Grand Cherokee 5.9
The 5.9 Limited was a Jeep Grand Cherokee produced only for the 1998 model year, having more luxury and performance than that of the regular Limited. Chrysler churned out nearly a quarter million Grand Cherokees in 1998. Of those, less than fifteen thousand were 5.9s. It housed a Magnum 5.9 L V8 engine with an output of 245 hp (183 kW) and 345 lb·ft (468 N·m) of torque, going from zero to 60 mph (100 km/h) in only 7.3 seconds[1] (Motor Trend measured this at a slightly faster 6.8 seconds [2]see Motor Trend, January 1998, page 51), making it the quickest SUV available that year. The straight line performance of the 1998 5.9L V8 has been surpassed by Jeep only with the 2006 introduction of the 6.1l SRT8 HEMI grand Cherokee. The 5.9 Jeep Grand Cherokee was named the 1998 four-wheel drive vehicle of the year by Peterson's 4-wheel & Off-Road . [3] Other features separated the 5.9 from the standard Limited model including[4]:
- Functioning heat-extracting hood louvers
- Mesh grille insert
- Five-spoke alloy Ultrastar wheels
- Black-wall tires
- An improved premium 180 watt, 10 speaker infinity stereo system
- A rear speaker bar for additional infinity speakers
- Calf-grain, soft leather seats and trim
- Leather door inserts
- Leather shift handle, e-brake and transfer case handle
- Enhanced faux wood trim throughout, additionally around the transmission shift handle base
- A full-leather spare tire cover with multiple pockets
- A center leather armrest in the rear seat
- A lower-profile roof rack that eliminated squeeking problems found on the base 5.2l limited
- Molded rocker panels
- Stock foglights
- Stock power sunroof/moonroof
The Grand Cherokee 5.9 further included additional performance-enhancing features including:
- A stronger 46RE transmission than the 5.2L with a heavier output shaft
- Quadradrive heavy duty NV249 transfer case
- Standard trac-lock rear differential
- An electric fan
- A high-output 150A alternator
- Lower restriction exhaust and chrome plated exhaust tip [5]
- Further Statistics from Motor Trend January, 1998[6]
| Model | Production Total | Percent |
|---|---|---|
| 1993-1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee "ZJ" | 1,428,095[7] | 100.00% |
| 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee | 247,372 | 17.32% |
| 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.9 Limited | 14,286 | 1.00% |
| 5.9 Limited w/Federal Emissions | 10,051 | 0.70% |
| 5.9 Limited w/CA Emissions | 4,235 | 0.30% |
References
- ↑ Peterson's 4-wheel & Off-road, February 1998, at 81
- ↑ Motor Trend, January 1998, page 51
- ↑ Peterson's 4-wheel & Off-road, February 1998, at 81
- ↑ ID.
- ↑ Kolak (07-19-2008). "Are Niner parts used on other Mopar vehicles?". Jeeps Unlimited - Speed Freaks. http://www.jeepsunlimited.com/forums/showpost.php?p=8554928&postcount=14. Retrieved on date =07-19-2008.
- ↑ Motortrend, January 1998
- ↑ Unknown (date =07-18-2008). "WJ sales, production dates & milestones". WJ Jeeps. http://www.wjjeeps.com/production.htm. Retrieved on date =07-18-2008.