The Grand Cherokee was once the undisputed king of midsize SUVs, and Jeep apparently is determined to regain the throne. Two new models for 2012 should greatly aid its ascension.

The 2011 Grand Cherokee represented a new generation and the beginning of a new era for the Jeep Division of Chrysler, now owned by Fiat and free from the yoke of bankruptcy and its former owner, Daimler.

The retooled Grand Cherokee is based on a luxury SUV platform developed during the Daimler days and can also be found beneath Mercedes’ M-Class models. But most of the rest of the vehicle owes its excellence to engineering, design and quality initiatives implemented by Chrysler’s new boss, Sergio Marchionne.

Marchionne also runs Fiat and is responsible for that company’s remarkable resurgence.

The Grand Cherokee progenitor, the Cherokee, arguably launched the modern SUV era when American Motors introduced it in 1984. It reigned for several years but was fading under an onslaught of competitors until Jeep, which by then was owned by Chrysler, introduced the larger, more luxurious Grand Cherokee in 1992 (as a ’93 model).

That vehicle won fans and set sales records by establishing new standards for comfort, convenience, utility and versatility. It could easily haul a heavy camper, comfortably tote tots in booster seats and enabled anglers to reach their favorite fishing hole far from the nearest paved road.

The current model delivers the same type of groundbreaking performance. After a 900-mile round-trip journey last year in a Grand Cherokee Laredo X, I compared its ride to a luxury touring sedan and called it one of the most comfortable SUVs I’d ever tested.

I marveled at how a vehicle could be that comfy and still step over 10-inch logs and plow through 18 inches of water, as Jeep asserts it will.

“Think Range Rover at half the price,” I wrote.

Jeep ups the ante — and price — for 2012 with a new model that compares favorably to the vaunted Range Rover’s luxury: The Grand Cherokee Overland Summit edition. That’s a mouthful, for sure, but worth every syllable, based on my weeklong test.

Also new for 2012 is the Grand Cherokee SRT8 model, which I have not tested. “SRT” is Chrysler’s acronym for “Street and Racing Technology.” The “8” represents a 6.4-liter Hemi V8 engine that churns out 470 horsepower and 467 pounds-feet of torque.

A Car and Driver magazine test clocked the SRT8’s 0-60 time at 4.7 seconds, and credits it with a 157-mph top speed. The test also describes deft cornering and potent braking.

A glutton for speed and handling, I can’t wait to get my hands on an SRT8. But the Grand Cherokee Overland Summit is no slouch. Equipped with a smaller — but far from diminutive — 5.7-liter Hemi rated at 360 horsepower, my test vehicle took just 6.9 seconds to go from planted to 60 mph.

Highway passing power is just as impressive.

The price you pay for such performance in a 5,200-pound, four-wheel drive vehicle that can tow over 7,000 pounds is extracted at the fuel pump. After a week behind the wheel, the test car’s onboard trip computer reported a 13.8-mpg average.

Spend more time on the highway and less time than I did mashing the throttle to enjoy the bawdy V8, and you’ll probably fare better.

Other Grand Cherokee models are available with a more fuel efficient V6. But buy a Prius if you’re really concerned with pinching pennies at the pump.

Like the Prius — but unlike many of Jeep’s midsize SUV competitors — the Grand Cherokee seats five folks max.

Cargo room also ranks near the bottom of the class. The Grand Cherokee nearly choked on my son Brandon’s huge hockey bag and goalie stick, which my own Honda Pilot swallows easily.

But that’s it for nits I could find to pick with the Grand Cherokee. A roomy cabin complements a deliciously comfortable and library-quiet ride. Entry and egress are easy, despite generous and genuinely Jeep-like ground clearance.

When you’re in the Jeep’s cabin, it’s difficult not to be impressed with the interior. There’s an overall look and feel of quality that’s heightened by features exclusive to the Overland Summit model. These include a heated leather-wrapped steering wheel, heated rear seats, upgraded leather upholstery with raised stitching, leather-look dashboard covering and olive wood trim.

Other extras include a high-tech obstacle warning system, adaptive cruise control, variable-height air suspension system, polished aluminum wheels and chrome mesh grille inserts.

Those are crowning touches that nudge the new Grand Cherokee closer to its coronation as the king of midsize SUVs.

Scott Wasser is executive editor of MaineToday Media. He writes an auto column for the Sunday Telegram and other newspapers. He can be reached at:

swasser@pressherald.com