Jeep deep-sixes V8 engine on two-row Grand Cherokee

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Don’t be surprised: the writing has been on the cylinder wall for over a year. Big, burly V8 engines are driving into the sunset in place of more fuel-efficient, and even alternative-fuel, options.

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The latest victim is the 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee (two-row models, specifically) which, as of today, is no longer available with the V8 option, Motor Authority reported. The V8 had been available on the top three trims of the GC – the Overland, Summit, and Summit Reserve – through all of 2021 and at least part of 2022.

Now, you can only get the 3.6L Pentastar Variable Valve Timing (VVT) V6 with Engine Stop/ Start (ESS) technology and an eight-speed automatic transmission with 293 horsepower and 257 lb-ft of torque. If you upshift quickly and head to Jeep’s Canadian site, as of publishing, it says you can still get the V8; that information, however, is outdated and incorrect, Driving.ca has been told.

For those in the tow know, the V8 (357 horsepower and 390 lb-ft of torque) had a tow rating of 7,200 pounds, whereas the V6 has 6,200 pounds. If you were or are looking for those extra 1,000 pounds of towing, call your local Jeep dealer and see if there are any V8s kicking around on the lot, because once they’re gone, they’re gone.

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There is a small window of opportunity, though. “The 5.7-litre V-8 is still the premium powertrain option on the 23MY Grand Cherokee L and also the standard engine on 23MY Wagoneer, so this is not the end of the HEMI,” Stellantis Canada rep Bradley Horn assured us. “In an effort to manage constraints, the 5.7L is currently removed from Jeep.ca Build & Price for the two-row 23MY Grand Cherokee, but Canadian customers can still find a limited number of 23MY Grand Cherokee models with the V8 in dealer inventory. We are not making any announcements on the end of V-8.”

Want the V8 without having to hunt around? You’ve gotta grab the three-row “L” version.

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With electrification already here and the transition in progress, Stellantis Canada’s full statement lays out the reasoning for the discontinued V8: “The Jeep brand is fully committed to expanding its presence in the mid-size SUV segment, one of the largest in the world. The brand recently announced the introduction of two new fully electric, mid-size SUVs that will begin production in 2024,” it read.

“We will make an announcement regarding the next generation Jeep Cherokee in due course. All Jeep brand vehicles will offer an electrified variant by 2025, including four zero-emission vehicles in North America and in Europe.”

With almost every other manufacturer downsizing cylinder count and upsizing power and efficiency, it makes financial sense and is on-trend for the Grand Cherokee to put the V8 in Park.