The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has awarded the 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee with its highest safety honor. Both the standard Grand Cherokee and the three-row Grand Cherokee L have received the IIHS Top Safety Pick + rating. However, there are some important details to consider.
The current-generation Grand Cherokee was introduced in 2020, followed by the longer Grand Cherokee L in early 2021. But it is important to note that the IIHS awards specifically apply to 2023 models, and more specifically, Grand Cherokees built after March 2023. For Grand Cherokee L models, the production date requirement is May 2023.
So, what brought about this recognition? According to the IIHS, Jeep made structural changes to the Grand Cherokee’s undercarriage to address a significant fuel leak issue that arose in earlier models during crash tests. This leak was caused by the tank being punctured by sheet metal. These changes, along with adjustments to the headlights across all Grand Cherokee trims, were made by Jeep to improve safety ratings.
The 2023 Grand Cherokee models built after the specified dates now receive good ratings in all IIHS crash tests, including overlap front crash tests for both the driver and passenger sides, as well as side-impact tests. In terms of lighting, the changes made by Jeep have resulted in either good or acceptable ratings for all trim levels of the Grand Cherokee.
To qualify for the IIHS Top Safety Pick + award, vehicles must have frontal crash prevention systems that achieve advanced or superior ratings in vehicle-to-pedestrian collisions. The 2023 Grand Cherokee, in its standard and L formats, received an advanced rating for daytime operation and a superior rating for nighttime operation. Jeep provides this system as standard on all Grand Cherokee trim levels, making it deserving of the Top Safety Pick + accolade.
In terms of pricing, Jeep offers the 2023 Grand Cherokee in eight different trims. The base trim, the Grand Cherokee Laredo, starts at $41,330 (including a $1,795 destination fee) for a two-wheel-drive model with a white exterior. All other colors come at an additional $595 cost. Opting for four-wheel drive adds $2,000 to the price, and the cheapest three-row Grand Cherokee (2WD) starts at $43,330. At the top of the range, the Grand Cherokee L starts at $72,735 with standard 4WD. However, choosing any exterior color other than white incurs a $595 upcharge.