Two Jeep Grand Cherokees earn highest IIHS accolade

The 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee and Grand Cherokee L, both midsize SUVs, earn Top Safety Pick+ awards from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Top Safety Pick+ is the higher of the Institute’s two awards. To qualify in 2023, a vehicle must earn good ratings in the driver-side small overlap front, passenger-side small overlap front, updated side and original moderate overlap front tests. Acceptable or good headlights must be standard across all trims, and a front crash prevention system that earns advanced or superior ratings in the daytime and nighttime vehicle-to-pedestrian evaluations must be available.

Both vehicles meet those requirements. Each comes with a standard front crash prevention system that earns an advanced rating in the daytime pedestrian evaluation and a superior rating in the nighttime test, as well as acceptable or good headlights across all trims.

For the two-row Grand Cherokee, the award applies only to vehicles built after March 2023, when Jeep made structural modifications to the vehicle’s undercarriage. Earlier, a Grand Cherokee manufactured before that date developed a fuel leak when a sharp piece of sheet metal dislodged and punctured the fuel tank during the updated side test, resulting in a poor rating.

For the three-row Grand Cherokee L, the award applies only to vehicles built after May 2023, when it received similar structural modifications.

Prior to those changes, Jeep also adjusted the aim of the headlights offered on all trims in January. Following the adjustment, the LED reflectors supplied with the Limited, Overland, Summit and Summit Reserve trims earn a good rating, while those on the Laredo and Altitude trims are rated acceptable. Earlier, both headlight variations earned poor ratings, in part because the low beams generated excessive glare.