Jeep Grand Cherokee V8 axed

The all-new seven-seat 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee L will not only ditch diesel power but also its trademark V8 when the fifth-generation large SUV arrives in Australia late this year.

Documents published to the federal government’s automotive homologation website this week show Jeep Australia’s parent company has certified just four variants of the new WL Grand Cherokee – all powered by Chrysler’s venerable Pentastar 3.6-litre petrol V6.

Jeep Australia won’t confirm whether it will also certify the carryover 5.7-litre HEMI V8 that continues in other markets, but carsales understands it will not due to the cost of engineering and homologating the new Grand Cherokee V8 for what would be the world’s only right-hand drive market.

The outgoing S-Limited variant is the only WK Grand Cherokee available with a V8, following the discontinuation of the 6.4-litre SRT and supercharged 6.2-litre Trackhawk V8 models.

There is no guarantee the replacements for those high-performance Grand Cherokee variants will continue with V8 power either, given Jeep’s recently announced shift away from V8s and move towards electrification.

Jeep plans to offer a plug-in hybrid version of every model in its range and a zero-emissions EV in every SUV category by 2025.

Jeep Australia’s first PHEV is likely to be the new Grand Cherokee 4xe, which is powered by a 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and two electric motors, and will effectively replace diesel power for the new model Down Under in 2022.

For the record, the fresh ADR documents show all versions of the 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee L will be powered by a 3604cc petrol V6 delivering 210kW – 3kW down on the existing engine with the same displacement – and fitted with an eight-speed automatic transmission and four-wheel drive.

Peak torque is not listed but should also reduce slightly from the current model’s 347Nm, given braked towing capacity for the entry-level Limited variant drops by 1kg to 2813kg. The base Limited’s tare mass is 2190kg and its gross vehicle mass 2948kg.

The tow capacity of the other three variants – Overland, Summit Reserve and Summit – is listed at 2268kg, which is even further away from the class-leading 3500kg offered by the outgoing 5.7-litre V8 and all 3.0-litre V6 turbo-diesel models.

That might not please the towing brigade, but off-roaders should be happy the new Grand Cherokee will stick with a full-time 4WD system with low-range, a limited-slip rear differential and a Selec-Terrain Traction Management System with 202mm of ground clearance at base level.

Upstream models should come with Quadra-Lift air suspension with 262mm of clearance (down from 277mm but up from 235mm in the new Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series), which could partly explain their extra weight.

The 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee L Overland, Summit and Summit Reserve all have a tare mass of 2270kg and a GVM of 3039kg, while the base will ride on 18-inch wheels, the Overland and Summit on 20s and the Summit Reserve on 21s.

Speaking of the new 300 Series, the Jeep has a 242mm longer wheelbase than the Toyota and is almost 190mm longer overall, but almost identical in width.

The new seven-seat Grand Cherokee L is already being tested here in preparation for its local launch in Australia, where the standard five-seat WL Grand Cherokee is not expected to be offered.

However, Summit and Summit Reserve variants will be available with second-row ‘captain’s chairs’, making them six-seaters.

Other new technologies will include a new 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, carryover 8.4-inch infotainment touch-screen and, for premium versions, a 10.1-inch unit with 19-speaker sound system and premium leather trim.

Pricing for Jeep’s new flagship SUV is yet to be announced, but can be expected to increase from the current model’s starting point of $59,950 plus on-road costs.