IT’S just the American way. Jeep continues to spread the love with its top-selling Grand Cherokee, now available as a value-plus, feature-rich flagship model that puts most of its more expensive European rivals in the shade.

The (deep breath) Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit Platinum arrives at a time when Jeep is on a Wild Mouse fair ride with this model, taking the highs with its 2014 domination of the large-size SUV sector, then slipping this year to third position while posting the biggest recalls in 2014 of any other SUV.

New models, or at least special editions, have the aim of keeping the model floating in patchy waters. For Jeep, the Summit Platinum isn’t the only edition to rekindle buyer interest – it has also launched the Blackhawk series based on the entry-level Laredo.

Helicopters aside, the special edition Summit is not exactly new. It was launched in November 2013 with a retail price of $75,000 plus on-road costs to become the new flagship atop the (then) $71,000 Overland.

Fast forward to earlier this year and the Platinum name has been added to describe the satin-alloy finish to body and cabin trim.

Buyers who expect a lot of value from Jeep won’t be disappointed.

But will it support sales of a wagon that, except for cosmetics, hasn’t changed since the eight-sped gearbox and thin-line headlights were added in July 2013?

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