No diesel for new Jeep Grand Cherokee

Jeep has confirmed the new-generation Jeep Grand Cherokee due to arrive in Australia late this year will not offer a diesel engine, with the brand relying instead on a plug-in hybrid powertrain.

And Jeep’s global boss, Christian Meunier, reckons the plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) version of the fifth-gen Jeep Grand Cherokee will be just as good, if not better, than a diesel, claiming the so-called 4xe model will offer “more capability off-road” and will be more fun to drive with a “strong towing capacity”.

The new large SUV will also be offered with a choice of two engines that are carried over from the existing model – a 3.6-litre Pentastar V6 (217kW/348Nm) and a 5.7-litre HEMI V8 (266kW/529Nm).

“There won’t be a diesel on the Grand Cherokee,” Meunier said.

“[But] I think Grand Cherokee is going to be a home run. Without diesel, with 4xe, with V6, it’s going to be a home run. I have zero doubt. The product is going to be awesome for Australians, they’re going to love it.

Due to arrive early in 2022, the 4xe PHEV version of the new Jeep Grand Cherokee uses two electric motors and a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine for motivation, delivering a combined 280kW/637Nm.

It will also be able to drive in silence using pure electricity for short periods – up to 40km in the Jeep Wrangler 4xe – thanks to its 17kWh lithium-ion battery.

The current Jeep Grand Cherokee is offered with a 3.0-litre V6 turbo-diesel (184kW/570Nm) that offers a 3.5-tonne towing capacity.

The brand has already deleted diesels from its Jeep Wrangler range, and while other car-makers (such as Volvo) also plan to ditch oil-burning powertrains altogether, about 60 per cent of new large SUV sales in Australia are diesel-powered models.

This will leave the SUV specialist with a gaping hole in its powertrain line-up, as rivals such as the top-selling Toyota Prado and popular Isuzu MU-X, Mitsubishi Pajero Sport and Ford Everest run turbo-diesel powertrains exclusively.

Meunier conceded that the decision will see Jeep miss out on sales, but argued that the PHEV – which is sure to carry a premium price tag – will give the brand a point of difference.

“I’m not saying we couldn’t sell a few more units with diesel, but 40 per cent of the segment is petrol, I think the petrol is going to keep growing because diesel engines are becoming more and more challenging because of emissions [regulations] and electrification is going to really help us bring something new to the customer,” he said.

“Diesel is still there in Europe especially but also in North America in certain conditions and also in Australia. But on the Grand Cherokee the decision was to go petrol and electrification. So we’re going both ICE and electrified powertrains because that’s where the future is going.

“We don’t want to be followers in Australia, we’re going to be leaders in electrification, we’re going to be before the others.”

Meunier added that he was “convinced we’re going to do well with Grand Cherokee 4xe in Australia”.

“It’s going to be an alternative, it’s going to be a way for Jeep to differentiate and to show that we’re really advanced on technology. And the capability off-road is outstanding. People are going to love it, I have no doubt,” he said.

The global Jeep boss also described electrification as “perfect” for the Jeep brand.

“All the Jeeps are going to get electrified. We’ll have a full arsenal of electrification technology that we’re implementing on all the Jeep products, and you’ll see lot more in the future,” he said.

“We believe that’s the perfect world for Jeep – to also be able to drive electric-only for commuting. [It] is a hell of an experience and we strongly believe in it, so we’re very, very committed to electrification.”

Despite ditching diesel, Jeep says it will tailor the new Grand Cherokee to Australian conditions, including a local chassis tune.

“I promised a lot of other things like the testing of the Grand Cherokee in Australia and we’re doing it. And that will make all the difference in the world,” said Meunier.

“We’re testing the GC in Australia, we’re going to test the roads, we’re going to test your dirt roads, we’re going to test the towing capacity because we know it’s important in your market.

“We want to see how it behaves – and obviously that’s important – with your own fuel, with everything that comes with Australia.

“And we’re going to tweak it, we’re going to make it better, we’re going to make it perfect, we’re very determined to do that.”

What’s your opinion? Is Jeep on a winner with the switch from diesel to plug-in hybrid petrol-electric powertrains for an off-roader like Grand Cherokee? Have your say in the comments section below.