The reported engine would produce roughly 420 horsepower and 468 pound-feet of torque, giving the Grand Cherokee considerably more muscle than its former 5.7-liter V8.
There is one important catch: Jeep has not formally announced the 2028 powertrain yet.
According to reports citing information obtained by MoparInsiders, the Grand Cherokee is expected to use the Standard Output version of the Hurricane rather than the more aggressive High Output configuration found elsewhere in the Stellantis family.
If those reports prove accurate, Jeep could end up replacing V8 nostalgia with a serious dose of turbocharged power.
The Hurricane Would Outgun the Old HEMI
The 5.7-liter HEMI helped define higher-end Grand Cherokees for years.
It wasn’t merely about acceleration.
For many owners, the appeal came from the V8’s exhaust note, low-end character and ability to pull a trailer without making the Grand Cherokee feel like an ordinary family crossover.
But pure output favors the Hurricane.
The old Grand Cherokee HEMI produced about 357 horsepower and 390 pound-feet of torque. The Standard Output Hurricane currently makes 420 horsepower and 468 pound-feet in the Grand Wagoneer.
That works out to an increase of more than 60 horsepower and nearly 80 pound-feet of torque.
In other words, downsizing the cylinder count doesn’t necessarily mean downsizing the performance.
Jeep Already Proved the Engine Can Fit
There was previously a major engineering obstacle standing in the way.
The Hurricane’s inline-six layout created packaging challenges inside the Grand Cherokee’s engine compartment.
Jeep’s performance engineers, however, have already demonstrated a Grand Cherokee development vehicle powered by a High Output Hurricane six.
The experimental vehicle went even further by incorporating an eBoost Air electric compressor system designed to improve engine response.
That prototype isn’t the engine configuration reportedly headed for dealerships in 2028. But it demonstrated that engineers could make the larger six-cylinder architecture work inside the Grand Cherokee platform.
That cleared an important hurdle.
One Huge Question Remains
Horsepower is only part of the equation.
Towing could ultimately determine whether traditional Grand Cherokee buyers consider the Hurricane a legitimate successor to the HEMI.
The V8-equipped Grand Cherokee could tow as much as 7,200 pounds when properly configured.
Current Grand Cherokee powertrains top out at 6,200 pounds.
Jeep hasn’t released a towing figure for a Hurricane six-powered Grand Cherokee because the production model itself hasn’t been announced.
That number could matter enormously.
A buyer hauling a boat, camper or trailer may care far more about towing capability than an extra few tenths of a second to 60 mph.
Ram Already Learned a Lesson About V8 Buyers
The timing makes Jeep’s reported strategy particularly interesting because another Stellantis brand recently discovered just how much affection remains for old-school American V8 power.
Ram brought the 5.7-liter HEMI back to the Ram 1500 for the 2026 model year after previously dropping it.
Customers responded almost immediately.
Ram reported receiving more than 10,000 orders for HEMI-powered trucks within the first 24 hours following the announcement of its return.
That extraordinary response sent a pretty clear message: Plenty of American buyers still care about what’s under the hood.
And horsepower figures aren’t necessarily the only thing they care about.
More Power Doesn’t Automatically Replace a V8
That’s the challenge Jeep could face.
On paper, the Hurricane makes an extremely compelling case.
It offers substantially more horsepower and torque than the former 5.7-liter Grand Cherokee HEMI while allowing Stellantis to rely on a newer engine architecture already spreading across its lineup.
But vehicles aren’t purchased on spreadsheets alone.
A turbocharged six can’t duplicate the sound, personality and simplicity that made naturally aspirated V8s attractive to generations of American SUV and truck buyers.
Ram’s experience demonstrated that those characteristics still carry real value in the marketplace.
Jeep will therefore have an interesting balancing act if the reported 2028 Grand Cherokee powertrain reaches production.
The company needs to convince traditional buyers that losing two cylinders doesn’t mean losing capability.
If the Hurricane can deliver more than 400 horsepower while restoring something close to the old HEMI’s 7,200-pound towing capacity, Jeep will have a strong argument.
If it can’t, some buyers may wonder why they should celebrate the bigger horsepower number at all.
For now, the Hurricane-powered 2028 Grand Cherokee remains a reported future product rather than an officially announced Jeep.
But the direction is becoming increasingly clear.
The Grand Cherokee may not need a V8 to become substantially more powerful.
Convincing Jeep loyalists that horsepower can replace the sound and character of a HEMI could be the much harder job.
