If you’re in the market for a brand new three-row Jeep with a V8 engine — something that isn’t a Wagoneer — you’re out of luck. Jeep has dropped the eight cylinder engine from the Grand Cherokee L’s lineup leaving the V6 as the only option.
Car & Driver reports that the 5.7-liter V8 in the three-row Grand Cherokee L has been discontinued. It was done with little fanfare; the option just disappeared from Jeep’s build and price tool. The loss of the 5.7-liter V8 leaves Stellantis’ 3.6-liter V6 as the sole engine option for the big Jeep. For those customers who were fans of power and towing, this means the Grand Cherokee L has lost 64 horses (394 to 293) and a 1,000 pounds of towing capacity (7,200 to 6,200) in the process.
So what’s the reason for the sudden change? Customers didn’t want the V8 it seems. In a statement, Jeep confirmed to me that less than four percent of Grand Cherokee L buyers sprang for the Hemi:
The optional 5.7L V8 was phased out of the 2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee L in the third quarter of 2024. In the last full year of availability, the V8 engine had a take rate under 4%. This transition reflects Jeep brand’s commitment to aligning with customer demand and providing the best combination of power, efficiency, and overall driving experience.
I also asked Jeep if they had the take rate on the two-row Grand Cherokee V8 but have not yet received an answer.
If you’ve been paying attention though, it seems like Stellantis is done with the Hemi V8. The LX platformed Chrysler 300/Dodge Charger and Challenger, the application for the engines, died last year. The Hemi was dropped from the two-row Grand Cherokee’s lineup for the 2023 model year and you can’t get it on the Wagoneer models either; it was replaced with the Hurricane V6 on all trims. The Final Edition of the Wrangler 392 has run its course.
Now the only place to find the Hemi V8 is on the Ram 2500 where the 6.4-liter version of the engine is still offered. All other Ram models are powered by either the Cummins turbo diesel I6 or the Hurricane V6. It looks as though it’ll only be a matter of time before the Hemi is gone completely.