Special feature at the Jeddah Motor Show to demonstrate the legendary capabilities of the Jeep range

"A specially designed test drive track has been constructed as one of the main attractions at the Motor Show, and this will feature a variety of challenging off-road conditions matching those found on the Jeep Trail Rated test programme in Nevada, and identified by five key consumer-oriented performance categories: Traction, Ground Clearance, Maneuverability, Articulation & Water Fording." said Rami Salah, Marketing Manager of UMC.

Jeep Trail Rated is an industry-leading methodology established by the Nevada Automotive Test Centre (NATC) and Jeep Engineering to objectively measure and consistently predict off-road performance for all Jeep vehicles, both today and in the future. Through a combination of natural and controlled field tests, as well as computer-simulated environments, Jeep Trail Rated provides a repeatable and consistent measurement of off-road performance for all Jeep vehicles, and of all the 4x4's available in the world, only Jeep vehicles are Trail Rated.

The Jeddah Motor Show will see the full range of Jeep vehicles put through their paces, with the Jeep Wrangler, Jeep Cherokee and all-new Jeep Grand Cherokee showing the capabilities that have earned them the admiration of drivers across the Middle East and the rest of the world.

"The on-road refinement and off-road capability of the latest and best ever Jeep Grand Cherokee are key reasons why it was named 4x4 of the Year by 4-Wheel & Off-Road magazine, the seventh time, more than any other manufacturer, that a Jeep vehicle has received this highly prestigious award; in fact, Jeep vehicles have won for the last four years running." added Salah.

The 4-Wheel & Off Road competition is open to all four-wheel-drive vehicles with significant updates and performance differences from the previous year. The vehicles were tested for a full month, both in various on-road conditions and severe off-road use. "The all-new Jeep Grand Cherokee rose above some extremely tough competition," said Cole Quinnell, Editor of 4-Wheel & Off Road. "We were very impressed how this vehicle combines a true car-like on-road feel with the off-road capability of every Jeep vehicle. The Grand Cherokee is still king of the hill."

In its inaugural year, the Jeep Grand Cherokee won the 1993 4-Wheel & Off-Road competition, then again in 1996 after its first substantial redesign, and in 1998 with the high-performance Grand Cherokee 5.9 Limited.

"Recognising the qualities that our customers are looking for in a 4x4, we feel that this is the best way to really show their full potential and clearly show why Jeep has such a strong reputation," said Salah.

The heroic heritage of Jeep and its sport-utility mastery stretches back over 60 years. The introduction of the all-new Jeep Grand Cherokee this year saw the Jeep brand continuing to raise 4x4 standards to a new level by offering improved capability, superior on-road ride and handling in a well-appointed package with many premium features.

The 2006 Jeep Cherokee continues to stand apart from car-based SUVs in terms of off-road capability and from truck-based offerings in terms of on-road refinement, while the Jeep Wrangler remains the original 4x4, with a one-of-a-kind open-air design that delivers unmatched fun, freedom and excitement.

With a further three new Jeep vehicles already in the pipeline, the brand is set for an aggressive programme of new product introductions that will have a major impact on the 4x4 market for many years to come.