Jeep’s Muscle Car Renaissance: The 2028 Grand Cherokee SRT Is Back, and It’s Bringing Friends

Jeep is done playing it safe. After killing the Grand Cherokee SRT following the 2021 model year, the brand is reviving the family-friendly muscle SUV for 2028—and it’s bringing a whole lineup of performance variants with it. This isn’t a quiet comeback; it’s a statement that Jeep still believes in the marriage of practicality and raw V-8 thunder.

The Return of a Family Muscle Car

The previous-generation Grand Cherokee SRT earned its reputation as a practical muscle SUV, combining a comfortable, well-appointed five-seat cabin with a brutish 475-horsepower, 6.4-liter Hemi V-8 mated to an eight-speed automatic and all-wheel drive. It looked the part too—aggressive bodywork, beefier suspension, and that unmistakable hood bulge telegraphed what was waiting under the skin. Jeep has stayed mum on specifics for the 2028 model, but all signs point to a spiritual successor wearing the same formula: the same engine, the same transmission, the same commitment to being a two-ton sleeper that will embarrass sports cars at stoplights.

The timing is interesting. While the rest of the industry sprints toward electrification, Jeep is doubling down on what works—V-8 power in a shape that hauls families and gear. The base SRT will likely launch solo, though expect Jeep to pad the options list with high-performance brake setups and towing packages, much like the final 2021 model year did. Pricing details haven’t dropped yet, but the previous generation started in the mid-$60,000s, so expect similar territory.

If you can’t wait, the Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat currently offers that Hemi family-hauler fix—though at significantly higher cost and with even thirstier fuel consumption. The Grand Cherokee SRT, when it arrives, will be the more measured choice.

The SRT Renaissance Is Bigger Than One SUV

But here’s where it gets wild: the Grand Cherokee SRT isn’t alone. Stellantis, Jeep’s parent company, confirmed at an investor event that multiple SRT models are coming, and according to reports from industry coverage, the pipeline includes a Grand Wagoneer SRT that should arrive by 2030. That three-row luxury hauler wrapped in SRT aggression could be genuinely unhinged—imagine a 295-pound three-row family tank with supercharged fury.

Even stranger: Jeep is reviving the Scrambler nameplate as a two-door, high-performance pickup. Yes, you read that right. The Wrangler Scrambler SRT will apparently be a shortened, two-door take on the Gladiator, but with a twist—literally. The rear seat is said to swivel 180 degrees to face backward, RV-style, which is either genius or deeply impractical depending on how you feel about shooting videos while your family argues about road trip snacks. It’ll likely pack the 6.4-liter Hemi V-8 from the Wrangler 392, good for 470 horsepower and 470 pound-feet of torque, with removable hardtop panels for that classic open-air Scrambler vibe.

This is bold. In an era when every automaker is retreating from V-8 performance due to emissions regulations and EV transition pressure, Jeep is actually expanding its muscle roster. It’s either visionary or desperate—time will tell which.

The Bigger Picture: Jeep’s Electric-and-Gas Bet

Here’s the thing that makes Jeep’s strategy fascinating: they’re not abandoning electrification. The all-new Recon EV just launched, and Stellantis has confirmed that a traditional gas-powered Recon is also coming, likely powered by the Hurricane inline-six turbocharged engine from the Dodge Charger, which offers either 420 or 550 horsepower depending on configuration. The Compass is also being redesigned for North America, and SRT variants of the Grand Cherokee and Grand Wagoneer are locked in for arrival by 2030.

Jeep is essentially hedging every bet—electric infrastructure vehicles, traditional performance variants, quirky niche products like a two-door pickup with a rotating rear seat. It’s chaos, but it’s ambitious chaos. The brand knows its core customer: someone who wants capability, presence, and yes, the primal satisfaction of a V-8 in a vehicle that can handle real-world duties.

What We Still Don’t Know

Jeep has been predictably tight-lipped about hard details. Zero-to-60 times, fuel economy, towing capacity, and the specifics of that revised suspension are all TBD. The Grand Wagoneer SRT’s powertrain remains unconfirmed, though a supercharged 6.2-liter V-8 producing roughly 777 horsepower seems probable based on Stellantis’s current performance lineup. Pricing for the Grand Cherokee SRT will likely anchor in the $60,000+ range, but we’ll know more as the 2028 launch date approaches.

What’s clear is this: Jeep isn’t content being a historic brand coasting on past glory. They’re betting that there’s still a market for vehicles that don’t apologize for being thirsty, loud, and unapologetically fun. Whether that strategy survives the next regulatory cycle is another question entirely, but for now, the V-8 renaissance is real—and it’s wearing a Jeep badge.

Sources: Car and Driver · Carscoops