The new Grand Cherokee’s unveiling will
probably happen later this year, but there’s still much we don’t know about the
upcoming SUV. We haven’t seen many spy shots thus far, but thanks to Motor1.com
reader Chris Townsend, we now have one more to check out.
How can we be sure this is a new Grand
Cherokee? Obviously we can't offer a tried-and-true guarantee, but the size of
the vehicle and the camouflage matches exactly with our previous prototype
sighting, one that was confirmed by our spy photo sources to be a Grand
Cherokee. Having this clearer look at the taillights also reveals a style very
similar to what we currently see on Jeep’s flagship SUV, suggesting the update
might be more evolutionary as opposed to completely rocking the boat.
That falls in line with a recent report
alleging the familiar Pentastar V6 and Hemi V8 would remain under the new Grand
Cherokee’s hood. The engines would be joined later by a new turbocharged
2.0-liter four-cylinder, with a hybrid model also expected a year or two down
the line. It’s also likely the Grand Cherokee will remain a two-row SUV with
seating for five, since the large three-row Grand Wagoneer is coming aboard to
compete with full-size people movers from Ford and GM.
The current Grand Cherokee dates back to
2011, but despite that age gap, sales remain strong. 2019 saw an eight percent
sales increase from the previous year, so we can’t blame Jeep for wanting to
stay conservative on this new model.
