This May, the highly-anticipated, revamped, two-row variant of the 2023 WL Jeep Grand Cherokee makes its grand entrance in showrooms, commanding a starting price of $77,950 excluding on-road costs. The wait, albeit prolonged, introduces customers to a trio of fresh offerings: Night Eagle, Limited, and Overland, each equipped with a 3.6-litre Pentastar V6 petrol engine.

These models are a welcome addition to the extended three-row Grand Cherokee L lineup, which debuted last year, featuring Night Eagle, Limited, and Summit Reserve trims, starting at $82,750 plus on-road costs. The new two-row model trims offer a cost advantage of $4800 when compared to their three-row counterparts, despite the lack of a two-row Summit Reserve.

A Summit Reserve variant for the two-row model is scheduled for release in the third quarter of this year, accompanied by a 4xe turbocharged four-cylinder plug-in hybrid powertrain, a feature the larger L version does not offer.

The new Grand Cherokee now incorporates a front-axle disconnect in its four-wheel-drive system, designed to default to rear-wheel drive under road conditions that don't necessitate all-wheel traction. This innovation reduces drivetrain drag and enhances fuel efficiency, as stated by Jeep.

Currently, the off-road-centric Trailhawk trim is only available in the US with the 4xe plug-in hybrid powertrain, and there's no word on its addition to the WL range.

Under the hood, the 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee houses a 3.6-litre petrol V6 engine that generates 214kW of power at 6400rpm and 344Nm of torque at 4000rpm. This pairs with an eight-speed automatic transmission and four-wheel drive. It records a fuel efficiency of 9.9L/100km on the ADR combined cycle and comes with an 87L fuel tank.

With dimensions of 4914mm in length, 2149mm in width, and 1799mm (1801mm for Overland) in height, the 2023 Grand Cherokee rides a 2964mm wheelbase. It offers a braked towing capacity of 2813kg and an unbraked capacity of 750kg. The vehicle itself weighs in at 2167kg (tare) with a gross vehicle mass of 2744kg.

The new Grand Cherokee comes backed by a five-year, 100,000km warranty. As for servicing, the costs for the two-row model are yet to be disclosed. However, for the three-row L model, the first five services are capped at $399, with service intervals set at every 12 months or 12,000km, whichever comes sooner.

The 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee doesn’t yet have a rating from ANCAP, but it has a five-star rating from Euro NCAP based on testing of the 4xe plug-in hybrid. 

Standard safety equipment includes:

Autonomous emergency braking (forward and reverse)

Pedestrian and cyclist detection

Junction assist

Blind-spot monitoring

Lane-keep assist

Rear cross-traffic alert

Adaptive cruise control with stop/go

Driver attention monitoring

Traffic sign recognition

Intelligent speed limiter

Reversing camera

Front and rear parking sensors

Front knee airbags

Front and front-side airbags

Curtain airbags (first and second rows)

Rear occupant alert

Limited and up gain a surround-view camera and a reversing camera washer.

Please note that the actual safety features of the 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee may vary depending on the specific model, trim level, and optional packages. Always refer to the official Jeep website or dealership for the most accurate and current information.

The 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee will be available for purchase this month. Anticipation is already building for the top-of-the-range Summit Reserve trim plug-in hybrid version, expected to arrive in Australia by year's end, thus enriching the Jeep Grand Cherokee lineup further.

2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee Pricing (estimated drive away prices)

2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee Night Eagle: $85,492

2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited: $91,792

2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland: $107,017

2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee Night Eagle five-seat standard features:

3.6-litre V6 petrol engine

Eight-speed automatic transmission

Four-wheel-drive system with single-speed active transfer case

20-inch gloss black alloy wheels

Automatic LED headlights

Black suede and TechnoLeather-accented bucket seats 

Eight-way powered and heated front seats (with four-way power lumbar)

Heated steering wheel

Six-speaker audio system

10.25-inch digital instrument cluster

10.1-inch Uconnect 5 infotainment screen with 

Wireless and wired Apple CarPlay/Android Auto

Wireless charging pad

Power tailgate

Blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-path detection

Adaptive cruise control with stop and go

Lane-keep assist

Autonomous emergency braking (with pedestrian and cyclist detection)

Driver fatigue alert

Traffic sign recognition

2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited adds (over Night Eagle):

Terrain management system

20-inch silver alloy wheels

Black synthetic leather-look seats 

Driver seat memory

Heated second-row seats (outboard only)

Nine-speaker audio system

Second-row window shades

Ambient LED lighting

360-degree camera

Automatic high-beam headlights

Digital rear-view mirror

2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland adds (over Limited):

Air suspension

Two-speed active transfer case with low-range gear

20-inch polished aluminium wheels

Head-up display

Black nappa leather seats

Ventilated front seats

Dual-pane panoramic sunroof

Premium nine-speaker audio system

Multi-colour ambient lighting

Approach exterior lighting

Hands-free power tailgate

The optional $4250 ‘Vision Group’ pack, available on the Grand Cherokee Limited, adds:

Dual-pane panoramic sunroof

Head-up display

The optional $4500 ‘Luxury Tech Group’ pack, available on the Grand Cherokee Overland, adds:

12-way power driver and front passenger seats (with memory and massage function)

Four-zone automatic climate control

Ventilated second-row seats (outboard only)

Digital rear-view mirror

Wireless charging pad

Second-row window shades

The optional $2750 ‘Off-Road Group’ pack, available on the Grand Cherokee Overland, adds:

230mm Rear Axle

Electronic limited-slip differential

‘Trail Rated’ badge

18-inch polished and painted alloy wheels (with 265/60 Goodyear all-terrain tyres)

Skid plate shield for fuel tank, transfer case and front suspension

Individual options include:

Premium paint – $1750 (all variants)

Single-pane sunroof – $3250 (Night Eagle only)