But fear not soccer moms, car rental agencies & college kids – Cherokee has been saved!

Just northeast of Sacramento, California lays the Rubicon Trail – one of the world’s most famous off-road sites. Treacherous rock, tall trees and hungry beasts sit in this cool mountain range, awaiting the arrival of automotive PR firms and new 4WD/AWD models, followed closely by camera crews. Basically, if your truck can make it here, it’ll make it anywhere. This is the spot where Jeep tested their all new Grand Cherokee. And to be honest, we’re impressed – not only because this is a Jeep enthusiast site. Cherokee is not longer just your dad’s “I don’t want a minivan but I have three kids” ride. It’s off-roading capability far surpasses some previous Jeep models.

Cherokee has several engine options, including flex-fuel 3.6-liter V6 with an estimated 280 horse power, and a 5.7-liter HEMI V8 generating 360 horse power. The latter will get you390 lb-ft of torque at 4,250 rpm. A 2011 Grand Cherokee should receive a starting price around $31,500 for base 4×2 Laredo, and possibly upwards of $45,770 for a 4×4 Overland. It’s simple but noticeable re-design also makes us want to pay close attention to up-and-coming Jeep Grand Cherokee models.

Photos via Jalopnik

2012 may not be the end of it all for Chrysler Jeep, and it looks like designers for the company are remaining enthusiastic with the release of updated designs, though this drawing mimics much of the 2011 Grand Cherokee:

According to WorldCarFans: Power is expected to come from a new 6.4-liter 392 HEMI V8 engine which will produce upwards of 505 horsepower and about 510 ft-lbs of torque, a huge improvement over the 6.1-liter HEMI’s output of 420 horsepower and 420 ft-lbs of torque. Considering that the latter engine allows the current Grand Cherokee SRT8 to sprint from 0-60 mph in under 5 seconds – Guess Jeep fans will have to wait and hear if this “leak” was intentional or just a tease.