Stellantis – parent company of Jeep, Dodge, Ram and Chrysler – has been hell-bent on bringing the Hemi V8 back to its North American model lineup, having unceremoniously killed the engine two years ago, only to be pressured into reviving it.
Within the past year, the Ram 1500 regained the option of the 5.7-litre Hemi V8, the 1500 TRX regained its supercharged 6.2-litre V8, and the Jeep Wrangler is once again offered with a 6.4-litre V8.
Rumours have circulated that the Dodge Charger will also follow this path, but US publication The Drive reports the Jeep Grand Cherokee is set to join the party.
Speaking to the current Grand Cherokee’s lead engineer, Joe Aljajawi, the executive said fans should “stay tuned”, when he was asked if the SUV will get the Hemi V8 again.
“I would say for the Grand Cherokee customers that we are listening to you, and then stay tuned for more,” Aljajawi told The Drive.
After launching with the option of the 5.7-litre Hemi V8 in 2021, the ‘WL’ Grand Cherokee lost the engine in 2023 for two-row variants, and 2024 for three-row examples.
In dropping the 268kW and 529Nm V8 from the lineup, buyers were left with the choice of a naturally aspirated 3.6-litre V6 (making 216kW and 348Nm), or a plug-in hybrid ‘4xe’ with 280kW and 637Nm from a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder and an electric motor.
A new turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine is being added to the 2026 lineup, making 238kW and 450Nm, closer to matching the Hemi than the Pentastar could.
However, none of these powertrains deliver the same braked towing capacity as the V8, alienating customers who used the Grand Cherokee to haul heavy loads. The 4xe is also soon to be axed, amid a shift away from PHEVs by Jeep.
While it’s not yet guaranteed that the Hemi V8 will return to the Grand Cherokee, recent changes to US regulations mean carmakers are no longer penalised for exceeding emissions limits, effectively giving them free reign to sell almost any possible powertrain in the market.
Unfortunately, if the Grand Cherokee V8 does return, it won’t come to Australia as we never got the Hemi-powered WL Grand Cherokee.
The Grand Cherokee was also axed from the Australian Jeep lineup last year, having slashed more than $30,000 off its price tag but unable to boost sales to meaningful levels.
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