Jeep Grand Cherokee 2023 review: Overland

There’s no getting around the fact the new-generation Grand Cherokee is a lot more expensive than before, like $17,500 more expensive when comparing base models.

The price jump is eased a bit the higher up you go, but still, in 2023 the most affordable Grand Cherokee, the Night Eagle, is priced at $77,950, before on-road costs.

The mid-tier Limited is positioned at $83,950 (+$9500), while the Overland tested here is just a touch under $100,000 at $98,450 – a $14,000 increase.

And while some of you might baulk at the fact that this Grand Cherokee is a lot more expensive than before, Jeep has thrown in the whole kit and caboodle, making this pill, at least, a little easier to swallow.

The Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland has a price tag of $98,450. (Image: Tung Nguyen)

Standard equipment starts with 20-inch alloy wheels, leather and suede seats, power-adjustable front seats, powered tailgate, LED headlights, heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, keyless entry and push-button start.

There’s also a 10.1-inch multimedia touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, making smartphone mirroring so easy.

Stepping up to the Limited adds full-leather seats, heated second-row seats, cooled front seats, interior ambient lighting and an up-rated nine-speaker sound system with active noise cancelling.

Upfront is a 10.1-inch multimedia touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. (Image: Tung Nguyen)

Finally, the top-tier Overland scores Nappa leather interior, cooled rear seats, a hands-free tailgate, a panoramic sunroof, and chrome finishes for the exhaust tips and side sills.

Honestly, that’s an equipment list you’d expect from any car in the $80,000-plus bracket, but the Jeep Grand Cherokee does have all the features and equipment you could want in a new car.

Oh, and I have to also make mention of the sound system, which – to my non-audiophile ears – is frankly, banging!

There is heaps of adjustability in the EQ controls, so you can dial in the right sound for whatever genre of music you are into.

The new-gen Grand Cherokee has grown in every dimension compared to its predecessor, which means, of course, more space and practicality.

Let’s start with the boot.

In this five-seat configuration, the Grand Cherokee will swallow a massive 1067 litres of volume. It’s more than enough for small families like mine, and even enough for the gear you would need for a week-long camping trip.

Fold the rear seats down and we’re looking at a capacious 2004L, so be prepared to be called on by friend’s if they need help moving.

The second-row also affords plenty of space, and there's plenty of room, even in the middle seat, thanks to this flat floor.

Car seats won’t be a problem, and passengers back there have access to their own climate control system, a fold-down armrest, door bins, back seat map pockets, as well as four air vents.

Stepping into the front seats, it’s positively palatial, you can sprawl out nearly as wide and long as you want, and from the driver’s seat there are neat little touches like an electronically adjustable steering column and seat memory function.

There is ample head and legroom upfront of the Grand Cherokee. (Image: Tung Nguyen)

The in-cabin tech on offer is also great. The multimedia system is snappy and responsive, while all the buttons littered around mean you don’t have to dive into six different menus to change the temperature of the cabin by half a degree.

The wireless smartphone charger is also a handy addition, and helps with the wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality, while you can also get the Jeep app that will let you monitor your Grand Cherokee while away.

Storage options are also abundant, with large door pockets that will accommodate big water bottles, cupholders, a two-tiered underarm cubby, and a generous glove box.

The second-row offers plenty of space for passengers. (Image: Tung Nguyen)

Regardless of which grade of Jeep Grand Cherokee you end up with, all are powered by a 3.6-litre petrol V6 – a carryover engine from the previous generation.

Outputs reach 210kW and 344Nm, and the engine is paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission that naturally sends drive to all four wheels.

This means the Grand Cherokee is one of the least-powerful petrol models in the large SUV over $70,000 class, beating only the 2.0-litre versions of the Jaguar F-Pace, Range Rover Velar and Volvo XC90, as well as the hybrid-heavy Lexus RX range.

However, the peak torque figure is actually the lowest in class, losing out against rival’s that have newer turbocharged or hybridised engines.

Under the bonnet of the Jeep Grand Cherokee is a 3.6-litre petrol V6 engine. (Image: Tung Nguyen)

Sadly, without a diesel or petrol V8 in the new Grand Cherokee range, all 2023 versions – including the seven-seaters – feature a braked towing capacity of 2.8 tonnes.

And without that V8, it means no performance-focused SRT or Trackhawk variants this time around either. Sad!

However, a plug-in hybrid powertrain is due to launch by the end of the year and will sit as the flagship in the Grand Cherokee five-seater line-up, but full Australian details are still to be finalised.

Officially, the Grand Cherokee five-seater returns a fuel economy figure of 9.9 litres per 100km, and while this is 0.7L/100km better than the seven-seater, with a large car must also come large fuel bills.

In my time with the car, I managed to get 16.8L/100km thanks mainly to inner-city driving.

Your mileage, of course, will vary, but there’s no doubting the new Grand Cherokee – like many a teenager on Instagram – is thirsty.

Jeep has included stop/start engine technology, as well as a front-axle disconnect feature on this top-grade variant to help improve fuel economy, but the Grand Cherokee’s figures are still north of rivals that feature smaller displacement turbocharged engines or hybridisation.

Jeep claims the Grand Cherokee has a fuel economy figure of 9.9 litres per 100km. (Image: Tung Nguyen)

Thankfully, the Grand Cherokee will take 91 RON 'standard' petrol, helping ease the sting at the bowser, but its massive 87 litre tank will take a bit to fill.

Carbon dioxide emissions come in at 236 grams per kilometre.

Using Jeep's official number, driving range is just under 880km, dropping to around 520km when applying our real-world consumption figure.

The Grand Cherokee will take 91 RON 'standard' petrol. (Image: Tung Nguyen)

The 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee does not have a ANCAP rating, but it was awarded a maximum five-star rating from Euro NCAP last year.

The tested model however, was a left-hand-drive plug-in hybrid version, so it remains to be seen how much this carries over to Aussie-spec cars.

Scoring well across the board, Euro NCAP gave a score of 84 per cent for adult occupant protection, 89 per cent for child occupant protection, and 81 per cent for both pedestrian protection and the safety assist category.

The 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee was awarded a five-star rating from Euro NCAP. (Image: Tung Nguyen)

Key safety systems highlights include autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, driver attention alert, traffic sign recognition, adaptive cruise control and rear cross-traffic alert, which are standard across the board.

Standard safety encompasses front and rear parking sensors, tyre pressure monitoring, blind-spot monitoring and lane keep assist, while the Limited grades (and up) add a surround-view camera and automatic high beams.