The Jeep Grand Cherokee is hardly a vehicle in need of a rescue. The current model is genuinely capable, while the three-row Grand Cherokee L remains one of the more appealing family SUVs available. It pairs an upscale interior with genuine off-road ability, although the lineup could use a more exciting top-end option. That may soon be in the cards.
According to a new report, Jeep is preparing to install its twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter Hurricane inline-six in the Grand Cherokee for the 2028 model year. If accurate, the move would give Jeep an engine suited to a more desirable—and likely more expensive—version of its popular SUV. MoparInsiders says the information comes from a well-placed source and a leaked document. Jeep has not confirmed the plan, so it remains unverified for now.
The report says Jeep will use the Standard Output version of the 3.0-liter twin-turbo inline-six rather than the more powerful High Output Hurricane. Based on the engine’s application in the Grand Wagoneer, output could be about 420 hp (313 kW) and 468 lb-ft (634 Nm) of torque. That would provide substantially more power than the Grand Cherokee’s current turbocharged four-cylinder and comfortably surpass the former 5.7-liter Hemi V8. It would also slot neatly into the existing lineup.
Automakers have spent years pushing their model ranges toward more expensive and desirable upper trims. Customers seeking the best-equipped version are often willing to pay a significant premium, and Jeep is no stranger to that approach.
A Hurricane-powered Grand Cherokee could serve that strategy well. Jeep would not necessarily have to make the six-cylinder available throughout the lineup; limiting it to a couple of higher trims could distinguish those models from the more affordable four-cylinder versions and encourage buyers to move up the price range.
There is also a strong reason the rumor seems plausible: Jeep has already installed a Hurricane six-cylinder in a Grand Cherokee. Earlier this year, SRT unveiled a development vehicle fitted with the High Output 3.0-liter Hurricane and an experimental electric compressor called eBoost Air. That prototype was far more extreme than the model reportedly being considered for production, but it confirmed that the engine can fit in the SUV.
For now, the possibility remains only a rumor, but it would make considerable sense. The Grand Cherokee already has many of the qualities needed to compete at the premium end of the midsize SUV segment. Adding more than 400 horsepower to its top trims could provide the missing ingredient.
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