The Grand Cherokee can tow almost everything. As Jeep’s official website gives it, “Boats, trailers, you name it”. Is it all that simple? Of course, not.
There’s absolutely no way to answer the question with just a number. Towing capacity is defined by multiple factors, and even if we assume the year, it will still vary greatly.
What Defines Grand Cherokee Towing Capacity?
Towing capacity is the maximum weight of a trailer that can be safely towed at a specified speed and gradient. A few factors contribute to it:
- The engine;
- The car’s own weight;
- The weight it’s already carrying;
- The towing package;
- The way the trailer you’re towing is arranged.
To put it simply, your Grand Cherokee’s maximum towing capacity will never be the same number. However, we can still take a look at the numbers and define the maximum towing capacity in perfect conditions.
2025 Jeep Cherokee Towing Capacity
The 2025 Grand Cherokee lineup comes with 2 different engines, and each of them has a */different towing capacity:
| Engine | Fuel type/system | Power & torque | Max tow rating (when properly equipped) |
| 3.6L Pentastar V6 | Gas, non‑hybrid | 293 hp / 260 lb‑ft | 6,200 lb |
| 2.0L turbo I4 PHEV (4xe) | Plug‑in hybrid (PHEV) | 375 hp / 470 lb‑ft (combined) | 6,000 lb |
3.6L V6 wins the game and gives the 2025 Grand Cherokee call it a “best-in-class” in terms of towing capacity. With 293 horsepower and over 260 lb-ft of torque, it’s not even surprising.
The lowest towing capacity in the 2025 lineup comes from the 2.0L turbo PHEV engine, but let’s be honest here: it’s not its primary benefit, and 6,000 Lbs is still pretty impressive.
How Much Can the 2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee Tow?
What if you’re asking for a friend or need it for your 2024 model year? It had a wider selection of engines, and the maximum towing capacity also changed:
| Engine | Model availability (2024) | Max towing capacity (when properly equipped) |
| 3.6L Pentastar V6 | Grand Cherokee & Grand Cherokee L | 6,200 lb |
| 2.0L turbo I4 plug‑in hybrid (4xe) | Grand Cherokee 4xe | 6,000 lb |
| 5.7L HEMI V8 | Primarily Grand Cherokee L | 7,200 lb |
Note that Jeep officially calls it “up to X towing capacity”. It means that not every 5.7L HEMI engine will be able to carry over 7,000 Lbs effectively. You have to create the perfect conditions for it, have no extra passengers, unload as much weight as you can, and so on.
Of course, the number applies to the unmodified model: if you, for some reason, decide to put an enormous heavy bumper on your Grand Cherokee, don’t expect the maximum towing capacity to stay the same.
Jeep Grand Cherokee Maximum Towing Capacity 7400 Lbs?
Since some of the engines stay the same, there’s no need to list all years. The maximum towing capacity will always stay 7,200 Lbs or 3,266 kg.
On various websites and in tables, you can find info about the 2018 Grand Cherokee being capable of towing up to 7,400 Lbs, but that’s questionable. If it were the case, Jeep definitely would state it in the official 2018 lineup brochure, but they didn’t — and called the 7,200 Lbs towing capacity the best in class instead.
Some websites even specify that the 7,400 Lbs towing capacity was available in the 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited Sterling Edition, but it’s questionable, again.
The Sterling edition was a luxury upgrade, not a capability upgrade. It was available with the same supercharged engines as the base 2018 model, and therefore had the exact same maximum towing capacity of 7,200 Lbs. Sorry, but Chrome doesn’t add anything to the maximum weight of a trailer you can tow.
2025 Grand Cherokee Towing Package
In case towing a heavy load is really, really important for your lifestyle, it would be a good idea to make the process as safe as possible. And it includes the Towing Package. The towing package is not external hardware; it’s a complex of hardware solutions that ensure easy and safe towing. On most 2025 Grand Cherokee trims, the Trailer‑Tow package includes:
- Class IV receiver hitch and 7‑pin/4‑pin wiring harness for trailer lights and brakes;
- Heavy‑duty engine cooling, higher‑output (around 180‑amp) alternator, and sometimes rear load‑leveling suspension to help manage heat and ride height under load;
- Full‑size spare tire/wheel and Trailer‑Hitch Zoom camera assist for easier hook‑up and backing.
In synergy, all of these solutions make sure that Jeep will stand by its word, and you will be able to tow 6200 pounds with no damage to the car and no risks for road safety.
The Problem with Grand Cherokee Towing Capacity?
Remember, we promised the catch? Now, stop thinking of 30-feet-long, enormous trailers that Jeep can easily move, and get back to reality with this simple fact:
Your maximum towing capacity is defined not by the car, but by the weakest towing hardware you have.
And since towing is not exactly as simple as it may seem, there’s a huge variety of accessories that can be “too weak” to let you use the maximum capabilities of your engine.
Towing Parts for Jeep Grand Cherokee
The list includes, but is not limited to:
- Hitches;
- Tow straps;
- Tow bar mounting hardware;
- Tow bars;
- Tow hooks;
- Shackles;
- Frame brackets;
- D-ring isolators and mounts.
In case your tow hook is damaged, it’ll shatter into pieces when you try to move anything. The same goes for the hooks, bars, and all the towing hardware. Now — let’s look at each of them in better detail.
Hitch
How to make sure your hitch is really capable of heavy towing? First and foremost, look for the maximum Gross Trailer Weight that’s written on the hitch. For example, if you have a Class III Rear Receiver Hitch, the GVW mustn’t exceed 7200 Lbs. A Class IV Hitch can handle up to 10,000 pounds.
Note that all the ratings are for dry towing only. That’s the weight of the trailer, not you and your family.
What if you have a Class IV hitch and want to tow more than 10,000 Lbs? No problem — as long as your trailer is equipped with a weight distribution system or “Winch”.
The latter is pretty useful when you’re carrying something heavy and want to hold your Grand Cherokee in position. It’s essentially a set of straps, but it differs from a simple tow strap because it distributes the load.
Tow Straps
Tow straps are necessary for situations when you need to transport something in the back of your car but don’t want to use a trailer. The problem is that they are usually too short and not strong enough.
When there’s a choice between a short and strong tow strap, it’s always best to go with the long one. A proper heavy-duty tow strap is a must-have for off-roading and for road recovery situations.
Tow Bars
The same goes for the tow bars as well, especially if you’re looking for as much safety as possible and want all your accessories to be of high quality. A proper tow bar should be sturdy, made of steel, and reliable. The construction options, however, may vary:
- Vertical;
- Horizontal;
- Collapsible;
- Fixed;
- Self-aligning;
- And more.
It should be specifically designed for your Grand Cherokee and positioned just right. It’s always good to go with companies that have a solid reputation and at least a few years on the market.
Tow Hooks
And here’s another area where cheap alternatives can hurt you significantly in case anything goes wrong. Tow hooks are an essential part of the towing package, and if you’re driving in a dense area, you want them to be as safe as possible.
Cheap alternatives can shatter if you try to tow something too heavy for them, and that’s how you can end up hurting someone else or damaging your Jeep.
D-ring isolators
It’s a small, usually, polyurethane detail that reduces the noise, lowers the chances of damaging your bumper, acts as an isolator in the shackle, and prevents unnecessary direct contact. It’s important not to try to save money on it, especially if you’re looking for true heavy-duty performance.
Why Towing Safety is Important?
Towing a trailer involves many more factors than just hooking up, pulling, and driving away. If you end up damaging your Jeep during the process, you will have to pay for it. Imagine paying for the whole new bumper when you know that the part that truly failed is something like a cheap 40$ aftermarket towing hook that you decided to save on.
How to Increase Jeep Grand Cherokee Towing Capacity
The short answer is — there’s no way to increase your Jeep’s towing capacity easily. Of course, you can put a turbo-diesel engine from a RAM 2500 in your Grand Cherokee, but why would you do that? We’re 110% sure that if you wanted a RAM, you’d buy a RAM.
The Jeep Grand Cherokee has a huge number of benefits that are probably more important than an extra few thousand pounds of towing capacity. Besides, it wouldn’t be a Jeep after that, and it would mess up the whole car anyway.
You can’t increase your Grand Cherokee towing capacity, but you can make towing near-the-limit loads safer, add more stability and safety to the process. You just need the right towing gear.
Conclusion
Your 2025 Jeep Grand Cherokee’s towing capacity will depend on your accessories and your towing hardware. As well as the quality of your woodwork will depend on your tools, the quality of your kids’ college education will depend on their teachers’ qualifications, and so on. Towing is a complex process, and we wish it were as easy as strapping the trailer to the hook and going your way. Unfortunately, it’s not.
Anyway, if you get your towing parts right, you can enjoy your best-in-class towing capacity of 6,200 Lbs on your 2025 Jeep Grand Cherokee. Or the 6,000 Lbs, in case you have a 2.0L turbo PHEV.
While Jeep advertises up to 6,200 lbs for the 3.6L V6, real-world towing capacity is usually lower. Passengers, cargo, aftermarket accessories, elevation, and weather all reduce how much you can safely tow. Think of the published number as the best-case scenario, not the everyday limit.
Yes, slightly. The 4xe PHEV is rated at 6,000 lbs, which is still impressive for a plug-in hybrid. The added battery weight and different drivetrain tuning prioritize efficiency and torque delivery over raw towing numbers.
The official towing ratings are the same, but Canadian driving conditions matter more. Cold weather, mountainous terrain, winter tires, and road salt all add stress to towing components, which means you should be more conservative with heavy loads.
Absolutely. Without the factory Trailer-Tow Package, you won’t have the proper cooling, wiring, hitch class, or braking support. Even if the engine is capable, missing hardware will instantly become your weakest link.
Because towing capacity is a certified engineering limit, not a suggestion. Upgrading parts may improve stability and safety, but it does not legally or mechanically raise the maximum tow rating assigned by Jeep.
Yes. Every added pound on your Jeep reduces available towing capacity. Heavy steel bumpers, skid plates, rooftop tents, or cargo systems all count against your total allowable weight.