Jeep® Grand Cherokee Trailhawk (Credit: © Jeep)

We were primed by a slew of leaked images, but Jeep made the return of the Grand Cherokee Trailhawk official at the 2016 New York Auto Show. This trail-prepped rig takes everything that makes the Grand Cherokee great, and pumps its off-road cred and luxury up just a tick.

The first thing that you’ll notice when approaching the Grand Cherokee Trailhawk is its slightly modified outward appearance. While the majority of the body is standard fare, the Trailhawk stands out with its signature red tow hooks front and rear, rugged Goodyear Adventure tires with Kevlar reinforcement sized 18 or 20 inches, red-accented Trailhawk and Trail Rated badges, Neutral Gray accents on the mirror caps and roof rack, matte-finish hood graphic, and optional rock rails for protection from flying debris.

2017 Jeep® Grand Cherokee Trailhawk (Credit: © Jeep)

Inside, the Trailhawk’s mods continue, but they are a little more posh than off-road-prepped in here. This model features a black-themed cabin with leather and suede seats, red accent stitching, brushed Piano Black appliques, gunmetal and painted interior bits, a Trailhawk badge on the steering wheel, and updated off-road pages on the 8.4-inch Uconnect system that shows off the wheel articulation and the other off-road-specific functions (suspension height, four-wheel-drive mode, and Selec-Terrain mode).

Mechanically, Jeep prepared the Trailhawk for off-the-beaten-path driving by way of its Quadra-Drive II four-wheel-drive system with an electronic limited-slip diff, an updated Quadra-Lift air suspension system, Selec-Sped Control with hill-ascent control, and skid plates.

2017 Jeep® Grand Cherokee Trailhawk (Credit: © Jeep)

While you may not see the Grand Cherokee Trailhawk crawling over any massive rocks anytime soon, the new bits added to it certainly make it more off-road ready and up the luxury a bit. Jeep plans to have the Trailhawk in production by late summer 2016.