Minor changes have been made to the Jeep Grand Cherokee for the 2012 model year. The V6-equipped trims of this midsize SUV are now standard with electro-hydraulic power steering, and the V8-equipped trims get a revised 6-speed automatic transmission that provides 6 manual-shift gears.

There are a total of 11 trim levels available for the Jeep Grand Cherokee for 2012. These are the Laredo, Laredo X, Limited, Overland, and Overland Summit. All of the trims can be configured as either rear-wheel or 4-wheel drive (4WD). There is also the SRT8 4WD, which is the top-of-the-line trim available for the Grand Cherokee. All come standard with a 3.6-liter 24-valve Pentastar premium gasoline or flex-fuel V6 VVT engine (equipped with a 5-speed automatic transmission) but can be upgraded to a 360-hp 5.7-liter 24-valve V8 VVT engine (with a 6-speed automatic transmission and fuel saver technology) that runs on premium gasoline. The SRT8 4WD is equipped with a 470-hp 6.4-liter Hemi V8 engine (with a 5-speed automatic transmission) that runs on premium gas. The V6 gasoline engine is estimated to get 16 mpg city/23 highway, the V6 flex-fuel engine is rated at 12/17, the regular V8 engine is rated at 13/20, and the Hemi V8 engine is estimated at 12/18.

Standard equipment for the Laredo trims includes dual-zone front air conditioning, cruise control, power windows, power door locks, keyless entry, cloth seats, front passenger fold-flat seat, split-folding rear seats, power heated fold-away exterior mirrors, rear defogger, rear washer and wiper, electronic vehicle information center, tilt-and-telescopic leather-wrapped steering wheel (with mounted audio controls), CD/DVD/MP3/HDD and WMA/MP3 jack (with a 40GB hard drive), media center (with 6.5-inch touchscreen), automatic headlamps, rear spoiler, trailer sway control and 17-inch cast-aluminum alloy wheels (with all-season tires). The Laredo X trim adds dual-zone automatic climate control, leather seats, 8-way power front seats (with 4-way lumbar adjustment), heated front seats, remote engine start, a 506-watt sound system (with 9 speakers and amplifier), Sirius XM satellite radio (with 1-year subscription), Garmin navigation system, rear obstacle-detection system, rear-view camera and 18-inch painted aluminum wheels (with all-season tires) as standard equipment.

Standard equipment upgrades to the Limited trims include a panoramic power sunroof, heated leather seats, memory system (for driver’s seat and mirrors), mirror-mounted turn signals, keyless entry (with keyless start), rain-sensing windshield wipers, self-dimming bi-xenon headlights, daytime running lights and 18-inch polished aluminum alloy wheels (with all-season tires).

Additional equipment that comes standard on the Overland trims includes Napa leather seats, ventilated front seats, power tilt-and-telescopic heated wood and leather-wrapped steering wheel (with mounted audio controls), ventilated front seats, power liftgate, trailer tow group, full-size spare tire and 20-inch painted aluminum alloy wheels (with all-season tires). Moving up to the Overland Summit trims adds a forward collision warning system, blind-spot monitoring system, and 20-inch bright polished aluminum wheels as standard equipment. Finally, choosing the SRT8 trim adds a rear limited-slip differential, upgraded brakes, power tilt-and-telescopic heated leather-wrapped steering wheel (with mounted audio controls), leather and suede seats, sports suspension with adaptive damping and 20-inch forged aluminum wheels (with Pirelli run-flat tires) as standard equipment. The SRT8 does not have as standard equipment a sunroof, power liftgate, roof rails, or full-size spare tire. Additionally, SRT8 AWD owners are eligible to participate in Jeep's SRT Track Experience, which is held at various tracks year-round across the United States. The one-day events allow owners to develop their driving skills in a controlled training environment.

There are numerous package options available for all trim levels of the 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee. For example, for the Laredo, there is the E Group package, which has an 8-way power driver’s seat (with lumbar adjustment), keyless access and engine start, Sirius XM satellite radio (with a 90-day trial subscription) and roof rails; the Quick Order package, which adds a rear-obstacle-detection system, dual-zone automatic climate controls, leather seats, heated front seats, an 8-way power passenger seat (with lumbar adjustment), rear-view camera, remote engine start, upgraded sound system (with USB port and music hard drive) and automatic day/night rear-view mirror. The Quick Order package cannot be added without adding the E Group package. Other packages available for the Laredo include the All Weather Capability Group package, Off-Road Adventure package, Security and Convenience Group package, Mopar Chrome Edition Group package and Trailer Tow Group package (also available for the Limited and Overland trims), Powertrain package (available for the Laredo, Limited and Overland trims and featuring a 5.7-liter Hemi V8 engine with cylinder deactivation) and the Comfort and Convenience Features package.

As far as safety features go, the 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee has those bases covered, coming standard with dual front airbags, front side airbags, side curtain airbags, front seat active head restraints, a tire pressure monitoring system, fog lights, 4-wheel disc brakes (with antilock braking system and brake assist), antiskid system, hill-ascent control and traction control.

Interior color choices for the 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee are Dark Graystone/Medium Graystone and Black. Exterior paint options are True Blue Pearl, Maximum Steel Metallic, Brilliant Black Crystal Pearl, Stone White, Bright Silver Metallic, Deep Cherry Red Crystal Pearl, White Gold, Winter Chill Pearl, Mineral Gray Metallic and Black Forest Green Pearl.

Owners rave about the handling and comfort that the 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee provides. Owners possessing 4WD trims remark about how well the Grand Cherokee adapts to various conditions while maintaining a comfortable ride. In addition to the ride, many note that the engines, even the V6 versions, have more than ample power whether riding on the highway or on country roads. The Grand Cherokee’s towing capacity and cornering ability also garner high marks.

Competing against the likes of the Ford Explorer and the Land Rover LR4, the 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee is able to hold its own on both price and amenities. Numerous available packages allow owners to customize and personalize their Grand Cherokee to match their personality and needs.