Care to guess which is the best-selling Jeep in the brand's domestic market? Given that you're reading a story about the Grand Cherokee, the answer is – of course – Grand Cherokee. No fewer than 244,594 examples of the breed were delivered in the United States last year, whereas the Q1 2024 volume is 54,455 units compared to 38,308 for the Wrangler and 13,131 for the Wagoneer.
The right-sized utility vehicle was redesigned from the ground up for the 2021 model year. Jeep dropped the 5.7-liter HEMI V8 from the two-row version for model year 2023, and come 2025, the slightly larger Grand Cherokee L will follow suit. According to sources close to Stellantis, the Grand Cherokee and Grand Cherokee L will also drop the good ol' 3.6-liter Pentastar V6.
This, in turn, means prospective customers will be presented with a choice between a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine and the aforementioned powerplant with a plug-in hybrid twist. At press time, only the Grand Cherokee can be had in 4xe flavor, whereas the Grand Cherokee L offers either V6 or V8 muscle.
Mopar Insiders understands that Jeep won't electrify the Grand Cherokee L for 2025. Only the Grand Cherokee will be reportedly available in both ICE and PHEV specs, which is only natural given that a lower curb weight pays dividend in terms of miles per gallon and electric driving range.
The 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 and the better-sounding HEMI will be dearly missed, but looking at the bigger picture, Stellantis did think it through. Not only does the 2.0-liter turbo pack more torque than the Pentastar, but the 2.0-liter turbo 4xe plug-in hybrid is a bit torquier than the HEMI.
Photo: Jeep
What's a bit nowadays? Think 470 pound-feet (637 Nm) compared to 390 pound-feet (almost 530 Nm). Although many owners and prospective customers would prefer the new Hurricane inline-six to join the lineup, it's not clear if said engine fits. The Grand Cherokee is based on the Giorgio platform developed by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles for the Alfa Romeo Giulia and Stelvio, a platform that didn't go any higher than 3.0 liters and six cylinders arranged in a V in the Maserati Grecale Trofeo, GranTurismo Trofeo, and GranCabrio Trofeo.
The six-pot Hurricane rolled out in the spring of 2022. Current applications include the Jeep Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer, the Dodge Charger, and the Ram 1500. Only the Charger features a completely new platform, whereas the 2025 model year Ram 1500 is merely a refresh. As for the Wagoneer twins, both are closely related to the Ram 1500.
Adding to the confusion, the 2.0-liter turbo is also referred to as Hurricane. Its official designation, however, is GME for Global Medium Engine. Introduced by the 952-series Alfa Romeo Giulia, the four-cylinder lump nets 23 miles per gallon (10.2 liters per 100 kilometers) on the combined test cycle in the Grand Cherokee 4xe. Zero-mission range is estimated at 26 miles (42 kilometers).
The much lighter Grand Cherokee with the Pentastar is good for up to 22 miles per gallon (10.7 kilometers), whereas the Grand Cherokee L with the HEMI is EPA-rated 17 miles per gallon (13.8 liters per 100 kilometers). On that note, if the Ford Explorer comes with the 2.3-liter EcoBoost as the base engine, why wouldn't the Grand Cherokee downsize to a four-cylinder mill as well? Boring though it may be, the 2.0-liter turbo will help Stellantis get closer to the projected industry-wide fleet average CAFE target of 40.6 miles per gallon (5.8 liters per 100 clicks) for model year 2024.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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