2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee Diesel and SRT climb onto stage

Mon, 14 Jan 2013

This is indeed a case of not knowing how much we wanted something until it arrived. We've been big fans of the Jeep Grand Cherokee ever since the new model arrived a couple of years ago, and while the update you see here might seem just a slight refresh, it's actually much more than that.

For starters, the 2014 Grand Cherokee marks the return of a diesel model here in the States, with Chrysler's new 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V6 under the hood, churning out 240 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque, mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. Of course, all of the Grand Cherokee's usual off-road goodies are on hand, with moderate tweaks to make it an even more capable vehicle when the going gets rough. Both the gasoline-fed 3.6-liter V6 and 5.7-liter V8 get the new eight-speed auto, as well.

The high-performance Grand Cherokee SRT also trudges on into the new model year, with very subtle tweaks found underneath the aggressive, slightly redesigned sheetmetal. The 6.4-liter Hemi V8 also gets eight-speed gearing, which Chrysler says will improve not only 0-60 times, but mid-range performance as well. Bring it on, we say.

Inside, the 2014 Grand Cherokee gets a slightly redesigned cockpit, with a new three-spoke steering wheel incorporating paddle shifters, an electronic gear selector and Chrysler's award-winning 8.4-inch UConnect touch-screen infotainment system.

We like what we see, and if these changes only improve upon the Grand Cherokee that we've grown quite fond of, then we expect good things when the 2014 model goes on sale later this year. For the full smattering of info, check out our deep dive coverage.

By Steven J. Ewing