Next-Gen Jeep Grand Cherokee Will Be New and Larger Than Ever
The new Grand Cherokee will ride on an Alfa Romeo platform and potentially come with a hybridized lineup.
- The next-generation Jeep Grand Cherokee has been spied for the first time, and it will be bigger than the outgoing model.
- It will ride on Alfa Romeo's Giorgio platform, which underpins the Giulia and the Stelvio.
- The Grand Cherokee should go on sale by the end of 2020 as a 2021 model.
UPDATE 9/27/19: We spied another prototype for the next Grand Cherokee testing in Michigan (pictured at top). With slightly less camouflage than before, we can see its overall shape a bit better. We're still thinking that it will arrive sometime in 2020 as a 2021 model.
For the first time since 2010,
the Jeep Grand Cherokee is getting a full redesign, and we have the photographic proof. A camouflaged prototype was caught testing by our spies, and while not much of the design is revealed, we gleaned some new information about the upcoming all-new SUV.
Despite the heavy camouflage, we can tell that the new Grand Cherokee will have a longer wheelbase and rear overhang to offer more interior space and cargo room. While the protruding hood on this prototype might seem reminiscent of classic Jeeps like the J-series, it's just part of the camo. Slim taillights and the hint of Jeep's seven-slot grille are visible through the coverings, but that's about it. Overall, the exterior styling of the
Grand Cherokee should be fairly evolutionary, but the interior could receive bigger changes—maybe the 12.0-inch touchscreen from the Ram 1500—and it will likely receive a lot more love in terms of luxury, tech, and driver-assist features.
Looking underneath the prototype, we can see that the Grand Cherokee will still have an independent rear suspension.
In June of 2018, then-CEO Sergio Marchionne said the new Grand Cherokee would be riding on a stretched version of Alfa Romeo's rear-wheel-drive Giorgio platform, which is used by
the Giulia and
the Stelvio. The Grand Cherokee will stick to having two rows of seats, as an unnamed three-row crossover based on the same platform will sit above it in the lineup and next to it on the assembly line.
We expect
the Wrangler's turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four hybrid to be the new Grand Cherokee's base engine, while
the new Pentastar V-6 with the eTorque hybrid-assist system will be the mid-range choice. The Hemi V-8 should remain the top option, with the eTorque version potentially being the only offering—that could give the Grand Cherokee an all-hybrid lineup.
A plug-in-hybrid version will arrive a few years after the debut, as might
the new EcoDiesel V-6. (We really just hope
the supercharged Trackhawk model will return.) Late last year, new rumors pointed towards Fiat Chrysler working on a new turbocharged inline-six engine, which would debut in
the Wagoneerand be even more powerful than the Hemi V-8. If those rumors ends up being true, the engine could appear in the Grand Cherokee as a high-end option.
While it's possible the Grand Cherokee could debut this year, we think a reveal in the first half of 2020 is more likely, with the new SUV going on sale by the end of the year as a 2021 model. But given Fiat Chrysler penchant for pushing back new-model debuts, the Grand Cherokee might not see dealerships until a couple years from now. Expect a slight price increase over the current model's $33,440 base-price ask, with the
Grand Cherokee able to pass the $65K mark when fully loaded.
