New Grand Cherokee is available in Limited, Trailhawk, Overland and Summit Reserve trims
New premium large SUV arrives from America offering plug-in hybrid powertrain and four specifications
The Jeep Grand Cherokee has arrived in the UK, priced from £69,915.
Sold exclusively as a 375bhp plug-in hybrid, playing a core role in Jeep‘s pledge to go fully electrified in Europe and its drive to grow its market share here.
It combines a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with two electric motors for combined outputs of 375bhp and 470lb ft, while a 17kWh battery gives it an electric-only range of 25 miles.
It’s the third PHEV the American 4×4 brand has launched in Europe, after the smaller Jeep Renegade 4xe and Jeep Compass 4xe, and crowns its range.
It comes in four specifications. Limited is targeted at business customers. Off-road-ready Trailhawk adds 18in wheels, off-road tyres and front skidplates for £73,915. Overland is designed to combine Limited and Trailhawk, with a range of options from both models, and is priced from £75,915. Then £85,615 Summit Reserve gets buyers level-two driving assistance, a 19-speaker sound system, a 10in central display and a separate infotainment screen for the front passenger.
Jeep will stop selling pure-ICE models in Europe (with the exception of Italy, where it’s the best-selling low-emissions brand) this year and instead offer only 4xe-badged plug-in hybrids and mild hybrids.
The brand’s CEO, Christian Meunier, confirmed that it will add a pure-electric model in “every major SUV segment” by 2025, by which point 70% of its global sales will be electrified.
This phase-out of ICE models in Europe could mean the Jeep Wrangler 4xe – which is claimed to be the best-selling PHEV in the US, accounting for 25% of Jeep’s volume there – will arrive in the UK later this year.
Meunier said: “We’re accelerating electrification, amplifying 4×4 capability and the spirit of freedom with electrification. It’s not only about being more green. It’s about emphasising and improving the capabilities of our Jeeps – making them more fun, exciting, sustainable and being able to drive off road quietly.”
Jeep hasn’t ruled out also importing the three-row Jeep Grand Cherokee L to Europe, following a strong start for the seven-seater in the US, where it now holds a 20% market share in its segment.
Source: Autocar
