As the automotive landscape continues to evolve, one thing is clear: Jeep is ready to shake things up. With a renewed commitment to V8s and a refreshed lineup, the Grand Cherokee is poised to make a comeback that will leave enthusiasts salivating. The original Grand Cherokee SRT8, released in 2006, was the quickest and most powerful Jeep vehicle ever created, and its 6.2-liter Hellcat engine was the perfect match for the high-performance sports utility vehicle. Fast forward to the present, and it's clear that Jeep is not done with its high-performance offerings. With the resurrection of SRT and a new investment of $13 billion from Stellantis, the possibilities are endless. We spoke with Mauricio Lopez, Jeep's vice president of sales, about the chances of a high-performance Grand Cherokee in the vein of the Trackhawk and possibly with a Hellcat V8 returning to the lineup. While Lopez wasn't directly answering our ...
As the automotive landscape continues to evolve, one thing is clear: Jeep is ready to shake things up. With a renewed commitment to V8s and a refreshed lineup, the Grand Cherokee is poised to make a comeback that will leave enthusiasts salivating. The original Grand Cherokee SRT8, released in 2006, was the quickest and most powerful Jeep vehicle ever created, and its 6.2-liter Hellcat engine was the perfect match for the high-performance sports utility vehicle.
Fast forward to the present, and it’s clear that Jeep is not done with its high-performance offerings. With the resurrection of SRT and a new investment of $13 billion from Stellantis, the possibilities are endless. We spoke with Mauricio Lopez, Jeep’s vice president of sales, about the chances of a high-performance Grand Cherokee in the vein of the Trackhawk and possibly with a Hellcat V8 returning to the lineup.
While Lopez wasn’t directly answering our questions, his responses were encouraging nonetheless. “Absolutely everything is on the table,” he said, referencing the company’s new investment. “With that, I can tell you there’s a lot of product actions coming that, of course, we cannot announce at this point.”
The mention of Tim Kuniskis, head of Ram and SRT, only added fuel to the fire. “Having Tim Kuniskis as the head of this, you can imagine what is coming also from a powertrain perspective,” Lopez noted. This led us to ask about the possibility of the 6.2-liter Hellcat engine making a return in the WL-generation Grand Cherokee. While the answer remained unclear, the hint was unmistakable: the Stellantis of 2026 is a very different beast from the Stellantis of 2024.
Earlier this week, we reported that Jeep is asking customers to “stay tuned” for the 5.7-liter V8’s return to the nameplate. With the change in leadership and regulatory changes, it’s clear that the company is open to new possibilities. As Dodge CEO Matt McAlear noted earlier this year, “V8s are no longer a bad word around the company.”
The Grand Cherokee, arguably the most exciting variant to come out of this generation, may still have some surprises in store. With the company pushing away V8s and embracing EVs, the timing couldn’t be worse. However, with new leadership and a renewed commitment to power, the possibilities are endless. One thing is certain: the high-performance Grand Cherokee is back on the table, and we can’t wait to see what’s in store.
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