Jeep is giving its core Grand Cherokee a makeover for 2022 — the first major revamp in 10 years — that includes 5.5 cubic feet of extra interior space and an electrified powertrain option for the first time.
A stalwart of the Jeep lineup since the early 1990s, the Grand Cherokee competes in the heart of the utility market against the Chevrolet Blazer, Toyota 4Runner, Nissan Murano, Ford Bronco and Edge, Honda Passport, Land Rover Defender and Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport.
One reviewer is already calling the latest Grand Cherokee a BMW X5 that climbs mountains like a billy goat.
The fifth-generation five-seat Grand Cherokee is slightly larger — 3.5 inches longer and 2 inches taller — than the 2021 Grand Cherokee.
It’s also 11.4 inches shorter than the new three-row Grand Cherokee L, with a wheelbase that’s 5 inches shorter.
Jeep said it pushed the latest Grand Cherokee’s wheels 1.4 inches farther apart vs. the outgoing model to provide better handling and maneuverability. And it’s offering wheels as large as 21 inches for the first time on a Grand Cherokee.
The powertrain lineup features a 293-hp, 3.6-liter V-6 engine; a 357-hp, 5.7-liter V-8 engine; and a 375-hp, 2.0-liter turbocharged plug-in hybrid four-cylinder engine. All three engines are paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission, and the SUV is available in rear-wheel and four-wheel drive.
The new-gen Grand Cherokee is being built at a retooled plant in Detroit and goes on sale in late 2021, with the 4xe plug-in hybrid to follow in early 2022.
We’ve rounded up some media reviews.
Source: https://www.autonews.com/critics-corner/2022-jeep-grand-cherokee-reviews-climbing-higher-and-higher