If the Jeep Grand Cherokee was regularly criticized in Australia for one thing: it was the V6 that served as the base engine. Now there is a new gasoline engine, but it doesn’t come here.
That’s because Jeep discontinued the Grand Cherokee locally earlier this year, meaning Australia is missing out on the new “Hurricane” 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine.
The WL Grand Cherokee is the first vehicle from Stellantis to use the Hurricane Four, which delivers 238kW of power and 450Nm of torque. That is 28 kW more power and 106 Nm more torque than the 3.6-liter V6 naturally aspirated “Pentastar” engine.
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The venerable Pentastar continues to be offered, but exclusively on the Laredo and Laredo X trims. The turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrain remains available only on the full-length, two-row Grand Cherokee 4xe.
The 5.7-liter Hemi V8 had already been eliminated from the WL lineup and was not offered in the model locally.
Jeep claims the new Hurricane-powered variants – the first four-cylinder petrol models in the Grand Cherokee’s history – can tow 2812kg, equivalent to the V6-powered variants.
According to the company, the new engine represents the industry’s “first high-volume application of Turbulent Jet Ignition technology,” in which a small amount of fuel is ignited in a cup-shaped prechamber above each cylinder, which in turn expands into the combustion chamber.
The end result, according to Jeep, is cleaner, more efficient combustion and improved fuel economy. Jeep also states that 90 percent of the torque is available between 2,600 and 5,600 rpm and 100 percent is available between 3,000 and 4,500 rpm, giving this engine significantly less peak power than the old V6.
An eight-speed automatic transmission is the only transmission offered across the entire Grand Cherokee lineup.
The new engine coincides with a minor facelift for the Grand Cherokee range.
Exterior changes include a new headlight design, refreshed grille, optimized rear fascia and three new exterior paint finishes: Steel Blue, Fathom Blue and Copper Shino.
Inside, there’s a revised dashboard with a new 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system (up from 10.1 inches).
With the end of right-hand drive production, the Grand Cherokee joins a long list of Jeeps that Australia is missing.
These include the revitalized Cherokee mid-size SUV, which features hybrid power for the first time, and the full-size Grand Wagoneer. There are also V8 and plug-in hybrid versions of the Wrangler, which remain off-limits to Australian buyers.
Jeep Australia discontinued the Grand Cherokee back in March this year – or rather, “made the difficult decision to suspend availability” and offered huge discounts on remaining stock.
The deletion came after sales continued to decline despite the launch of the new WL generation in 2022. While this was the first Grand Cherokee with an available third row of seats, it lost its popular turbodiesel V6 option.
In 2014, the Grand Cherokee’s best sales year, Jeep delivered 16,582 units in Australia, outselling even the mighty Toyota Prado. But in 2024, Jeep has only moved 645 examples.
The Grand Cherokee’s fortunes followed that of the Jeep brand in Australia, although a new product will be launched next year in the form of the new Compass small SUV. Jeep has also previously confirmed the electric Wagoneer S and Recon for our market.
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