The Grand Cherokee will gain a twin-turbo 3.0-liter Hurricane inline-six for 2028, a change that should increase the SUV’s straight-line performance and its towing capability. MoparInsiders reports the version slated for the Grand Cherokee is the standard-output Hurricane, the configuration that produces 420 horsepower and 468 pound-feet of torque in other Stellantis vehicles.
The Story in Pictures
The six-cylinder would outpace the Grand Cherokee’s previous V-8 offering; the Hemi 5.7-liter delivered 360 horsepower and 390 pound-feet. The additional torque should also push the SUV’s towing limits above the current maximum of 6,200 pounds when equipped with the Hurricane inline-four, which currently makes 324 horsepower.
A return to a naturally aspirated V-8 across the regular Grand Cherokee lineup appears unlikely. Tim Kuniskis, who runs Stellantis’ American brands, has said reinstating the 5.7-liter Hemi “doesn’t make sense,” a comment the report cites as part of the company’s effort to carve distinct personalities for its Jeep and Dodge SUVs. Still, Stellantis has confirmed a Grand Cherokee SRT is in the works, and that high-performance trim could receive a V-8 powerplant down the road.
Jeep demonstrated a prototype Grand Cherokee with a modified Hurricane inline-six in August, a vehicle that used the high-output version alongside a system called eBoost Air. That prototype was configured to reduce turbo lag and in theory push output toward 640 horsepower, but MoparInsiders and related reporting do not expect that prototype hardware or its extreme outputs to appear on the standard 2028 Grand Cherokee.
MoparInsiders ties the inline-six change to the 2028 model year; the report does not include an automaker confirmation. If the Hurricane six arrives as described, it will mark a shift in the Grand Cherokee’s powertrain strategy toward forced-induction six-cylinder engines that deliver V-8-class performance without returning a full-time V-8 to the mainstream lineup.
