Jeep Could Revive The V8 Grand Cherokee: "Stay Tuned"

Stellantis' brands have been on a blitz, attempting to reinstitute the brand's HEMI V8 engine wherever possible. Brought on largely by the wholesale gutting of emissions standards in the US by the Trump Administration, automakers are capitalizing on the opprotunity to bring back engines that were previously eliminated due to tightening emissions regulations. The story continues at Stellantis subsidiary, Jeep, which appears to be poised to offer another V8 option in its lineup, this time in the Grand Cherokee, which lost its last V8 option in 2024.

Jeep engineer: we are listening to you

Speaking to The Drive, Jeep engineer Joe Aljajawi told the outlet owners should "stay tuned" when asked if the Hemi V8 will be coming back to the Grand Cherokee lineup. "I would say for the Grand Cherokee customers that we are listening to you, and then stay tuned for more," said the engineer. The Hemi died in 2023 for the two-row Cherokee, but managed to live on for just another year in the three-row Grand Cherokee L (pictured).

In place of the V8 engines leaving the brand's lineup, Jeep has opted to introduce a gasoline-powered inline-six engine, which by and large, outperformed the outgoing engine. It's more efficient, and more powerful in many cases. Of course, that is barring the insane V8 Trackhawk model, which used a supercharged V8 to generate more than 700 horsepower, smilar to the Dodge Charge and Challenger Hellcat. The greatest argument for the return of the Hemi is towin, as the Hurricane inline-six doesn't tow quite as well as the V8, which could pull up to 7,200 pounds in the Grend Cherokee. Of course, fuel economy suffered massively, with the 4WD Grand Cherokee L managing just 17 mpg combined.

Stellantis renews bets on its V8

Stellantis had begun to phase out V8 engines over the last few years across its American portfolio of brands, including at Jeep, Ram, and Dodge. It introduced hybrid trims, EVs, and other greener alternatives to meet current federal emissions whims and to chase the rising tide of greener vehicles as EVs continued to gain popularity thanks to improving charging infrastructure and federal subsidies.

Now, Stellantis is flip-flopping. Many vehicles have recieved extensions on the lifetime of their Hemi engines, ranging from the Jeep Wrangler to the Ram 1500, as the Trump Administration once again reverses standing federal emissions precedent. The brand has culled Jeep's 4xe hybrid lineup, and its full EVs are few and far between, with newer models opting to use gasoline generators under the hood to boost the amount of time buyers can go without stopping at a charger. The trend looks set to continue, and the Grand Cherokee likely won't be the last Stellantis vehicle to see a V8 under the hood before the decade is out.