Chrysler's Jeep Grand Cherokee SUV sales jumped 27%, while Ford's redesigned Escape SUV rose 52%.

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Chrysler sales were up 11 percent on strong demand for the Ram and Jeep Grand Cherokee SUV.

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Krebs says bringing back the Cherokee name makes sense, since it fits neatly under its larger sibling, the Grand Cherokee SUV.

WSJ: Jeep takes a radical new turn with Cherokee

Also making the list are the underperforming subcompact Nissan Versa Hatchback, and three models from the soon-to-be-discontinued Suzuki brand, including the Grand Vitara SUV, Kisahsi midsize sedan and SX4 subcompact.

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Chrysler also has stepped up to the technology with a clean-diesel version of the 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee, its most popular SUV.

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Still, for a high performance SUV like the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT-8, the suspension does have to be stiffer than drivers of ordinary SUVs would probably like.

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Other automakers may have beaten Audi to the supersized-SUV party, but this late arrival makes a grand entrance.

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By adding more powerful engines and luxury features consistent with a much higher-priced brand, the Grand Cherokee platform can be transformed into a high-performance European SUV, he said.

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What follows is a hair-raising escape involving an SUV and a freight train, after which Nick concocts the grand design that brings him 200 feet above midtown.

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