2026 Jeep Grand Cherokee L Review -- Simplify, Simplify, Simplify

Jeep drops the amount of trim levels down from nine to six, though three of those six are sub-trims. Meaning, if you ask Jeep, there's only three trims -- Laredo, Limited, and Summit. But the Laredo is available with an Altitude package, and the Limited is available with Altitude and Reserve packages. There's also a Laredo X package with the base engine. So, it's still a teeny bit confusing, though simpler than before.

The 3.6-liter V6 remains as the base engine, and it makes 293 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque. Meanwhile, the powertrain used on Laredo Altitudes and above is the new 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder Hurricane that makes 324 horsepower and 332 lb-ft of torque. Both pair with an eight-speed automatic transmission.

(Full disclosure: Jeep flew me to the Los Angeles area so I could drive the updated Grand Cherokee and the new Cherokee. The company fed and housed me for two nights. I didn't take swag home, save for a notebook and pen).

There are other updates, beside what's under the hood. The infotainment system is larger, at 12.3-inches and the exterior gets tweaks -- most notably, new headlights and a different fascia.

As before, the Grand Cherokee offers either two or three rows of seating. I got about 20 minutes behind the wheel of one -- a three-row L in Summit trim.

The new Hurricane is smooth -- and a bit loud once it comes on the boil. It pulls nicely, but accelerating away from a dead stop was odd. Floor the pedal and the computer takes a second to figure out what it wants to do before you scream away from the stoplight. Accelerating from a rolling start was much, much better.

Ride and handling were just fine -- ride was on the smooth side with occasional hints of stiffness, while the handling was mostly unremarkable, even in Sport mode, though some minor body roll intruded.

Outside of the new engine, the driving dynamics weren't much different from the last L I drove.

Selec-Terrain and QuadraTrac II 4x4 systems are available -- and Summits like the one I drove are equipped with the latter and an adaptive air suspension.

The trim walk is as follows -- Laredo ($40,410), Laredo Altitude ($45,850), Limited ($45,810), Limited Altitude ($48,405), Limited Reserve ($53,405), and Summit ($62,190). Add two grand for four-wheel drive on all but the Limited Altitude and Summit, those are come standard with four-wheel drive. Add two grand for the third row. Those prices include the $1,995 destination fee.

Base models come with 18-inch wheels, adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, and active lane management. The Laredo X adds heated seats, heated steering wheel, sunroof, power liftgate, and a wireless charging pad. Laredo Altitude adds leatherette seats, heated seats, a heated steering wheel, active drive assist semi-autonomous driving, wireless charging, and the 12.3-inch touchscreen.

Limiteds get you 20-inch wheels, Alpine audio, heated rear seats, LED fog lamps, and automatic high beams. The Altitude package adds a black appearance package and a dual-pane sunroof, while the Reserve adds leather seats, heated and cooled seats, digital rearview mirror, wireless charging, and body-colored lower-body cladding.

The Summit adds 21-inch wheels, a black roof, upscale leather seats, front passenger display screen, 19-speaker McIntosh premium audio, and the air suspension.

The loaded Summit I drove was $72,770. Fuel economy for the V6 is 19/26/22 with two- or four-wheel drive. Miles per gallon numbers aren't out on the new Hurricane, but Jeep says the range maximum is 529 miles.

The 2026 Jeep Grand Cherokee/Grand Cherokee L changes little, save for the new mill. Rumors suggest the V8 may return, but for now, most buyers will be piloting a Hurricane.

The engine adds power and it's fairly smooth -- otherwise the GC feels none too different than before. That's generally a good thing -- the interior can feel upscale, especially in the higher trims, and the Grand Cherokee has generally been a solid semi-premium SUV choice.

We didn't get a chance to off-road -- and I am curious if an off-road Trailhawk trim is on the way -- but on-road, the Grand Cherokee is generally quite good. The only real problem here is the eye-popping pricing for the upper trims.

Jeep has given buyers a stronger internal-combustion engine while keeping the rest of the vehicle's strengths. Now, about further simplifying that trim walk.

[Images © 2026 Tim Healey/TTAC.com]

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