Some say the Jeep brand has lost most of its rugged appeal, and the only model that keeps them afloat when it comes to tough four-wheel drive vehicles is the Wrangler.
One ride that deserves to be on the hairy-chested side of things is the Jeep Grand Cherokee. But for the fifth and latest generation, it is basically a crossover that tries its best not to step on the toes of other similarly-sized vehicles from Stellantis. And if you forgot, it shares its Giorgio construction with the Alfa Romeo Stelvio (and not only).
Revealed almost three years ago, the WL generation Jeep Grand Cherokee has Ralph Gilles to thank for its design, who has some impressive machines under his styling belt, like the 2013 Dodge SRT Viper and the 2005 Chrysler 300. Depending on where it is sold, it comes with a small 2.0L gasoline engine, a 3.6L Pentastar V6, or a Hemi V8, with a plug-in hybrid model, the 4xe, completing the offering.
At $36,495, which is the MSRP of the entry-level Laredo A for the 2024 model year, the Grand Cherokee is a lot of car for the money. All versions, including the range-topping Summit Reserve with its $70,435 starting price, use the same 293 hp (297 ps/219 kW) 3.6L V6. You can also get it with three rows of seats in the version that adds the L suffix. The PHEV family comprises six members and costs between $59,865 and $79,120, excluding destination.
The previous generation Jeep Grand Cherokee stayed in production for twelve years, from 2010 to 2022. It received two mid-cycle refreshes and multiple other upgrades to remain on the competitive side of the segment. As for the latest, we reckon the facelifted iteration is one or two years away, and if anything, it should stick around until the end of the decade. Thus, it doesn't make any sense yet to try and decipher the looks of its successor, which will likely go electric.
Nonetheless, that hasn't stopped several rendering artists from trying to imagine what the next-gen Jeep Grand Cherokee might look like. We've seen a couple of such unofficial takes recently, and the latest we came across sticks to the boxy recipe, as well. If anything, it kind of looks like an exaggerated concept to some extent, albeit one that is easily recognizable as a Jeep and, more importantly, as a Grand Cherokee due to its size.
We think this styling suits the nameplate, and in this guise, it would be a larger alternative to the mighty Wrangler if given the right underpinnings. But do you think the Grand Cherokee should return to its boxy roots, or should it stick to the softer styling of the latest iteration?
After a series of unfortunate events put an end to Cristian's dream of entering a custom built & tuned old-school Dacia into a rally competition, he moved on to drive press cars and write for a living. He's worked for several automotive online journals and now he's back at autoevolution after his first tour in the mid-2000s. Full profile
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