It will find other paths to performance.
If you're in the market for a 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee, you now have three engine options. There's a 3.6-liter V6 with 293 horsepower, a 5.7-liter Hemi V8 with 357 hp, or the most powerful option of all, the Grand Cherokee 4xe plug-in hybrid with 375 hp. Not only is the 4xe the most potent Grand Cherokee despite having the fewest cylinders (four), but it's also the quickest. The future of performance is moving towards electrification, and the Jeep brand is moving with it says brand boss Jim Morrison.
Speaking with Motor Authority at the 2022 New York Auto Show, Morrison reiterated how hybrids will replace V8-powered models. When asked if the infamous Trackhawk would ever make a comeback, Morrison said, "I don't know. Could it be a variant of Trackhawk? Electrichawk? Who knows..." The WL generation Grand Cherokee will spawn a performance variant, but it won't have a V8.
The executive offered similar skepticism towards another rumored model, the Gladiator Rubicon 392. "I don't know that we'll ever see a 392 in the Gladiator, to be honest," he said. Instead, the Jeep pickup truck will spawn a PHEV 4xe model, likely for the 2024 model year.
The Gladiator won't be the only Jeep to get a 4xe model, as the brand says all of its vehicles will get one by 2025. When asked if this includes the three-row Grand Cherokee L, Morrison said, "I think it does make sense." As for the larger Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer, those will likely need something more powerful than the existing 4xe's 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder.
Those 4xe models could pair with the recently revealed 3.0-liter Hurricane inline-six engine, which produces 510 hp and 500 lb-ft in high output form. With additional tuning and electrification, this engine could produce nearly 700 hp, matching the old 6.2-liter supercharged Hemi V8. If the Trackhawk ever comes back, perhaps it could be a plug-in hybrid with the new Hurricane engine.
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