Weeks ago, Jeep announced changes to the Grand Cherokee lineup for 2023; the biggest was pairing the 4xe plugin hybrid setup with the Grand Cherokee Trailhawk. The 4xe provides the power of a V8 (375 hp, 470 lb-ft) with the fuel economy of a four-cylinder (56 MPGe, with 25 miles of all-electric range). The main reason for this was probably the 4xe’s torque, which is higher than that of the Hemi.
In Canada, the same restriction applies: the V6 is standard on every model, Laredo to Summit, and the Hemi is optional on Overland and Summit. The 4xe is being reported as a separate model, the Grand Cherokee 4xe. Canadians do not appear to get a Trailhawk model at all; however, there is an off-road group for the Grand Cherokee L Overland 4×4 which has Trail Rated performance.
As in the US, UConnect 5 with navigation and a 10-inch screen will be standard on the Limited and Overland; the nine-speaker Alpine audio setup will be a standalone option on Limited, while the 19-speaker McIntosh audio will be a standalone option on Overland and Summit. These changes are common to Grand Cherokee and Grand Cherokee L.
At this point, the 3.6L pentastar V6 is completely obsolete and quite frankly, no longer needed in any lineup. Once the remnant of anything current gen is gone. it, along with the V8s will be a thing of the past. Honestly, the 1.3L Hornet R/T hybrid engine puts out 288hp and 383tq. That 288hp is just 7hp shy of a 3.6L Pentastar with torque rivalling the 5.7L Hemi V8. I know alot of us are gung-ho about traditional V8s for several reasons, but these new powertrains, for 90% of what the population is going to use them for, actually aren’t bad. Most of the numbers we’re seeing are in mid and full size SUVs, not cars. Even in the current body style L-cars, The 1.3L hybrid, the 2.0L 4xe, the 3.0L S.O and the 3.0L H.0 would move a Charger along better than the current powertrains (minus hellcats), which make up the bulk of the sales currently. Same goes with the Durango/Grand Cherokee. What we’re loosing in the 2-cylinders and sound, we’re gaining in fuel economy, overall power & performance, customization, etc. To top that all off, the new cars are lighter and more capable, which means improvements in handling and acceleration and again, fuel economy. Top tier electrification aside, what we’re going to see in the ICE and Hybrid setups for the mainstream vehicles should be enough for us continue enjoying performance ICE setups for the foreseeable future. Albiet not the V8s we usually go for but we should still have something decent.