Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
You can sense a winning formula the moment you step into a new car. In no particular order; the look, the comfort, the array of high-tech knick-knacks and, of course, the vroom factor.
I've wanted to try out Chrysler's new Jeep Grand Cherokee ever since I spotted one shining brightly in the Behbehani Brothers' showroom in Sitra shortly after receiving a report from an American motor industry analyst highlighting its virtues.
As the 'owner' of the baby version, the plain old simple Jeep Cherokee, driven daily by the good lady wife, Kathryn, and a reasonably satisfied customer at that, apart from the regular 'stuck window syndrome' which appears to have plagued this particular year of manufacture, the grand version appeared exactly that ... grand.
Our little Jeep went in for its regular 5,000 service, not a major one - one of those 'in early morning and out mid-afternoon' jobs - until the mechanic found a broken this and a broken that (the times I've told her to slow down over bumps and not race across the desert ... but will she listen?) and the bill would be a credit card job and wouldn't be ready for collection until the following day.
Funnily enough, I never get the chance to drive the Jeep until 'service time' comes around, so here I am, in the office, car-less and on child collection duty and with an important business appointment in the diary.
Super Sam, the showroom manager, came up trumps by offering the use of his beloved Jeep Grand Cherokee, the 2011 model identical to one that had me drooling in the showroom. Nice man ... but even nicer motor.
Sitting tall and proud this 4X4 Limited edition lovely oozes class from the wood trim interior, sunroof, automatic lights to what the brochure calls an all-singing-all-dancing electronic infotainment system and navigation media centre.
The camera clicked on instantly as I reversed neatly out of the tight parking place holding the hand-stitched leather-covered steering wheel before heading to the highway.
Jeep really has taken a breathtaking step forward and created a benchmark, premium SUV as good as any on the market and at an incredibly competitive price of around BD16,500.
The celebrated 5.7L V8 Hemi engine means this car has plenty of muscle to motor along and with the twist of a knob it can handle just about any terrain too - be it in sand, sport or rock mode, although I doubt the snow option will come in for much use in Bahrain.
As recently reported in MotoringWeekly, the new Jeep Grand Cherokee is already proving a hit with drivers, bringing the automaker within sight of profitability and lifting its share of the US market.
This new Jeep 'built with passion' is the first of nearly a dozen new cars and trucks, including a small Italian-designed car, which Chrysler is busy introducing. Chrysler's survival is riding on the new arrivals, and it hopes they're as successful as the Grand Cherokee, whose sales have jumped more than 40 per cent.
And, Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne has said that Chrysler expects non-US sales to increase to 500,000 by 2014, up from last year's 147,259.
The 2011 Grand Cherokee debuted to strong reviews, and buyers responded to the upgraded interior as well as advancements like a hydraulic system that lifts the vehicle up if the driver wants to go off-roading.
The Jeep brand has always had a strong following in Bahrain for its solid capabilities and strong physical presence on the kingdom's often menacing highways.
In June, the car 'built with passion' in the US, was presented with a 'Top Safety Pick' award by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety - the highest rating the organisation bestows. Vehicles that earn 'Top Safety Pick' meet the highest standards for crash test performance, encompassing state-of-the-art safety for the best protection in the most common types of crashes.
Sales executives at Behbehani Brothers' Jeep, Chrysler and Dodge showroom in Sitra told MotoringWeekly that the car has been receiving a lot of attention from customers.
It's not surprising - this is a car that drives as good as it looks and ticks all the right boxes.
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