When the Hurricane Six engines were first unveiled, a company executive said that the long-awaited twin-turbo straight sixes were to be optional in the Jeep Grand Cherokee, as well as appearing in the Jeep Wagoneer. 2023 models came and went without this option; and then the 2024s arrived, and while the Wagoneer went Hurricane-only, the Grand Cherokee stayed mostly as it was.
Hemi buyers can rejoice that the 5.7 Hemi remains available in the 2024 Grand Cherokee, but only on the long-wheelbase four wheel drive models; all other non-SRT 2024 Grand Cherokees get either the 4xe turbo four-cylinder plugin hybrid, or the 293-hp 3.6 liter V6 engine. Every Grand Cherokee uses a conventional eight-speed automatic. Two SRTs are not included in EPA figures yet— the 6.4 Hemi and the Hellcat.
Diving into the numbers, the 4xe setup, despite having much more torque than the V6 (270 hp/375 lb-ft vs 293 hp/260 lb-ft), turns over a quite reasonable 23 mpg on just gasoline—56 MPGe while the electricity holds out. The 4xe, though, is only available on the short-wheelbase Grand Cherokee, in Trailhawk, Carb State Edition, Overland, Summit, and base forms.
The conventional V6 turns in 22 mpg on the standard wheelbase (regardless of RWD vs 4WD), and 21 mpg in the long-wheelbase models. Oddly, the city/highway estimates are rounded to 19/26 mpg on every V6 Grand except the long-wheelbase 4WD, which is rated at 18/25.
The Hemi’s mileage is just 14 city, 22 highway, 17 combined; as such, it contributes to Stellantis’ large fuel economy credit purchases from Tesla. Stellantis’ policy is sensibly to eliminate those purchases as soon as possible, not (entirely) through political donations but by adding more fuel-efficient vehicles such as the forthcoming ProMaster BEV, Ram 1500 REV, and Ramcharger.
The Hemi requires midgrade fuel. The EPA estimates that typical owners will spend, annually, $1,750 with the 4xe, $2,350 on the short-wheelbase V6, $2,500 on the long-wheelbase V6, and a whopping $3,550 on the Hemi V8—both due to its lower mileage and its midgrade fuel. (EPA figures are based on 45% highway driving, 15,000 miles per year, and fuel prices defined, as per the EPA web site, as “Server Error in ‘/’ Application.”)
There is one conflict—the Jeep web page declares that the 4xe requires premium fuel, while the EPA site specifies regular unleaded.
It would not be unusual for a late-introduction option to be missing from early EPA data, so it’s quite possible that the Hurricane Six or some other engine will show up in the 2024 Grand Cherokee after all. This is almost certainly the last year for the 5.7 Hemi, regardless.
