During the period 1996 to 98, the grand cherokee was marketed in three general trims, namely the Laredo, Limited and Base trim. Exclusively marketed in Japan, the export Grand Cherokee Laredo was offered with the optional Aspen package.
98 Grand Cherokee
The base trim had the bare minimum facilities, while Laredo had few luxury features, but the Limited models had additional luxury items including variable assist while driving/parking, remote radio control, driver placement memory, and more.
Engine
The Magnum V8 engine in the 98 grand cherokee produced 225hp power and 300lb-ft of torque. The dimensions of the vehicle were increased a bit, as length increased to 177.2inches from 176.7, width varied from 69.3 to 70.7, whereas the wheelbase (105.9 in), curb weight (1450 kg), and height (64.9 in) of the 98 grand cherokee remained unaltered.
Package
The Suspension was also improved as an “Up Country” package was offered, which included longer bump stops, taller coil springs, heavy duty German gas charged shocks, but these were installed upside down.
A sporty TSi model was also introduced in 1998, while 5.9 Limited was with more luxury features and enhanced performance was also part of company’s offering in the year 1998.
The 98 grand cherokee had lot of improvement over its predecessors, but engine noise and high fuel consumption still remained on the list of major issues.
