The Jeep Grand One Is a Modern Take on the Iconic 1993 Cherokee
They even left the cassette deck and car phone.
Not a lot of new SUVs (or any, really) come with a cassette deck these days ⏤ Bell Biv Devoe tapes are too hard to find. The Jeep Grand One, however, isn’t any new SUV. It’s being hailed a “dumb Jeep”, much like the re-released Nokia “dumb” brick phone, and is the company’s modern take on the classic 1993 ZJ Cherokee, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary. The SUV recently debuted at this year’s Easter Jeep Safari in Moab, Utah and, in addition to said cassette player, also rocks a car phone, so you can call up your buddies and invite them over to watch Saved By the Bell and drink Crystal Pepsi or whatever you did back in 1993.
Less a concept vehicle than an aggressive restoration, Jeep reportedly bought a used Cherokee on Craigslist and then went to town modernizing it. Engineers didn’t do much under the hood ⏤ the vintage SUV still rocks a 5.2-liter V8 engine and a four-speed transmission ⏤ but they did modify/lift the suspension, extend the wheelbase, and add fender flares. They also upgraded to 18-inch, lace-style rims with rugged 33-inch tires and gave it a sweet light blue coat. The interior stayed relatively the same, save for the addition of a plaid headliner and the aforementioned phone.
Jeep has no plans to actually bring the ZJ back to life, but it’s always fun to reminisce. Especially when BBD is playing on the radio.
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