The Jeep Grand Cherokee Is Officially America’s Favorite SUV

It hasn’t even been a year since the Jeep Grand Cherokee was launched but the relative newcomer is already stirring the mid-size/full-size SUV pot. With handsome styling and respectable off-road capabilities, it’s no wonder that when it comes to mainstream brands, the Grand Cherokee has come out tops in terms of sales. In the first quarter of 2021, the Toledo, Ohio-based brand managed to shift an incredible 75,117 examples, crowning it the best seller in its segment.

This strong performance may have to do with the strong range on offer; buyers can choose from the regular two-row model, a long-wheelbase three-row derivative, and the 4xe plug-in hybrid – which recently received a unique High Altitude pack. This is an impressive showing, representing a 36% increase in sales. Following closely behind the Jeep is the rather stylish Toyota Highlander, with the Japanese brand selling 66,026 units in the same period.

With 42,736 examples of the perpetually popular Ford Explorer sold in the first quarter of 2022, one would think the Blue Oval would be pleased. However, this figure pales in comparison to the numbers posted last year. In 2021, 65,244 people signed on the dotted line during the same period; this represents an alarming 34.5% decline in sales. Elsewhere in the Ford lineup, the Edge managed to muster up impressive figures; a 19.2% uptick pushed sales to 26,412 in the first quarter.

Korean carmaker Hyundai enjoyed tremendous success in the first quarter, thanks to a strong performance by the Tucson and Venue. The Santa Fe and Palisade posted strong sales as well, with 25,582 units of the former and 21,025 examples of the latter leaving dealerships over the same period. In between the two sits the Telluride. Kia’s stylish offering had slightly loftier numbers than its Palisade counterpart, with 22,076 sold.

The biggest loser of the bunch is the Nissan Pathfinder, which managed to find just 8,975 customers. Perhaps this number will grow with the recent addition of the newly-launched Rock Creek model. GMC’s mundane Acadia didn’t fare much better, at 9,336, but perhaps newly added discounts will add some appeal to the aging crossover.

The equally dated Nissan Murano couldn’t quite breach the five-figure mark, with 9,403 examples sold in the first quarter. Interestingly, the other three poorest performing vehicles in this class are all Japanese: the Mazda CX-9 (10,463), Honda Passport (10,474), and the Toyota Venza (10,836). While the Grand Cherokee has proved it is a worthy contender, the plusher (and larger) Grand Wagoneer also performed impressively in the full-size luxury SUV segment. Not as popular as the Escalade, it still sold reasonably well, with 3,169 units shifted during the same period. Jeep will be hoping to make a bigger dent in that market as larger models have just arrived for the new model year.