2026 Jeep Grand Cherokee: A New Heart for Jeep’s Moneymaker

Key Points

• The redesigned 2026 Jeep Grand Cherokee doesn’t depart much from the prior model in terms of style, but it features an all-new turbocharged four-cylinder engine as its main powertrain that is much more powerful than the V-6 it replaces in most trims.
• The 4xe plug-in hybrid and extended-length Grand Cherokee L three-row version are still available, as well.

It’s been a few years since Jeep last significantly updated the popular Grand Cherokee, with the fifth generation debuting for the 2022 model year — but it feels longer than that given all the new and refreshed entries in the mid-size SUV class. And with Jeep’s big brand rethink in full swing under its new executive management, it was time for an update to the SUV that started the craze.

For 2026, the big news for Jeep’s Grand Cherokee refresh comes under the hood, with the Pentastar V-6 being replaced with a new turbocharged four-cylinder engine in almost all trim levels. Add in some freshened styling inside and out, simplify the trim hierarchy, and keep the price where it is, and Jeep thinks it’s got a recipe for the SUV’s continued success. But how does the new 2026 Grand Cherokee’s powertrain stack up against the competition?

Related: Jeep Drops Grand Cherokee Prices for 2025, Starts at $38,830

The New Heart: the Hurricane Four

• Takeaway: The 2026 Jeep Grand Cherokee gets a new Hurricane turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that makes 324 horsepower and 332 pounds-feet of torque; it stacks up well against the competition. The old Pentastar V-6 is still available in the Laredo and Laredo X trims.

Jeep parent company Stellantis has used the Hurricane name on its new twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six-cylinder engine that we’ve seen under the hood of the Ram 1500, Jeep Grand Wagoneer and upcoming Dodge Charger Sixpack. But for the Grand Cherokee, the name designates a new turbo 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that will be the standard powertrain in all trim levels starting with the Laredo Altitude and up (higher trim levels include the Limited and Summit, with sub-trims that are available as packages like Limited Reserve and Limited Altitude). The base Laredo and Laredo X will be the only trims to use the carryover 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 engine.

The Hurricane four-cylinder makes a stunning 324 horsepower and 332 pounds-feet of torque, which Jeep says is a best-in-class power density of 162 hp per liter. It’s a new design that employs a variable-geometry turbocharger that enables 80% of the engine’s peak torque to be delivered at 2,300 rpm, with full peak torque happening from 3,000-4,500 rpm. It will be available in both the two-row and three-row L versions of the ‘26 Grand Cherokee. When compared to the rest of the two-row and three-row SUV market and their own standard engines, the new Hurricane stacks up quite well.

2026 Jeep Grand Cherokee Vs. Other 2-Row Mid-Size SUVs

Among other two-row SUVs (discounting the Grand Cherokee’s V-6, which will only happen in the lowest of the base trims), the Hurricane 2.0-liter beats almost everything until you start to get into other competitors’ optional engines. Most competitors in this category have already switched to smaller turbocharged engines as standard equipment, with a couple of holdouts like Honda, Hyundai and Kia opting to retain their naturally aspirated V-6 engines instead (for now).

As you can see in the table below, the new Grand Cherokee’s turbo four is indeed formidable among other two-row SUVs and should provide an interesting edge when comparing similarly priced trim levels between competitors.

2026 Jeep Grand Cherokee Vs. Other 3-Row Mid-Size SUVs

The 2026 Grand Cherokee is also offered as a three-row SUV in the L configuration, adding more length to the vehicle to accommodate a small but serviceable set of chairs in the cargo area. That brings a whole new set of competitors, yet even here, the new Hurricane turbo four stacks up well. It should be noted that the optional powertrains on some of these competitors do best the new Grand Cherokee’s Hurricane engine, such as the high-output engine in the Ford Explorer ST, which pumps 400 hp and 415 pounds-feet of torque from a twin-turbo 3.0-liter V-6. But many of these three-row SUVs do not actually have an uprated powertrain option, such as the Hyundai Palisade and Nissan Pathfinder, giving the Grand Cherokee the edge.

Of special note is the Grand Cherokee’s corporate cousin, the Dodge Durango, which ditches the V-6 Pentastar engine entirely and goes with a standard V-8 lineup across all of its trim levels for 2026. The base engine in the Durango is the Hemi 5.7-liter V-8 making 360 hp and 390 pounds-feet of torque, but you can upgrade to the 475-hp, 6.4-liter Hemi V-8 that pumps out 470 pounds-feet of torque (for a price of just under $50,000) or go all the way to the SRT Hellcat with its supercharged 6.2-liter SRT Hellcat Hemi V-8 that makes 710 hp and 645 pounds-feet of torque for about $80,000.

Electrification Remains an Option

• Takeaway: The Grand Cherokee’s 375-hp 4xe plug-in hybrid powertrain carries over for the 2026 model year.

If you’re more interested in efficiency than brute power, the Grand Cherokee 4xe is continuing on unchanged for 2026. The plug-in hybrid system is available on the Limited and Summit trims and is the only powertrain offered for the off-road Trailhawk trim. The powertrain combines a 270-hp, turbo 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine (not the Hurricane engine) making 295 pounds-feet of torque with an eight-speed automatic transmission that has an integrated 134-hp electric motor making 195 pounds-feet of torque. The 4xe also features a 17.3-kilowatt-hour battery on board. Total system output is 375 hp and 470 pounds-feet of torque.

Jeep has not published the expected electric-only range figure for the 2026 model, but the system is identical to the 2025 model’s, which was EPA-rated to get 26 miles on all-electric power only with a total overall range of 470 miles on a full charge and full tank of gas.

Updated Styling and Interior

• Takeaway: The 2026 Grand Cherokee gets a refreshed exterior and a new 12.3-inch touchscreen.

The look of the Grand Cherokee changes a little, as well, in order to bring it in line with the rest of the new Jeep showroom, which features a redesigned Grand Wagoneer and Cherokee for 2026 as well as a new arrival, the fully electric Recon. A new interpretation of the iconic seven-slot grille is upfront, and new headlights, bumpers and wheels complete the remaining changes. Like most of the rest of the Jeep lineup, chrome trim is being phased out due to its environmental toxicity in the manufacturing process, though it still makes an appearance on the base Laredo.

On the inside, a freshened but familiar interior is present and features Jeep’s traditionally high-quality materials. Most notably, however, is a new and larger 12.3-inch touchscreen running the latest Uconnect multimedia system.

Pricing and Release Date

We were initially told the new 2026 Jeep Grand Cherokee will arrive in showrooms in late 2025 with a starting base price of $40,730 (all prices include a whopping $1,995 destination fee), and with the new Hurricane turbo four, the Grand Cherokee will start at $46,135. Those prices are not yet final, however.

Our Expert Take

Having kickstarted the big family SUV trend in the 1990s, the Grand Cherokee is an icon in its own right, so each redesign is critically important to Jeep’s bottom line. The company chose not to go too crazy with this freshening, and the switch from the venerable but poky Pentastar V-6 to a more modern, more sophisticated turbo four-cylinder engine is an unsurprising (and welcome) move. It will be critical for Jeep to launch the new engine without quality issues, however, and given that this is the first application of the all-new engine in the Stellantis pantheon of brands, major attention will be placed on that launch both internally and outside the company. We’ll cross our fingers for this one.

Read More About the Jeep Grand Cherokee:

• What’s New for the 2025 Jeep Grand Cherokee?
• Long-Term 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe 13,000-Mile Update: Nearing the Finish Line
• How Does the 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee L’s MPG Stack Up Against Its Rivals?
• Research the Jeep Grand Cherokee
• Find Your Next Car

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