2026 Jeep Grand Cherokee spy shots
The Jeep Grand Cherokee is preparing to go under the knife for mild improvements.
A modified version of the Jeep Grand Cherokee has been spotted testing on public roads and is expected to arrive in late 2025 as a 2026 model.
The current Jeep Grand Cherokee, known internally as the WL series, debuted in 2021 in the long-wheelbase L form and was soon followed by a short-wheelbase two-row model for the 2022 model year.
The refresh of Jeep's popular SUV appears to be mild, with more comprehensive updates hidden under the bodywork. The heavy camouflage is limited to the front end, where details in the bumper appear to have been reworked. The front end appears to have two sets of intake inlets on the Summit's top-spec cars, as opposed to the current single large lower inlet. The prototype's camouflage has two flaps that allow engineers access to the grille. That grille is currently equipped with cameras and sensors. New ultrasonic sensors can also be seen on the lower rear fenders
. A large touchscreen, possibly a secondary touchscreen for climate control, and changes to the digital meter cluster are being considered.
Currently, the two-row Grand Cherokee comes with a 3.6-liter V-6 or 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder plug-in hybrid powertrain. Jeep quietly discontinued the V-8 engine option in 2022, but buyers cannot option the 4xe plug-in hybrid in the larger family haulers, so it is still an option in the three-row L. The Hurricane Turbo 6, which replaced the V-8 in the Ram 1500 pickup truck and the full-size Jeep Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer, has long been rumored to replace the V-8 in the Grand Cherokee. The prototype's new intake arrangement may be to feed air to the turbocharged engine's intercooler.
Jeep quietly introduced a hands-free driver assistance system known as Hands-Free Active Driving Assist on the Grand Cherokee in late 2023; the successor to this system, named STLA AutoDrive, has already been announced and is said to be available in 2025. New cameras and sensor arrays in the grille and rear fenders may be for the next-generation hands-free driving system.
