When it comes to the Jeep Grand Cherokee, a lot of things meet the eye. From its beautiful exterior to the beast hidden underneath the hood, etc. The Jeep Grand Cherokee leaves very little to be unwanted as a vehicle. For this article, our focus is going to be on the Jeep Grand Cherokee towing capacity.
As an owner of a Jeep Grand Cherokee or a potential buyer, there are lots of things that are interesting about the Jeep Grand Cherokee. But ranking high on that list is the Jeep Grand Cherokee’s incredible towing capacity.
With a lot of vehicles, you often have to choose between several things especially when it comes to their towing capacity. You have to wonder about their general towing capacity, its tow hitch and a host of other worries. While these worries are not completely inexistent with the Jeep Grand Cherokee, they’re significantly reduced.
Without further ado, let’s get down to the reason for this article.
Read More: Nissan Rogue Towing Capacity
What is the Jeep Grand Cherokee Towing Capacity?
When discussing the issue of the Jeep Grand Cherokee towing capacity, the answer isn’t as straightforward as it is with other vehicles.
Before deciding what to tow on your Jeep Grand Cherokee, you need to take note of two things. These two things decide the towing capacity of a Jeep Grand Cherokee. They are:
- Engine Type
- Tongue Weight Capacity
How does the engine type and the total tongue weight capacity affect the Jeep Grand Cherokee towing capacity? This is because the Jeep Grand Cherokee has unique engine types, and the towing capacity and tongue weight capacity varies according to engine type.
The towing capacity of the Jeep Grand Cherokee ranges from 6200 lbs to 7200 lbs.
With these figures in mind, you need to make sure that anything you decide to tow on your Jeep Grand Cherokee must fit within that towing range. To help you make more informed decisions, here’s a list of the different Jeep Grand Cherokee engines and their tongue weight capacity.
Jeep Grand Cherokee Engine Type, Tongue Weight Capacity and Towing Capacity.
As said earlier, the type of engine in the Jeep Grand Cherokee can affect its towing capacity. Here’s a list of all the Jeep Grand Cherokee engine types and their towing capacity.
Jeep Grand Cherokee – 3.6L PENTASTAR V6 ENGINE
The 3.6L Pentastar V6 engine of the Jeep Grand Cherokee is built for efficiency, fun and performance, this is all made possible by its start/stop technology.
Whenever the Pentastar engine of the Jeep Grand Cherokee rolls to a stop, it cuts off the fuel flow and turns the engine off to maximize efficiency.
In addition, the engine also delivers an astonishing 295 horsepower, 260 LB-FT of Torque, 350 lbs. tongue weight capacity, and a towing capacity of 6200.
Jeep Grand Cherokee – 5.7L HEMI V8 ENGINE
The HEMI engine checks all the boxes when it comes to fuel efficiency. It comes with a fuel-saving technology that automatically makes four cylinders inactive whenever it notices that all eight cylinders are not being used.
The HEMI engine delivers up to 360 horsepower, 390 LB-FT of Torque, 500 lbs tongue weight capacity, and a maximum towing capacity of 7200 lbs.
Jeep Grand Cherokee – 6.4L SRT V8 ENGINE
The SRT V8 engine takes things up a notch by being paired with an efficient eight-speed automatic transmission and is coupled with five drive modes: Sport, Auto, Track, Tow and Snow.
The SRT engine also comes with a Quadra-Trac active on-demand 4×4 system that guarantees exceptional handling in almost all conditions and terrains.
The SRT V8 Engine delivers up to 475 horsepower, 470 LB-FT of Torque, 600 lbs tongue weight capacity, and can tow up to 7200 lbs.
Jeep Grand Cherokee – SUPERCHARGED 6.2L V8 ENGINE
The tag “Supercharged” is not wasted on this Jeep Grand Cherokee engine. It backs up the name with strong forged-alloy pistons, sodium-cooled exhaust valves, and power-forged connecting rods are what gives the supercharged engine that worth title.
The Supercharged V8 engine delivers up to 707 horsepower, 645 LB-FT Torque, 600 lbs tongue weight capacity, and can tow up to 7200 lbs.
What is Tongue Weight Capacity?
Tongue weight is the overall amount of weight that the loaded tongue exerts downward. Jeep Grand Cherokee states the recommended tongue weight be 10 or 15% of the total load weight. Making sure these percentages are balanced is necessary to keep the vehicle stable when in motion.
How do you know the tongue weight of the load being hitched? There is a piece of equipment called weight scales that helps determine the weight of the load.
To adjust the tongue weight, you can balance the heavy loads on the front and back of the vehicle. When doing this, it is important to ensure that you do not go beyond the Jeep Grand Cherokee recommended capacity of 7200 pounds.
If you’re towing at least 3000 pounds of load, your tongue weight capacity should be around 300 lbs to 450 lbs.
Should the Jeep Grand Cherokee Towing Capacity be Strictly Adhered to?
This question is a difficult one to answer, but at Quickautobrain, our mission is to equip you with all the information you need concerning you and your vehicle.
The answer to the above question is yes. Before the Jeep Grand Cherokee towing capacity was decided, series of tests were run on it to determine the best maximum towing capacity of the vehicle.
There are some occasions where the load you intend to tow is slightly more than the Jeep Grand Cherokee maximum towing capacity. In situations like these, it is okay to exceed the Jeep Grand Cherokee towing capacity.
It is important to ensure that this is a one-time occurrence. If you continue to neglect the maximum towing capacity of the Jeep Grand Cherokee, your Jeep Grand Cherokee is going to be under a lot of strain and this strain can affect your tires, your braking system, cause your engine to overheat and create a cascade of problems for the drivetrain and the transmission.
With this, it’s best if you stuck with the maximum towing capacity that was intended for the Jeep Grand Cherokee.
Conclusion
With the Jeep Grand Cherokee towing capacity, you’re able to tow most of the travel trailers available. There are other factors and equipment that ensures a smooth towing experience, but the most important of those being the Jeep Grand Cherokee towing capacity and the tongue weight has been covered. Happy Towing!