Those trying to tow with a double-row Grand Cherokee had just been dealt a heavy blow.
Jeep Vice President Jim Morrison told the Automotive Authority in September 2021 that Grand Cherokee V-8 Time Limited. Now, in the middle of the 2023 model year, the V-8 option for the two-row Jeep Grand Cherokee has quietly and eerily disappeared.
Reserve Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit 2022
The optional 5.7-liter V-8, rated at 357 hp and 390 lb-ft of torque, is no longer available with the two-row 2023 Grand Cherokee as configured on Jeep’s consumer website. It was a $3,295 option when it launched and then rose to $3,795.
Jeep spokesman Kristin Starnes confirmed to the Automotive Authority that consumers and dealers can no longer configure or order the V-8-powered two-row Grand Cherokee.
The V-8 is an option on Overland, Summit, and Summit Reserve models. Starnes says the premium powertrain available in the two-row Jeep Grand Cherokee is a plug-in hybrid 4xe.
2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe
4xe is Jeep’s plug-in hybrid powertrain. debut first in WranglerJeep offers it in Two-row Grand Cherokee WL74 in 2022. The plug-in hybrid powertrain stronger, faster and more efficient than the V-8. Jeep rates the 4xe powertrain at 375 hp and 470 lb-ft of torque. The electrified powertrain does well for a time of 6.0 seconds from 0-60 mph in the Grand Cherokee compared to 6.9 seconds for the V-8 version.
Morrison wasn’t shy about the future of the V-8 in the Grand Cherokee. There is no one, he said in April 2021. Even future performance variants of the Grand Cherokee will have fewer than eight cylinders under the hood, according to the executive. Whether those models will sport the Trackhawk nameplate is yet to be determined. Jeep trademarked Xtreme Performancebut it’s not clear how that badge will be applied in the lineup.
2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L Summit Reserve 4×4
Losing the V-8 option could affect buyers looking to tow their two-row Grand Cherokee. The V-8 boosted the Grand Cherokee’s towing capacity to 7,200 pounds. The V-6 model is rated to tow 6,200 pounds, while the plug-in hybrid 4xe model has a towing capacity of 6,000 pounds.
Starnes notes that the V-8 remains the premium engine option for longer three rows of Grand Cherokee body style, internally known as the WL75. The V-8 engine option in the WL75 retains 7,200 pounds of towing, but it also requires buyers to live with a longer, larger three-row car that steers differently thanks to softer suspension tuning and longer wheelbase.
Stellantis’ Hurricane . twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-6 engine
Jeep launches new version 3.0 liter inline-6 twin turbocharger in Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer. It’s now the brand’s flagship engine, with more power than the 4xe and 5.7- and 6.4-liter V-8s. The turbo-6 is expected to appear as an option soon in the two-row Grand Cherokee and then the three-row Grand Cherokee L, to replace the V-8 and bring the tow level back to more than 7,000. pounds. Starnes would not comment on future products, including whether and when a turbo-6 engine will be fitted to the Grand Cherokee.
Confusingly, Jeep’s consumer website still lists the 2022 Grand Cherokee two-row model and allows buyers to configure it with a V-8 engine. Jeep spokesman Ron Kiino confirmed to Motor Authority that the automaker will no longer produce 2022 models.
Both Starnes and Kiino note that there are a limited number of 2023 Grand Cherokees with V-8 engines in dealer stock.
