NOTHING CUTE ABOUT IT; Meat-of-the-market utes battle for supremacy at New York show.(News; auto show)

Byline: BOB GRITZINGER

Aside from upstart Hummer-and maybe that Japanese concern that makes the Land Cruiser-Land Rover and Jeep are the world's most recognized companies when it comes to sport/utility vehicle supremacy.

At the New York auto show Jeep and Land Rover will launch fresh salvos in the SUV wars, and between Land Rover's next-generation Discovery, dubbed LR3 for the North American market (still Discovery elsewhere), and Jeep's next-generation Grand Cherokee, it's a tossup as to which vehicle is more important. Grand Cherokee is widely regarded as that which first whetted the American appetite for SUVs; some would argue Discovery's role was similar worldwide. Either way, the vehicles' success is huge for each company.

Keepers of Jeep at DaimlerChrysler say the intent when redesigning Grand Cherokee for the first time since 1998 was to defend the (truck's) high ground, whether on-road or off. Though the 2005 Grand Cherokee is wider and longer and now comes with an independent front suspension, it keeps the taut styling and multiple four-wheel-drive system options that make it a capable off-road performer. Grand Cherokee is a five-passenger SUV; consumers seeking more people space will be directed to the company's three-row Dodge Durango or Chrysler Pacifica.

Grand Cherokee is the third truck in the Chrysler lineup to get the 5.7-liter Hemi V8, producing 325 hp and 370 lb-ft of torque. But this Hemi is special: Cylinder deactivation reduces the engine to four firing cylinders when power isn't needed, providing a 10 percent to 20 percent improvement in fuel economy. A 4.7-liter V8 and 3.7-liter V6 also are available. The new Grand Cherokee goes on sale this fall.

Not to be outdone, Ford-owned Land Rover introduces LR3, the 2005 model-year replacement for the Discovery. Redesigned to incorporate much of the styling of its big-brute ...