Spec comparison: Audi Q7 Vs Jeep Cherokee Vs Mercedes-Benz GLS

India is a land that lives by size and nothing speaks volume like the size of your car. For those who don’t see enough from luxury sedans or premium hatchbacks, there are always big SUVs. We have a large range of European models on sale today like the Audi Q7 and Mercedes-Benz GLS which have been in the market for a bit and have developed a fan following.

However, there will be a new entrant looking to break the ranks and this time it is an American in the form of the Jeep Grand Cherokee. Fiat showcased the brand at the 2016 Auto Expo and will launch the Grand Cherokee as the second vehicle in the range later this year. Obviously, given what we do, there just had to be a comparison between the three and so here you go…

Dimensions
If size is your thing then these cars seem to have a lot of it. T he Mercedes-Benz GLS is the largest of the lot as it measures 5.13metres as compared to the Q7’s 5.05metres and the Jeep Grand Cherokee’s 4.82metres. It’s a similar story for wheelbases too where the GLS tops out at 3.07metres while the Q7 is marginally smaller at 2.99metres. The Grand Cherokee shares the second spot in this fight as it is 2.95metres, which compared to the Q7 is almost negligible. These cars are large in size, have subtle hints of chrome and high stance giving them solid road presence. However, the Q7 and the GLS in that typical German fashion are a bit understated while the Grand Cherokee is a bit louder.

Engine and performance
The Grand Cherokee in standard form is offered with a 3.0-litre V6 diesel engine producing 240bhp and 570Nm of torque. Power is sent to all four wheels via an eight-speed AT and an AWD system. The GLS too gets a 3.0-litre V6 diesel which produces 258bhp and 620Nm of torque. The car is now offered with a 9G-Tronic AT. Finally, the Audi Q7 also gets a 3.0-litre V6 diesel that produces 245bhp and 600Nm of torque with power going to all four wheels via an eight-speed AT.
These cars are also offered in high performance formats which are basically the Audi SQ7, GLS63 AMG and the Grand Cherokee SRT and of this only the SQ7 is a high performance diesel.  The Merc’s power plant is a 5.5-litre twin-turbo V8 that produces 577bhp and 760Nm of torque while the Grand Cherokee SRT gets its jollies from a 6.4-litre V8 that produces 469bhp and 630Nm of torque. Finally the Audi’s heart is a 4.0-litre V8 diesel that produces 432bhp and a massive 900Nm of torque. This number has been achieved in part due to a new electric turbocharger. Both the SRT and SQ7 will be launched by the end of the year while the GLS63 AMG is likely to be launched here sometime in 2017.

Equipment
At prices ranging above 50 lakhs you can be assured of things like climate control, leather seats, a multitude of electronically adjustable things as well as an infotainment system with as many menus as possible. The GLS and Q7 are both seven-seaters which instantly gives them an advantage over the Cherokee which will arrive only in five-seater guise for the Indian market. The GLS is only offered in the 350d trim level which is basically one fully loaded model.  So what we have done then is to decipher the difference between the two variants of the Q7 and the Grand Cherokee. There is a Rs 7 lakh difference between the variants of the Q7 but this additional difference is the price of cornering headlamps, 360 camera system and Audi’s new virtual instrument cluster which it has dubbed as ‘virtual cockpit’. It is a much more detailed story in the Grand Cherokee where the variants have differences in terms of the leather trim, music system, body cladding, exhaust tips and electric adjustment for the steering wheel. We believe that they will be priced apart much further than the Q7 variants.

Price (Ex-showroom Delhi)
The Audi Q7 has been priced in the range of Rs 72 lakh to Rs 79 lakh while the Mercedes-Benz GLS is available in a single trim level and has been priced at Rs 82.36 lakh. We believe that Jeep will price the Cherokee in the range of Rs 50 lakh to Rs 80 lakh for the top-of-the-line SRT performance model. The Q7 and GLS are locally assembled while the Cherokee will begin its Indian innings as CBU and depending on demand may get locally assembled.