Nine on the line: Jeep reveals the ratios

Jeep has revealed the ratios of the new nine-speed automatic transmission that will start appearing in 2014 products, including the next Cherokee (above) that we'll see around mid year. They are:

Below are the ratios for the Jeep transmission, the recent Range Rover eight-speed, the five-speed in the current Wrangler and the eight speed in the 2014 Grand Cherokee. The ninth in the Jeep box is a real cruiser, significantly more relaxed than the top ratio in the Range Rover transmission. The Wrangler’s top gear, not long ago considered really cruisy, now seems almost a stump-puller. Until 1012, the Wrangler only had a four-speed – less than half the ratios of the new transmission. The ratios for Grand Cherokee’s eight speed are almost identical to Range Rover’s, which comes from the same ZF source. 

Those nine gears on Cherokee should provide outstanding performance on and off the road, along with excellent fuel economy. The transmission has four gear sets and six shift elements – multi-disc clutches, dog clutches and brakes. Only two friction-plate clutches are open in every gear, minimising power loss.