Car Reviews
Jeep’s Grand Cherokee Summit – PEAK PERFORMANCE?
Jeep’s Grand Cherokee Summit
PEAK PERFORMANCE?
Jeep – and you probably knew this – is owned by Stellantis, a European multinational which also owns and controls (if that’s the word) Chrysler, Dodge and Ram. Among those four, Jeep is the Golden Child, truck-based Ram comes in a close second, Dodge occasionally shows signs of life while Chrysler – again, occasionally – shows signs of death. I reference this because, a few weeks ago, Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa provided for investors an almost granular look at the Stellantis future.
That future, as reported by the industry pub Automotive News, entails some $40 billion in spending on new and updated platforms, with roughly 60% of that spending planned for North America. In that planning one can assume significant monies go to Jeep, and a portion of that flows to the Grand Cherokee. Notably, for 2026 the GC has already received some updating, and at first blush, seems – notably – more grand.
As regular readers(?), you’ll know my wife Tina and I have a long history with Jeep and the Grand Cherokee. Our Jeep journey began in 1987 with the purchase of a bright red Cherokee. And while that custodial period was brief (the $17K Cherokee quickly became two $8,500 Civics), the purchase of a new ’98 Grand Cherokee led – after eight years of ownership – to the purchase of an ’06, Hemi-powered Limited (which we still own), a ’23 Grand Cherokee plug-in and, most recently, a ’25 Grand Cherokee Limited. The ’25 Limited is perhaps the sweet spot in the Grand Cherokee lineup, with enough comfort features to be comfortable, but not so many as to obscure the Jeep mission; you know, go off-road, get dirty.
Our ’25 is equipped with Jeep’s evergreen (but not ‘ever green’) V6; that powertrain remains available for ’26. But the new kid on the block – and the reason for its review – is a new 2.0 liter four. The four is turbocharged, intercooled and delivers 324 horsepower through either two wheels or four via an 8-speed automatic. Those 324 horses are 31 more than the standard 3.6 liter V6, while the turbo four’s torque surplus is 72 lb-ft.
What makes this turbocharged four new? For the answer, we have Jeep’s press release:
The Hurricane 4 Turbo marks the industry’s first high-volume application of Turbulent Jet Ignition technology to improve power and boost efficiency.
The system ignites a small amount of fuel in a cup-like pre-chamber atop each cylinder. The burning fuel expands and jets into the combustion chamber, triggering a faster and more complete burn of the air-fuel charge. With this technology, engineers accomplished a more efficient, cleaner combustion. This allows the Grand Cherokee to boast improved fuel economy while never sacrificing power.
Notably, its high efficiency – 162 horsepower per liter of displacement – is done on regular gas. And if you live in a zip code where the premium penalty is a premium penalty (roughly $1/gallon), that can be huge.
When pulling the trigger on the ’25 V6 we knew about the upcoming turbocharged four, but were happier with the known of the V6 – which has been around forever – to the unknown of an all-new turbo four. And while quicker and more efficient are attractive attributes, the Jeep will be driven sparingly; 500 miles per month will burn between 20 (4-cylinder) or 25 (V6) gallons, for a cost difference of $25/month. We opted for the established reliability of the V6, and at least for this model year – in select trims – you can, also.
At this point I’ve only read a few reviews of the new turbo four, but the engine’s roughness at low speeds has been referenced, and despite hearing loss due to age, I’m here (or hear?) to concur. At low speeds it’s almost agricultural, and not really in keeping with the GC vibe, especially in our test vehicle’s fancy/schmancy Summit trim. At higher speeds the inline four’s roughness is diminished, but a powertrain that would seem to fit perfectly under the hood of a Wrangler seems ill-suited for the luxury confines of a Grand Cherokee. Dodge gets the Hurricane inline six, and Ram buyers again have the option of a Hemi V8. Both would be better suited to the GC, and if paying Summit money of around $65K buyers deserve that option. And you’d think a hybrid is in the near future, and would soften the Hurricane 4’s agricultural vibe.
With that, I was impressed by the upscale look of the Summit’s interior trim; there’s nothing austere about its Palermo leather in what Jeep calls Tupelo/Black. You’ll find generous room for both front and rear seat passengers, and even more room if you opt for the 3-rows in the Grand Cherokee L. To be sure, that 3rd row adds more wheelbase and overall length, but if going big it might be worth a look. (And if you think you need more space than the Grand Cherokee L, rent it…)
When looking for a sweet spot in the Grand Cherokee lineup – which has been simplified, beginning at $42K for the Laredo 4X4 – I’d be inclined to opt for the Laredo X 4X4. That gives you shiny alloy wheels (my preference), the V6 powerplant, the available trailer tow package and a $45K price point. Regrettably, only the black interior is available on the Laredo X, but then, dirt is less visible on black (while the Cheetos are more visible…). Given that it’s $5K less than the average cost of a new vehicle, the Laredo X constitutes one of the best buys on anyone’s showroom. Yeep.
