SVI launches armour kit for Jeep Grand Cherokee

SVI Engineering has partnered with Stellantis South Africa to create a special, discreetly armoured version of the Grand Cherokee five-seater SUV.

The package boasts AK47 protection and does not affect the vehicle's five-year/100,000km manufacturer warranty and the five-year/100,000km maintenance plan.

The B4+ armouring components, meanwhile, are separately covered by SVI’s one-year/50,000km warranty.

SVI’s bespoke armouring package for the five-seater version of the Grand Cherokee offers B4+ protection, meaning it is rated to withstand attacks not only from handguns but also from the ubiquitous AK47 assault rifle.

The ballistic package is completely concealed and therefore virtually imperceptible to the untrained eye.

Comprising custom-fabricated armoured steel plates, lightweight composite materials and special 32mm ballistic glass curved to OEM specification, the Jeep-supported B4+ solution for the Grand Cherokee was developed in-house by SVI.

In addition to the concealed body armour (including inside the pillars) and imported ballistic glass, the Grand Cherokee conversion incorporates partial firewall protection and an armoured rear bulkhead – the latter complete with a neatly integrated escape hatch – behind the second row of seats. In total, the various armouring materials add about 400kg to the SUV’s total mass.

In addition, the Grand Cherokee’s various driver-assistance safety systems – including those that rely on sensors mounted behind the windscreen – remain fully operational.

The driver’s window, meanwhile, can be lowered about one-third of the way down, allowing access to parking-ticket machines and biometric readers.

SVI’s Jeep-supported B4+ armouring solution for the Grand Cherokee five-seater is priced from R1,236,814 (excluding VAT). The Bashewa-based armouring specialist also offers a standard B4 discreet package for the Grand Cherokee – including the 7-seater “L” model – providing protection against handguns (up to .44 Magnum), with pricing starting at R833,684 (excluding VAT).

These prices exclude the cost of the vehicle.

The list of options for each solution includes items such as roof armour, floor armour, a PA system and heavy-duty runflat rings for the tyres. The project build time is set at about three months in each case.