Grand enhancement for Jeep

For 2026, and the vehicle that arguably launched the luxury SUV segment — the Jeep Grand Cherokee — it’s what you can’t see that makes the biggest difference.

Under the hood, the venerable Pentastar V-6 engine continues, but expanding the list of powertrain options is a new Hurricane 2.0-litre turbo four-cylinder engine.

It would be easy to see that change as a step backward. If four cylinders are good, six are better, right?

Not so fast. The new engine is the high-output option, offering more power, more torque and better fuel economy than its six-cylinder stablemate.

While the V-6 churns out a respectable 293 horsepower and 257 pound-feet of torque, the new Hurricane blows in with 324 and 332, respectively. The two engines both get 9.4 L per 100 km on the highway, but the turbo beats the V-6 in the city, 11.7 L/100km to 13.

We’ll leave it to future reliability rankings to determine which engine is the more reliable, but in the here and now, the extra oomph of the Hurricane is very noticeable. The turbo spools up quickly and delivers a satisfying kick to the backside when the right-most pedal is pushed.

The Hurricane employs an interesting twist on internal combustion: it ignites a small amount of fuel inside a small, cup-like chamber above each cylinder. The burning fuel is then jetted into the combustion chamber, where it ignites the fuel air-fuel charge triggering what Jeep says is a faster burn and more complete combustion of each burn cycle.

A variable-geometry turbocharger offers boost at low engine speeds to reduce a sense of turbo lag.

The Hurricane is offered on the Laredo Altitude trim level and higher. The Pentastar appears in the Laredo and Laredo X models.

Both engines are mated to eight-speed automatic transmissions.

Phased out of the Grand Cherokee lineup for 2026 is the plug-in hybrid powertrain.

This latest version of the Grand Cherokee can be best described as a mid-cycle refresh: there’s no dramatic reimagining of the vehicle’s design.

That said, inside there’s a reworked cabin and a larger infotainment screen.

Also available is a premium McIntosh sound system. The front fascia has been refreshed slightly, as well, with an updated seven-slot grille, a Jeep hallmark. Three new colours — steel blue, copper shino and fathom blue — are also offered.

The Grand Cherokee Laredo begins at $62,290. The Laredo Altitude begins at $68,280. The range tops out with the Summit Reserve at $86,785. All prices include $2,295 destination fee. For a three-row model, add $2,500.

kelly.taylor@freepress.mb.ca