Richard Yarrow’s opinion for startrescue.co.uk, providing low cost Annual Breakdown Cover

Yesterday’s post brought me an invitation to drive the new Grand Cherokee (pictured). The biggest of the Jeep family, the GC has a special place in my heart as it was my very first long-term test car (pictured). I took possession of it when I started life as a motoring hack 13 years ago, and ran the 4.0-litre V8 machine for six months. Of course, there wasn’t much off-roading to be done between the Central London offices of Auto Express magazine and my flat in North Finchley, but I appreciated the GC’s luxurious appointments.

Back in 1998, this was the exclusive choice for 4x4 lovers but the world has moved on since then. Big SUVs are less popular for a variety of reasons, not least their heavy fuel consumption, and with many people down-sizing into smaller, more versatile vehicles, some would say cars like the GC have had their day.

They would argue there is a place for Jeep off-roaders which can climb straight up a mountain, but that place is among the farming community and those who live in remote rural areas. Do we really need cars like the Grand Cherokee clogging up our urban roads?

It will be interesting to drive the new GC later this month. I’ve heard good reports, but Jeep (along with sister brands Chrysler and Dodge) has been through a rough time recently. It would be harder to think of another brand that’s so classically all-American, but it’s now owned by Fiat of Italy rather than the Germany/USA group DaimlerChrysler. Even the smaller Jeeps like the Patriot and Compass have limited appeal because of their aggressive styling, and I shall be asking the company whether it really has a place in the UK in 2011.