Compare the2023 Volvo XC60VS 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Volvo XC60 have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Jeep Grand Cherokee doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

The XC60’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Grand Cherokee doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the XC60 and Grand Cherokee have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The XC60 Plus/Ultimate/Polestar has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The Grand Cherokee’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

The Volvo XC60 offers optional built in child booster seats. They’re more crash worthy than an added child seat because of their direct attachment to the seat. Jeep doesn’t offer the convenience and security of a built-in child booster seat in the Grand Cherokee. Their owners must carry a heavy booster seat in and out of the vehicle; XC60 owners can just fold their built-in child seat up or down.

Using vehicle speed sensors and seat sensors, smart airbags in the XC60 deploy with different levels of force or don’t deploy at all to help better protect passengers of all sizes in different collisions. The XC60’s side airbags will shut off if a child is leaning against the door. The Grand Cherokee’s side airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

The XC60 has a standard Whiplash Protection System (WHIPS), which use a specially designed seat to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the WHIPS allows the backrest to travel backwards to cushion the occupants and the headrests move forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. At the same time the pretensioning seatbelts fire, removing slack from the belts. The Grand Cherokee doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

The XC60 has standard Post-impact braking, which automatically apply the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Grand Cherokee doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

Both the XC60 and the Grand Cherokee have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Acceptable” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the XC60 its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 112 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Grand Cherokee has not been tested, yet.

The XC60 comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Grand Cherokee’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

The XC60’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the Grand Cherokee’s (12 vs. 5 years).

For smoother operation, better efficiency and fewer moving parts, the engines in the XC60 have an overhead cam design, rather than the old pushrod design of the 5.7 V8 in the Grand Cherokee.

The XC60 T8’s 2.0 turbo/supercharged 4-cylinder hybrid produces 80 more horsepower (455 vs. 375) and 53 lbs.-ft. more torque (523 vs. 470) than the Grand Cherokee 4xe’s optional 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid.

As tested in Motor Trend the XC60 B5 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder is faster than the Jeep Grand Cherokee V6:

On the EPA test cycle the XC60 running on electricity gets better mileage than the Grand Cherokee running on electricity:

On the EPA test cycle the XC60 running its gasoline engine gets better mileage than the Grand Cherokee running its gasoline engine:

The XC60 T8 Extended Range can travel with zero emissions on electricity, only, on a full charge for 36 miles. The Grand Cherokee 4xe has to start its internal combustion engine after only 26 miles.

Regardless of its engine, the XC60’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip (not available T8). Jeep only offers an automatic engine start/stop system on the Grand Cherokee V6/4xe.

For better stopping power the XC60 Recharge Polestar Engineered’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the Grand Cherokee:

The XC60 stops much shorter than the Grand Cherokee:

The XC60’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Grand Cherokee Laredo’s standard 70 series tires. The XC60’s optional tires have a lower 35 series profile than the Grand Cherokee Summit’s optional 45 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the XC60 has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Grand Cherokee Laredo.

The XC60 B5 Core AWD handles at .87 G’s, while the Grand Cherokee Overland 4x4 pulls only .60 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The XC60 B5 Core AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.5 seconds quicker than the Grand Cherokee Limited 4x4 (26.6 seconds @ .64 average G’s vs. 28.1 seconds @ .58 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the XC60’s turning circle is .6 feet tighter than the Grand Cherokee’s (37.4 feet vs. 38 feet).

The Volvo XC60 may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 250 to 800 pounds less than the Jeep Grand Cherokee.

The XC60 is 8.1 inches shorter than the Grand Cherokee, making the XC60 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The design of the Volvo XC60 amounts to more than styling. The XC60 has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .32 Cd. That is significantly lower than the Grand Cherokee (.357) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the XC60 get better fuel mileage.

The front step up height for the XC60 is 1.2 inches lower than the Grand Cherokee (19” vs. 20.2”). The XC60’s rear step up height is 2 inches lower than the Grand Cherokee’s (19.5” vs. 21.5”).

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the XC60 easier. The XC60’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 26 inches, while the Grand Cherokee’s liftover is 33 inches.

The XC60’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Grand Cherokee’s standard rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

If the windows are left open on the XC60 the driver can close them all at the outside door handle or from a distance using the remote. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Grand Cherokee can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The XC60 has a standard locking fuel and charge port door with a remote release located convenient to the driver. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank. The Grand Cherokee doesn’t offer a locking fuel/charge port door.

The XC60’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Grand Cherokee’s standard intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are optional on the XC60 to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The Grand Cherokee doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

Consumer Reports rated the XC60’s headlight performance “Very Good,” a higher rating than the Grand Cherokee’s headlights, which were rated “Good.”

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The XC60 offers available headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The Grand Cherokee doesn’t offer headlight washers.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the XC60 has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Grand Cherokee doesn’t offer cornering lights. The XC60 also has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

A group of representative automotive journalists from North America selected the XC60 as the 2018 North American Utility Vehicle of the Year. The Grand Cherokee has never been chosen.