Jeep Teases The 2026 Grand Cherokee, But It’s Hard To Tell The Difference

No, Really, There Are Some Changes
Jeep's teaser images are actually pretty generous, showing cropped images of the front and the interior in decent lighting. The exterior is still somewhat obscured due to the outdoorsy print on the paint. Tree branches aside, the changes are seriously subtle. The headlights seem to be revised with LED running lights replacing the surrounding chrome accents of the current ones. The front bumper has also been revised with differently shaped lower grilles and fog lights. But, it's clearly closely related to the current model.

It's the same deal inside the new Grand Cherokee. Clearly, the same basic dash array and vents are in use, but detail changes have been made. Two control knobs sit on either side of the center screen. It seems like they're probably audio knobs, since it looks like there's a bank of small climate buttons along the bottom edge of the screen. The rearranged controls seem to have opened up a bit more storage space in the bottom of the center stack. Additionally, the center screen and related controls are no longer part of a semi-separated section that looks like it bridges over the rest of the dash. Now they seem to be flattened down to the dash, and piano black trim blends it into the passenger-side screen.

The Line-Up Isn't Changing Much
In addition to the preview photos, Jeep also confirmed that multiple Grand Cherokee variants will continue to be offered. These include the standard model, the three-row L, and the plug-in hybrid 4xe. As such, powertrains are unlikely to change significantly. Base models will probably retain the 3.6-liter V6 and eight-speed automatic transmission. The 4xe will likely continue with its turbocharged four-cylinder and electric motor combination. We certainly wouldn't mind seeing a bit more battery capacity added to the 4xe, though we haven't heard anything that would suggest that. Similarly, it would be nice to see a higher-output engine option besides the hybrid, such as the Hurricane six-cylinder. We're not sure if it would fit in the Grand Cherokee, though. We'll find out more later this year when Jeep fully reveals the updated SUV.

Now the whole line is getting a redesign. Jeep goes so far as to call it a "next-generation" Grand Cherokee. We think that's a little much, since the teaser photos included make it seem like the new 2026 Grand Cherokee is a pretty light refresh.Now the whole line is getting a redesign. Jeep goes so far as to call it a "next-generation" Grand Cherokee. We think that's a little much, since the teaser photos included make it seem like the new 2026 Grand Cherokee is a pretty light refresh.