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EXCLUSIVE
The upcoming five-seat version of the 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee large family SUV has been spied testing in Melbourne, following first official photos released in July 2021, and full details expected later this month.
Drive photographers snapped this camouflaged, right-hand-drive Grand Cherokee prototype in a suburban area within inner Melbourne, as the new five-seat SUV conducts a local testing program ahead of its arrival in Australian Jeep showrooms in 2022.
The vehicle snapped wears Victorian registration plates, without the necessary stickers for hybrid or electric vehicles – indicating it's likely powered by a 3.6-litre petrol V6 or 5.7-litre petrol V8, both free of electrification, given diesel power has seen the axe for the new-generation Grand Cherokee.
While first images of the five-seat version of Jeep's new large SUV were released in early July, those photos depicted the plug-in hybrid '4xe' variant – making this one of the first instances the new petrol-only Grand Cherokee has been spied testing globally, let alone on Australian roads.
Full details of the new SUV were slated to be revealed at the New York motor show later this month, though the event has since been cancelled due to new COVID-19 outbreaks – however, it's likely Jeep will instead host the debut of its crucial new model online over the coming weeks.
Expect the five-seat Grand Cherokee to benefit from the same technologies as its larger seven-seat 'L' sibling, including a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, 10.1-inch infotainment screen, 19-speaker premium sound system, leather seats, and a slew of driver assistance technologies.
In addition to the plug-in hybrid, expect buyers to be offered a 216kW/350Nm 3.6-litre petrol V6 as standard, with the potential option of a 266kW/530Nm 5.7-litre petrol V8 – though a diesel won't be offered.
"Both versions of the new Jeep Grand Cherokee will undergo local testing before going on sale in Australia, with Jeep CEO Christian Meunier telling Drive earlier this year: ""We're going to test your roads. We're going to test your dirt roads. Going to test the towing capacity, because we know it's important in your market."
"""We're going to make it perfect, we're very determined to do that. And just for you to be reassured as well, we don't test it only in Australia; we've tested it in all the most extreme places in the world."""
Stay tuned to Drive for all the latest on the 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee, from its full reveal due within weeks, to its Australian launch slated for 2022.
