Jeep recently debuted the facelifted Grand Wagoneer, which gains the Jeep badge and branding for 2026, with the basic Wagoneer being dropped in favor of the Grand Wagoneer name being used across the board. Now Jeep is showing off the 2026 Grand Cherokee lineup, and while its name sadly hasn’t been messed with, the updated Grand Cherokee introduces a new turbocharged four-cylinder Hurricane engine, which slots in underneath the existing twin-turbo inline-6 that’s offered in the Grand Wagoneer, Ram 1500 and Dodge Charger Sixpack.
In addition to the Hurricane turbo four you’ll still be able to get the fifth-gen Grand Cherokee with the Pentastar V6 or the plug-in-hybrid 4xe powertrain, and both standard two-row and longer three-row Grand Cherokee L models remain available. As it did with the Grand Wagoneer, Jeep also simplified the Grand Cherokee’s trim structure, so there are now only three in total, with a handful of other packages among them plus the 4xe-exclusive Trailhawk model. The 2026 Jeep Grand Cherokee will be produced at Stellantis’ Jefferson and Mack plants in Detroit starting later this year.
A new global engine
The only really exciting news here is the Hurricane 4 Turbo engine, which is a new global engine for Stellantis, so expect to see it in a lot of future products across the portfolio. (It’ll be assembled in Michigan, though, so who knows about European availability.) Mated to the Torqueflite 8-speed automatic, this turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-4 puts out 324 horsepower and 332 pound-feet of torque, giving it more horses per liter than any of its competitors. Jeep says its 506-mile driving range and 6,200-pound towing capacity are also class-leading, and it’s available with either rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive. The Hurricane 4 Turbo is the first “high-volume” application of Turbulent Jet Ignition technology, which works like this:
The innovative system ignites a small amount of fuel in a cup-like pre-chamber atop each cylinder.
The burning fuel expands and jets into the combustion chamber, triggering a faster and more
complete burn of the air-fuel charge. With this technology, engineers accomplished a more efficient,
cleaner combustion. This allows the Grand Cherokee to boast improved fuel economy while never
sacrificing power.The Hurricane 4 Turbo uses a variable geometry turbocharger to provide powerful boost at low engine
rpm for on-demand torque during launches, acceleration and cruising – 80% of the engine’s peak
torque is available at 2,300 rpm, with peak torque from 3,000-4,500 rpm.
Standard on the most base models is the naturally aspirated 3.6-liter Pentastar V6, which has 293 hp and 260 lb-ft. Also available with RWD or 4WD, V6-powered Grand Cherokees can tow 6,200 pounds as well. Then there’s the four-wheel-drive 4xe, which pairs a different turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-4 (with 270 hp and 295 lb-ft) with a 17.3-kWh battery pack and an electric motor (with 134 hp and 195 lb-ft) inside the transmission for the same total of 375 hp and 470 lb-ft as before. Jeep hasn’t said what the EV-only range is, but the 2025 will go 26 miles on just electrons. The PHEV can tow 6,000 pounds, and you can’t get it in the Grand Cherokee L.
Some new niceties
The Grand Cherokee’s grille and front bumper are new, but it’s a very evolutionary design change, bringing it a bit more inline with other new models like the Cherokee. Jeep also tweaked the headlights, and the company is moving away from chrome trim in favor of more sustainable finishes. Otherwise, exterior changes amount to four new colors: Copper Shino, Fathom Blue, and Steel Blue. A larger 12.3-inch central touchscreen running a redesigned infotainment system brings with it a slightly revised dashboard that has haptic climate controls, volume and tuning knobs, and an octagonal engine start button below the screen. You can get a 10.25-inch passenger display and a 19-speaker McIntosh sound system, and there are some new color and trim options.
For 2026 the Grand Cherokee comes in three main trim levels: Laredo, Limited, and Summit. There are sub-trims like Laredo Altitude and Limited Reserve that offer different styling themes and standard items. The top-of-the-line Summit has massaging seats, air suspension and a suede headliner, and other available features on Grand Cherokees include a panoramic sunroof, digital rear-view mirror, off-road cameras, a heated steering wheel and heated second-row seats. Every 2026 Grand Cherokee gets more standard safety features too, like traffic sign recognition and intersection collision assist, and you can get it with Stellantis’ hands-free Level 2 Active Driving Assist system.
