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The Grand Cherokee, Jeep’s most popular SUV, fits in anywhere. It is humble enough to avoid eyerolls in the suburban school parking lot, yet still prestigious enough to hold its head high in the downtown valet’s front row. As a Jeep, it also looks at home off-road in Moab. Whether you spec this midsize SUV as a value-packed family vehicle or a bona fide luxury model, in two-row or three-row (Grand Cherokee L) configuration, you are getting a capable machine.
Photo: Manuel Carrillo III
For 2026, the Jeep Grand Cherokee receives a subtle exterior and interior redesign, including a new available 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen. The biggest news is under the hood, where an all-new turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine option, dubbed the Hurricane 4 Turbo, is offered. The new Hurricane engine features a pre-combustion system that helps the four-cylinder burn cleaner and more efficiently, while producing a staggering 324 horsepower.
The 2026 Jeep Grand Cherokee is offered in six trim levels: Laredo, Laredo X, Laredo Altitude, Limited, Limited Reserve, and Summit. Base prices range from $40,410 to $62,190, including the destination charge.
For this 2026 Grand Cherokee review, Jeep provided a test vehicle equipped with Limited Reserve trim and Customer Preferred Package 2CR, which includes the following significant features:
The test vehicle’s manufacturer suggested retail price (MSRP) was $53,405, including the $1,995 destination charge to ship the SUV from the Detroit, Michigan, assembly plant to a local dealership. The price does not reflect any current rebates, incentives, or price adjustments since Jeep manufactured the test vehicle.
Photo: Manuel Carrillo III
With subtle exterior nips and tucks, the 2026 Jeep Grand Cherokee remains a handsome SUV I always enjoy stepping into. The comfortable, accommodating front seats offer support that feels like an Eames Lounge Chair. It is a comforting way to be held. Combine that with the Grand Cherokee’s commanding driving position, and it is hard not to feel confident behind the wheel.
One control layout quirk that might cause problems is the crowded placement of the steering wheel paddle shifters right on top of the volume and seek buttons on the back of the steering wheel. Do not be surprised if you inadvertently fire a manual upshift when you were only intending to tap the volume up button.
Jeep wrapped and garnished the upper dashboard of my Grand Cherokee Limited Reserve test example in quality materials, and the Nappa leather door trim was a nice touch that matched the Nappa leather seats. The plastic portions of the Grand Cherokee interior, however, fail to match the price point. Their greasy appearance slightly cheapens the cabin. Still, this SUV’s well sculpted interior is a nice place to spend time overall. If you want to go all out, the fancy Summit trim hides the greasy plastic under leather.
Photo: Manuel Carrillo III
This is the kind of car to take on a cross-country adventure, and there is plenty of room to invite four friends. Your pals in the back seat will likely be pleased with the comfort. Behind them is 37.7 cubic feet of cargo space, and 70.8 cubic feet with the second row folded, so there is plenty of room for your items, large and small.
Photo: Manuel Carrillo III
All trim levels of the 2026 Grand Cherokee include Jeep’s Uconnect 5 infotainment with embedded navigation and a 10.3-inch digital instrument cluster. Other standard Uconnect 5 features include:
Interestingly, the 2026 Grand Cherokee’s bottom two trims include an 8.4-inch center touchscreen, while the upper four trims feature a 12.3-inch display. You can also equip the Grand Cherokee with night vision, a head-up display, and a 10.3-inch touchscreen for the front passenger.
Pairing my iPhone 17 Pro Max with the Grand Cherokee’s Uconnect 5 is a set-and-forget exercise in simplicity. That is not surprising, as Uconnect has been one of the easier-to-use infotainment interfaces for a while. One area where Uconnect can fall short is natural voice recognition. The capacity to understand of the standard Integrated Voice Command can be inconsistent. I do not run into that issue when I am talking to Siri through Apple CarPlay, so I still prefer smartphone-based voice recognition.
My Grand Cherokee Limited Reserve test vehicle featured an upgraded nine-speaker, 506-watt Alpine premium audio system with a subwoofer. I fell in love with this setup. It is one of the best premium audio systems I have heard at this price point and palpably better than the Alpine systems in other Stellantis products, including the all-new 2026 Jeep Cherokee and the current Dodge Charger.
The next step up from the sensational Alpine speakers is the Summit trim’s exclusive 19-speaker, 950-watt McIntosh setup. If you are an audio nerd like me, do not feel bad about spending nearly $9,000 to move from the Limited Reserve to the Summit to enjoy the McIntosh system. Yes, the bigger system sounds terrific, but the Alpine comes close with its wow factor, so you are not missing out on much.
Photo: Manuel Carrillo III
The entry-level 2026 Grand Cherokee Laredo and Laredo X are powered by the 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 engine, which produces 293 hp and 260 pound-feet of torque. The Grand Cherokee’s upper four trims use the new 2.0-liter Hurricane 4 Turbo. The four-cylinder produces 324 hp and 332 pound-feet of torque. All 2026 Grand Cherokee SUVs feature a smooth-shifting eight-speed automatic transmission. The lower four trims offer rear- or four-wheel drive (4WD), but the Limited Reserve and Summit are exclusively 4WD.
Notably, Jeep discontinued the plug-in hybrid Grand Cherokee 4xe at the start of 2026.
With either engine or number of driven wheels, the 2026 Grand Cherokee’s maximum towing capacity is 6,200 pounds. That is 1,000 pounds less than when it was last V8-powered in 2022.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the 2026 Grand Cherokee’s V6 is estimated to return 22 mpg in combined driving, and the Hurricane 4 Turbo is rated at 23 mpg combined.
The Hurricane 4 Turbo in my Grand Cherokee test vehicle felt every bit as caffeinated as its horsepower and torque figures suggest. My first impressions were not as bright, though. After my first 10 feet of driving in the new Grand Cherokee, my heart began to long for the V8. At parking lot speeds, the new turbo-four emits unbecoming, agricultural, diesel-adjacent noises.
Photo: Manuel Carrillo III
However, all that went away once I unleashed its gale onto the open stretches of Mulholland Drive in the Santa Monica Mountains. The Hurricane builds boost quickly, and after 2,500 rpm, it lifts the Jeep’s nose with urgency. As revs build, the Grand Cherokee’s speakers begin to pump rumbly V8-like noises into the cabin. It is a cheap gimmick, but I will take anything that masks a four-cylinder engine’s patently ugly noise profile.
Prodding along Southern California’s curves and canyons, the Grand Cherokee dynamically fades into the background, which is fine for a midsize SUV cruiser. The reasonably precise, hefty steering offers a hint of feel through the wheel, and the handling is agile for a roughly 4,500-pound off-roader. Ride quality is expectedly smooth, the cabin is quiet, and the Grand Cherokee demonstrated confident stopping power, even on slick, damp roads.
Photo: Manuel Carrillo III
Jeep equips the 2026 Grand Cherokee with an extensive array of standard advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), including:
Higher Grand Cherokee trim levels add the following ADAS:
The 2026 Jeep Grand Cherokee earns a perfect five-star overall safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) gave the Grand Cherokee its highest rating of Good in its small overlap front and updated side impact tests.
Photo: Manuel Carrillo III
According to the JD Power 2025 Initial Quality Study (IQS), the Kia Telluride ranks highest in the Upper Midsize SUV segment. The Subaru Ascent ranks second, and the Hyundai Palisade and the Nissan Pathfinder rank third (in a tie).
According to the JD Power 2025 Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study, the Dodge Durango and Hyundai Santa Fe rank highest (in a tie) in the Upper Midsize SUV segment. The Chevrolet Traverse is the next highest-ranked model.
Other 2026 Grand Cherokee competitors include the Ford Explorer, Honda Pilot, and Mazda CX-90.
Photo: Manuel Carrillo III
The 2026 Jeep Grand Cherokee’s new Hurricane 4 Turbo is an impressive little mill, packaged in a competently freshened exterior design that pairs well with the cabin’s updated look and added technology features. The new Jeep Grand Cherokee is better than it was in 2025, but as hot as that new Hurricane is, its small-engine scream will never replace the Hemi V8’s displacement.
An automotive writer/editor, presenter, and Hollywood actor, Manuel Carrillo III was brought home from the hospital in a 1977 Porsche 911 S. He's been obsessed with cars ever since. Manuel began his media career on the radio nearly 20 years ago and has worked in automotive journalism since 2012, holding editorial roles at CNET and Capital One Auto Navigator. He also co-hosted MotorTrend's Seduced by Speed, and his work has appeared in Motor1, Robb Report, DUB Magazine, and jdpower.com. He still owns and drives that very 911 S.
