The story of the Hemi V8 in the Jeep Grand Cherokee may not be finished after all.
Even though Jeep officially removed the 5.7-liter Hemi from the two-row Grand Cherokee lineup for the 2023 model year, a recent comment from the program’s lead engineer is fueling fresh speculation that the V8 could return.
Joe Aljajawi, who led engineering work on the updated current-generation Grand Cherokee, told The Drive that the brand is listening to longtime Grand Cherokee owners and encouraged them to “stay tuned.”
It is not a confirmation, but in corporate speak it is also not a shutdown. For a brand that has leaned hard into electrification messaging in recent years, the wording stands out.
The 2026 Refresh Still Does Not Offer A V8
Jeep’s refreshed 2026 Grand Cherokee arrives with a revised powertrain strategy, but it does not include an eight-cylinder option. Buyers are choosing between the familiar 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 and a new turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder, the Hurricane 4, paired with updated transmission hardware.
The issue for some owners is not nostalgia; it is capability. The Hemi’s appeal in this segment has always been tied to effortless low-end torque and confidence under load, especially for buyers who tow regularly.
Jeep lists maximum towing for the 2026 Grand Cherokee at up to 6,200 pounds in certain configurations, which is solid, but some customers who previously chose the V8 for its character and feel still view the current lineup as a downgrade.
Why A Return Suddenly Sounds More Plausible
Jeep’s decision to pull the Hemi from the standard Grand Cherokee in 2023, and later from the three-row Grand Cherokee L for 2025, aligned with tightening emissions standards and a broader push toward electrification.
What has changed is the wider Stellantis narrative. The company has been sending clearer signals that V8 power is not entirely off the table in its most profitable trucks and SUVs. Ram’s decision to bring back the 5.7-liter Hemi in the 2026 Ram 1500 was framed as a response to customer demand, and it produced an immediate wave of orders.
At the corporate level, Stellantis has also talked openly about ramping up Hemi production. Targets of more than 100,000 Hemi engines for 2026 have been reported, which reads less like a symbolic gesture and more like a serious manufacturing plan built around real demand.
The Engineering Path Already Exists
From a packaging standpoint, the current Grand Cherokee platform has already supported the 5.7-liter Hemi, along with the cooling and braking hardware that typically comes with higher-output trims. That matters because it lowers the technical barrier compared with launching a V8 into a platform that was never designed around it.
None of that guarantees a return, but it explains why Aljajawi’s comment is being taken seriously. Jeep is facing a market where many buyers still want traditional powertrains in full-size and midsize SUVs and where profit margins on higher trim models remain attractive.
If Stellantis is recalibrating product plans around what its core customers actually buy, a selective V8 comeback for the Grand Cherokee no longer sounds far-fetched.
This article originally appeared on Autorepublika.com and has been republished with permission by Guessing Headlights. AI-assisted translation was used, followed by human editing and review.