The current generation Jeep Grand Cherokee, which was updated this year at the Detroit Motor Show, is an SUV which is becoming increasingly posh and capable. With the revised styling, few could argue that its appeal has not grown, and it no longer looks awkward parked next to a more expensive alternative from Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz or Land Rover.

Chrysler is very keen to push forward the small incremental improvements made to the Grand Cherokee, both over the non-facelifted model, as well as the model before that.

Now, Jeep launched a new ad for the SUV, called “Chip Away”, in which it claims that by chipping away at something, eventually all the inches you gain really add up and start to make a difference.

While this holds true for any part of the automotive industry (or everything else, for that matter), it’s not necessarily what the Grand Cherokee is all about, so to our eyes, this ad is a somewhat strained and contrived way of going about promoting the SUV.

A simpler approach of showing that it is very capable off-road (which it is), while also being better on-road, as well as the addition of a diesel engine to the US lineup would have made much more sense. They say that it is “passion given a purpose”, which it isn’t. It is a capable SUV, which now looks better (well, according to this author’s eyes) and comes with a diesel engine – the word passion should not be thrown around so lightly, otherwise it will end up meaning nothing (if that has not already happened). When will committees ever learn?

By Andrei Nedelea

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