2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee Night Eagle Review

As we’ve seen in previous reviews, the Jeep Grand Cherokee ticks plenty of boxes for those seeking a more premium large-SUV. Here, we jump behind the wheel of the very cheapest model, the entry-level 2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee Night Eagle to see whether this is the best Jeep Grand Cherokee to recommend, or if you’re better off spending your hard-earned cash elsewhere.

The current-gen Grand Cherokee first debuted in Australia back in 2022 and was pitched as a more upmarket, refined beast than anything we’ve seen from Jeep before. Gone were the days of Jeep’s catchy and advertising campaign – “you bought a Jeep?” and in came an image of premium vehicles with an off-roading edge. While Grand Cherokees of old might have been best sellers back in the day, with the large Jeep even toppling the Toyota Prado back in 2014 to be the best-selling car in its segment, Jeep has increased pricing to make the latest Grand Cherokee more exclusive, and a more luxurious experience for buyers.

The Night Eagle variant on test here doesn’t quite hit the same luxuries as the Summit Reserve flagship, but it also undercuts it by close to $45,000. Is the base Jeep Grand Cherokee Night Eagle the perfect fit for your family, even if it misses out on some key luxuries, and is it the sweet spot of the range? There’s only one way to find out.

How much does the 2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee Night Eagle cost to buy?

Jeep has priced the Grand Cherokee L right at the crossroads between top-end mainstream nameplates like the Hyundai Palisade and entry-level large, luxury SUVs like the BMW X5.

The Night Eagle is the entry point into the Grand Cherokee range, priced at $77,950 plus on-road costs, meaning it sits just below the range-topping Hyundai Palisade Highlander Diesel AWD ($79,900) and Nissan Pathfinder Ti-L 4WD ($77,890), as well as just below the base Volvo XC90 Plus B5 ($92,990).

2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee pricing:

• Grand Cherokee Night Eagle V6: $77,950
• Grand Cherokee Limited V6: $83,950
• Grand Cherokee Overland V6: $98,450
• Grand Cherokee Summit Reserve 4xe: $129,950

Grand Cherokee Night Eagle standard equipment:

• 20-inch gloss black alloy wheels
• Rain- and dusk-sensing all-LED exterior lighting
• Rain-sensing automatic wipers
• Rear privacy glass
• Power tailgate
• Keyless entry with push button start
• Heated and auto-folding mirrors
• 8.4-inch touchscreen Uconnect 5 infotainment system
• Satellite navigation
• Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• Wireless phone charging
• Six-speaker sound system
• AM/FM/DAB+ digital radio
• 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster
• Tyre pressure monitoring
• Dual exhaust outlets
• Leather upholstery
• Leather-wrapped steering wheel
• Tri-zone climate control
• Eight-way powered front seats
• Heated steering wheel
• Heated front seats

A single-pane sunroof is a $2,450 option.

How safe is the 2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee?

The Jeep Grand Cherokee L was tested by ANCAP in 2022 and received a five-star rating with scores of 82 per cent for adult protection, 93 per cent for child protection, 81 per cent for road user protection and 84 per cent for safety assist.

Standard safety equipment includes:

• Auto emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian, cyclist and intersection assistance
• Low-speed front and rear automatic emergency braking
• Lane-keep assist with lane departure warning
• Blind-spot monitoring
• Rear cross-traffic alert
• Driver fatigue detection
• Traffic sign recognition
• Adaptive cruise control with stop/go functionality
• Reversing camera
• Front and rear parking sensors
• Front, front side, front knee, curtain airbags (seven in total)
• Tyre pressure monitoring
• Auto-dimming rear mirror

What colours are available for the 2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee?

Premium paint is a $1,750 option, with only Bright White available at no cost.

• Bright White
• Velvet Red (+$1,750)
• Diamond Black (+$1,750)
• Silver Zenith (+$1,750)
• Baltic Grey (+$1,750)
• Rocky Mountain (+$1,750)
• Ember (+$1,750)

Black leather is the only available interior colour for the Night Eagle.

What cars rival the 2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee?

While the 2024 Jeep Grand Grand Cherokee is actually longer than some of its off-road focused rivals such as the Nissan Patrol (5175mm) or a Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series (4980-5015mm), ultimately it competes with vehicles designed to only venture off the beaten track occasionally.

The range-topping Hyundai Palisade Highlander Diesel AWD costs more than the Grand Cherokee L Night Eagle and features a more sophisticated diesel drivetrain, more tech inside and out with highlights including a 360-degree camera, plush Nappa leather, a banging sound system and a larger touchscreen for $79,900.

The very similarly priced Nissan Pathfinder Ti-L 4WD ($77,890 plus on-road costs) fares a little worse against the Grand Cherokee Night Eagle however, as it too shares an ancient V6 petrol engine that will prove to be thirsty on fuel and an interior that lacks polish. Nissan’s large SUV does however offer a solid 9.0-inch touchscreen however, a Bose sound system and broadly manages to match the Jeep equipment-wise.

How powerful is the 2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee Night Eagle?

All seven-seat versions of the Jeep Grand Cherokee in Australia are equipped with a naturally aspirated 3.6-litre petrol V6 with 210kW of power at 6400rpm and 344Nm of torque at 4000rpm, mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. Power is sent to all four wheels via Jeep’s ‘Quadra-Trac I’ active four-wheel drive system with a single-speed active transfer case.

Heading off road, the break over and departure angles are 18.2 and 21.5 degrees, respectively. Running clearance and wading depth are 215mm and 530mm.

How efficient is the 2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee Night Eagle?

Combined cycle fuel economy is a claimed 10.6L/100km, although we saw closer to 13L/100km during our week with the Night Eagle during our week behind the wheel. Around town, expect that figure to head further north, well into the mid and high teens. All models come with a rather handy 104L fuel tank which might come in handy considering the Jeep’s thirst for petrol.

What is the 2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee Night Eagle like to drive?

In an era of electric vehicles, turbocharged engines and turbo-diesels, the Jeep’s drivetrain is decidedly old fashioned. Sadly, that large V6 engine under the bonnet it needs a bucket load of revs to get the Grand Cherokee moving with speed. Around town, things feel reasonably relaxed as the eight-speed auto does a brilliant job slurring through the lower gears smoothly without hunting for the tight gear to choose.

Head out town and it becomes apparent that the 2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee Night Eagle feels a little out of place, which is something at odds for a large SUV. Overtaking requires the V6 engine to work hard, and while doing so unleashes an old fashioned V6 roar into the cabin, the Grand Cherokee could certainly do with some more herbs under its bonnet.

Elsewhere, the 2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee Night Eagle impresses with nicely weighted and accurate steering which inspires confidence and a rather decent suspension setup. Few will know that the Grand Cherokee actually shares its platform with the ultra-sporty Alfa Romeo Giulia and while it might not be the sportiest SUV in the world, we think the suspension job in this base Night Eagle is close to spot on. Add in expertly engineered sound insulation, and you have a quiet family SUV.

Even without the air suspension of the ultra-expensive Summit Reserve, the base Grand Cherokee does an excellent job removing smaller bumps at city speeds, and keeps keener drivers interested at higher speeds with confidence inspiring handling at all speeds, and decent amounts of grip in the wet.

Sure, the 2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee Night Eagle always feels huge but thanks to its commanding driving position, things aren’t too bad around. We’re not impressed with Jeep’s decision to fit a surround-view camera solely to the range topping Summit Reserve. With a car of this size, such a feature should be standard across the range.

Jeep’s driver assist tech works well with smooth and accurate interventions, though we wish the Night Eagle came with active lane-centering despite it being standard in significantly cheaper seven-seat rivals such as the Hyundai Palisade.

What is the 2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee Night Eagle like inside?

This where the American vibes really start, as the Grand Cherokee really puts the grand into Grand Cherokee. Up front, the driver and passenger have absolutely acres of space with large, broad seats. Drivers will appreciate the ample adjustment in the driving position, and the nicely trimmed steering wheel. We’re not huge fans of the volume and track shuffle buttons being behind the rim, though. There’s also more than enough storage space to store everything needed for a long drive with some massive door bins, a solid glovebox and enough room up front for even a large mobile phone.

The design inside is worlds away from Jeeps of old as things super modern and attractive, with a clean look all round. A nice and large high-resolution touchscreen dazzles in the centre of the dash. It’s just such a shame that large expanses of piano black plastics abound all around the interior especially on the transmission tunnel. We aren’t fans of this material due to its propensity to scratch and attract fingerprints. In many ways, you’d be forgiven for thinking the Grand Cherokee were some high-quality product – that’s until you see the harsh hard plastic transmission tunnel, poorly moulded shut lines and the cheap indicator and wiper stalks. A high-end German SUV this is not.

The Uconnect 5 infotainment system is fortunately excellent, with a beautifully bright and responsive screen, coupled with a slick interface is slick. Wireless Android Auto and CarPlay worked flawlessly, and we love that Jeep has kept the bulk of physical controls for the climate control system.

The digital instrument cluster on the other hand, feels a touch dated with poor graphics and tons of lag. Sure, it does the job, but it isn’t anywhere close to say, the rather average experience Hyundai offers with its system. It’s clear that more work and refinement wouldn’t go astray here.

Jumping into the second row reveals another one of the Grand Cherokee’s highlights with passengers greeted with acres of legroom back and a bench both large and comfortable enough for even three adults at a time. Passengers will appreciate the USB ports there, along with the air vents and fold-down central armrest rounding off a very impressive offering for those not in the front seats.

In the third row, things are decent with the seven-seat Grand Cherokee’s rather boxy body giving solid headroom, even if legroom and foot room might be a little lacking for adults. As the second row slides back and forth, it’s nonetheless possible to fit taller occupants in the third row, provided those in the second row sacrifice a little legroom.

The 2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee Night Eagle comes with a massive boot. Total luggage space behind the third row is a whopping 487L, where some rivals barely manage to offer anything. The Hyundai Palisade offers only 311L, a Toyota Kluger comes with an even smaller 241L. Dropping the third row liberates a gargantuan 1328L, while there’s a total of 2,395L of space with both the second row and third row folded. A space saver spare tyre lives under the boot floor.

What warranty covers the 2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee Night Eagle?

As with all other new Jeep products, the 2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit Reserve comes with a five-year/100,000km warranty with 12 months of roadside assistance that’s topped up a further 12 months with each scheduled service performed at a Jeep dealership. Five years of servicing costs $1,995 ($399 per service) – but thanks to its odd 12,000km intervals, that’s only to 60,000km. The Jeep’s servicing costs are actually quite favourable when compared to its non-premium and premium rivals. A Hyundai Palisade V6 is also $1995 and a Mazda CX-9 is $1910, and cheaper than the Discovery ($2650) and Touareg ($3000-3600).

The servicing intervals are also more reasonable than the rather short 10,000kms/six months (whichever comes first) service intervals of the Land Cruiser. Toyota’s capped price servicing program covers the first ten services, which are $375 each. This adds up to $750 per year, or $3,750 over the first five years/100,000kms of ownership—assuming drivers keep under 10,000kms every six months. 

Should I buy a 2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee Night Eagle?

As with other Jeep Grand Cherokees we’ve tested previously, we came away a little torn with the Night Eagle. Sure, the large Jeep is an interesting and talented alternative to mainstream-branded SUVs like the Hyundai Palisade, and offers enough positives to recommend to buyers, but unfortunately its engine doesn’t cut the mustard, especially at this price point. The Grand Cherokee otherwise drives really well, looks good inside and out and won’t break the bank with its servicing. Just a shame that the interior for all of its flashy design and vast screens, lacks some of the quality one could expect.

Nonetheless, those niggles might be seen as minor foibles in what is an otherwise solid, spacious and stylish seven-seater. The Night Eagle being the cheapest model in the range actually offers a very good value for money equation and according to us, remains the pick of the range, for now. Here’s hoping Jeep introduces a more modern engine under the Grand Cherokee’s bonnet – one which is more in tune with the large SUV’s character. Doing so would really nail the Grand Cherokee’s brief of being an epic seven-seat SUV.