Trail-Rated Grit or Overland Comfort. Your Call.

The Trailhawk looks the part from every angle. Red tow hooks, a matte black anti-glare hood decal with red lettering and a reshaped front fascia that improves the approach angle all tell you what it’s built for. All-terrain tires wrap 18-inch Granite Crystal wheels, and a rear badge and second tow hook finish the look.

The Overland takes the same hardware in a dressier direction. Bright tow hooks and black lower body panels balance a front end that’s still sportier than the lower trims, while a body-colour roof and Silver Silk accents add a premium finish. It rides on larger 21-inch machined wheels with mid-gloss Granite Crystal pockets.

Both trims start with real Nappa leather and then go their own way. The Trailhawk is finished in Global Black with red contrast stitching that ties back to the red tow hooks and hood decal. The Overland has its name embossed into the seatbacks and An-Teak satin chrome trim outlined in liquid chrome.

The Overland also leans harder into comfort, with heated and ventilated front seats and a heated rear bench as standard, which you’ll appreciate when January settles in. The Trailhawk keeps its cabin simpler and spends more on off-road hardware, though both get the same 12.3-inch infotainment screen used across the Grand Cherokee lineup.

Both trims use the 2.0L Hurricane 4 Turbo with an eight-speed automatic, the same engine that comes standard from the Laredo Altitude up. In the Trailhawk it makes 324 hp and 332 lb-ft, and its Turbulent Jet Ignition technology, used here in high-volume production for the first time, squeezes 162 hp out of every litre while building torque low in the rev range.

That low-end pull is what you feel day to day. Backing a trailer into place or crawling over rough, uneven ground both depend on the eight-speed and its torque converter staying smooth at low speeds. Properly equipped, the Grand Cherokee tows up to 2,812 kg (6,200 lbs).

The Trailhawk gets gear made for the trail: an integrated TrailCam that projects your tire path, a rear camera washer, and Off-Road Pages that show live pitch, roll and Selec-Terrain information. The Overland swaps that for a standard 360-degree surround-view camera with its own washer, which is more useful for tight parking lots and garages.

Past the cameras, the safety and driver-assistance features are the same on both trims, so the choice comes down to how you’ll use the vehicle most.