New Jeep Grand Cherokee ‘here to win’

When the all-new 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee L rolls into Aussie dealerships next month, it will kick-start the biggest expansion in the large SUV model’s Aussie history.

During the global launch of the brand’s first-ever electrified Grand Cherokee in Texas, Jeep’s global product marketing manager, Jeff Ellsworth, said the new 4xe plug-in hybrid model due in Australia in early 2023 will be a game-changer.

“We aren’t here just to play, we’re here to win. We’ve been successful where we’ve launched [4xe] so far, and we think Grand Cherokee is the best bet at establishing our electrification strategy in the Australian market,” Ellsworth told carsales.

“We’ve put the competition on notice,” he stated.

He pointed out the muscular new petrol-electric SUV punches out more power and torque (280kW/637Nm) than the 5.7-litre V8-powered Jeep Grand Cherokee, while delivering 40km of pure-electric driving range.

But the global Jeep exec cautioned that “It’s going to add cost.”

Jeep has not yet settled on pricing or model grades for the Grand Cherokee 4xe in Australia, but the first electrified GC could start at around $100,000.

Based on an all-new platform and featuring significantly more up-spec and high-tech features, the fifth-generation ‘WL’ Jeep Grand Cherokee is being touted as a game-changer for the brand.

And it needs to be, given the outgoing model faced its fair share of controversies in Australia.

Before the Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe arrives in early 2023, the seven-seat Grand Cherokee L will give Aussies their first taste of the new model in May 2022, when it will arrive with premium pricing of between $82,250 and $115,450.

The L will be followed up by the short-wheelbase five-seat version of the new Grand Cherokee, which is expected to be a more a more affordable circa-$70K proposition, around October 2022.

It form the basis of the plug-in hybrid Grand Cherokee 4xe with its 40km EV range, which will bolster the line-up from around February 2023.

The Jeep Wrangler 4xe has quickly become the best-selling plug-in hybrid vehicle in the US, but it remains to be seen whether the GC 4xe can emulate its success.

In Australia, diesel-powered large SUVs are still among the top-sellers, with the Toyota Prado and Isuzu MU-X being the most popular models in the segment – both of them all-diesel.

Jeep has deleted diesel and V8 power from the new-generation Grand Cherokee range, along with their 3500kg towing capacities, so how will the plug-in hybrid lure buyers?

“There’s going to be the performance aspect. Both powertrain performance and off-road performance. As great as the 3.6 V6 is, this is our premium step up in a lot of markets now. It will play an important role for us,” said Ellsworth.

The Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe has a 17.3kWh battery that pairs with two electric motors and a turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine to pump out 280kW of power and 637Nm of torque. It has a claimed combined range of 756km and fuel economy of 4.1L/100km.

As Jeep continues to deploy PHEVs over the coming years and will eventually replace its V8s with a new turbo-petrol inline six-cylinder combustion engine, the Detroit-based SUV-maker has promised to deliver fully electric vehicles in every segment in which it competes by 2025.

Jeep has revealed the first fruits of this EV push, which will kick-off in Europe in 2023, in the form of an as-yet-unnamed electric SUV.

Given the Grand Cherokee is the best-selling Jeep in Australia – and globally – with over seven million sales thus far, it’s a big deal and the brand will be hoping Aussies embrace the high-tech hybrid with open arms.

Stay tuned for our first drive of the new Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe hybrid SUV on April 19.

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