Jeep's future is electric, but the Hemi V8 petrol engine will stick around - for now

Jeep’s next 80 years will look very different to its first 80.

The American off-road brand is celebrating its founding eight decades ago, on July 15, 1942, when it began building its now iconic US army vehicles, by detailing plans for its future.

And while electrification will become the primary source of power, Jeep boss Christian Meunier has made it clear the V8 will survive for as long as emissions regulations allow.

Speaking to Australian media this week, Mr Meunier made it clear that Jeep’s goal is to have an electric variant of every model in the range by 2025, but that doesn’t mean internal-combustion engines will disappear soon.

“In the mid-term, we want to protect the big V8 for as long as we can,” he said, adding: “The Wrangler 392 is a dream vehicle, but the world is changing.”

What that means precisely for the future of V8s in Australia is unclear, though, with Mr Meunier refusing to reveal the brand’s hand just yet.

Back in January, he told CarsGuide that while the 5.7-litre Hemi V8 will remain, the future of the supercharged 6.2-litre ‘Hellcat’ that powered the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk is less certain.

That’s in large part because Jeep and fellow Hellcat user, Dodge, are both expected to offer electric performance models. Dodge has committed to launching what it’s dubbed the world’s first “eMuscle car” in 2024, and Jeep could potentially go down the same path.

“I love V8s, but I love electrification even more, because it offers more. More power, more torque,” Mr Meunier said.

While the V8 remains a part of Jeep’s mid-term future, the long-term goal is electrification of the entire range, with Australia figuring to play its part in that transition.

Even though Mr Meunier admits the country is already falling behind Europe and the US, he sees potential for EV growth in the local market and wants to be proactive in introducing electric models.

“We want to push electrification as a leader, not a follower,” Mr Meunier said.

As reported, in addition to electrifying every existing model, Jeep will introduce at least one all-new model, and a second new addition has been teased.

The former was previewed in the Stellantis EV Day presentation and will be a “white space opportunity vehicle” built on the STLA Large platform, instead of its larger STLA Frame platform, which suggests it will be a more urban-friendly EV.

The second new addition is a possible new compact model that will give the American brand a rival for the popular Suzuki Jimny.

The move to EVs will have an impact on Jeep look, too, with the company’s head of exterior design, Mark Allen, explaining that the freedom allowed by the ‘skateboard-style’ STLA platforms means key elements of the Jeep shape can be altered after 80 years of evolution.

He gave the example of shorter, lower bonnets that could not only change the look but also provide more storage space as one key feature that could change on future Jeep EVs.

It’s already been teased with the new ‘white space’ model showing a distinctly shorter front end that would separate it visually from the rest of the range, specifically the Grand Cherokee.

However, Mr Allen made it clear that he wouldn’t oversee a design revolution, particularly on the iconic Wrangler, which he explained is the foundation for all Jeep designs.

“Will we throw it out and redesign it? No way,” Mr Allen said.

He did concede that it may “morph and adapt” in the future, as it ditches internal-combustion engines, but he vowed it will retain the similar silhouette it has always had, which connects it to the original Willys ‘Jeep’ from 80 years ago.