Jeep is working on putting some more power back into the Grand Cherokee! But…
Alongside the Wrangler, there’s no denying the Grand Cherokee is the most iconic and most popular option for SUV buyers across the country. That trend continues as we work our way through the WL generation, but the powertrain situation for this current GC has been a bit wonkier than it was back in the day. Now, according to a new report from Moparinsiders.com, we could get another big change to the engine lineup for 2027.
That said, it’s probably not the engine some folks really want to see back under the hood of a Grand Cherokee. It is — unsurprisingly — the 3.0-liter Hurricane inline-six, which will join the 2.0-liter, 326-horsepower turbo-four for the 2028 model year. MI‘s sources, which the outlet says are closely positioned to what’s happening within Jeep, say we’ll eventually get the standard output version of the six-pot Hurricane, putting out 420 horsepower and 468 lb-ft of torque.
But what about the 5.7-liter Hemi V8? Well, that point nods back to what I was getting at about the wonky powertrain situation. Along with retiring the 4xe plug-in hybrid, Jeep also dropped the eight-cylinder option from the two-row GC’s menu back in 2023. Ever since, folks have been clamoring for it to make a comeback, and that comeback seemed more likely after Ram reintroduced the Hemi to its 1500 half-ton truck. For now, a V8 doesn’t seem to be in the cards (but hold onto that for a minute, because there’s a potential asterisk we’ll get into below).
Essentially, it looks like Stellantis is phasing out the long-running 3.6-liter Pentastar and bringing the Hurricane as the default option, pretty much across the board. Putting the 3.0-liter I-6 in the range, be it the standard output or even the 540-horsepower H.O. version, would likely shift the 2.0-liter I-4 into the entry-level position. It could also bump up the GC’s towing capacity back up to 7,200 pounds, which is a level of capability that’s been missing since the V8 disappeared from contention a few years ago.
Then there’s the SRT Grand Cherokee. This is where Jeep could have an ace up its sleeve, since some out there — me included — have been anxious for a follow-up to the ridiculous, supercharged 6.2-liter V8 Trackhawk. Does it make any sense? Absolutely not. Would it make one hell of a halo SUV? Definitely, and I wonder whether Dodge is just going to have that powertrain all to itself with the Durango SRT Hellcat, or whether Jeep will get back in on that action.
We’ll post further updates if and when we actually get any confirmation from Jeep, be it on the six-cylinder Hurricane or something even more potent. While the automaker has yet to put out anything official, it does make a lot of sense for at least the Hurricane S.O. to give the 2028 and beyond Grand Cherokee a bit more punch.
