Top 10 Jeep Grand Cherokee Competitors In 2023

The Jeep Grand Cherokee is a mid-sized SUV type of vehicle the Jeep manufacturing company which is a subsidiary of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. The model was first launched in 1992 with a unique unibody chassis build. Since then, it has undergone several mechanical and aesthetic changes with a total of 4 generations and 7 different trims since 1992. It has since secured itself as one of the most trusted SUV brands and stands out from competitors as having received the most awards for everything from safety to performance. The Fiat Chrysler Automobiles which owns the brand is also an industry leader with annual revenue in the billions including 108.19 billion in sales in 2019 alone.    

COMPANY NAME	Jeep (Fiat Chrysler Automobiles)
FOUNDED	1943 (Joined FCAU in 1987)
HEADQUARTERS	Toledo, Ohio, United States of America
SIC CODE	3714
STATUS	NYSE Publicly Traded
INDUSTRY SECTOR	Automobile manufacturing
EMPLOYEES	198,545 (2018)
TRADING SYMBOL	FCAU

Jeep similar companies:

Hyundai, Subaru, Ford, Toyota, Nissan, GMC, Audi, Chevrolet, and Dodge all with several, high performance SUV models.

Who is Jeep Grand Cherokee top competitor?

The top competitor for Jeep Grand Cherokee in the SUV niche is KIA. With lines like Sportage and Sorento, the brand has risen steadily to the top of the SUV food chain. They are known for their excellent construction and use of high quality materials plus their impressive 10 year powertrain warranty offers. The SUVs also give the Jeep Grand Cherokee a run for its money with its fuel efficiency, state of the art safety features, and high performance engine.

How the company makes money

The main sources of Jeep’s revenue include vehicle sales, spare parts sales, and public shares trading. 

Vehicle sales

The Jeep Grand Cherokee is the bestselling model from Jeep with sales of 242,969 units in 2019. Considering the fact that the Jeep brand alone accounts for about 30% of annual sales from Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, it is safe to say that the Jeep Grand Cherokee is one of the most popular models in the entire corporation. 

Majority of these sales are made in North America with global contributions from regions like Australia, Western Europe, and some parts of South America. 

Spare parts sales

In addition to selling the actual vehicles, Jeep also earns revenue from sale of spare parts. This does not account for as much revenue as the actual vehicles with very little data existing on the statistics let alone their actual annual figures from this revenue stream. 

Public trading

Jeep is publicly traded under the Fiat Chrysler Automobile corporation. The joint corporation entered the NYSE market in 2014 after a 7-year hiatus when Chrysler existed as an individual company.

Since then, the company has seen many ups and downs in its stock positions with the highest point in February 2018 and the lowest dip so far being in February of 2013. However, the stock prices have remained relatively steady since then with no major drops or rises. 

KIA Sorento 

The KIA Sorento is a mid-size SUV which, like the Jeep Grand Cherokee, has a unibody chassis design. This model was first launched in February of 2002. Since then, there have been a total of 4 generations released with the latest being released in February 2020. The model is generally celebrated for its quality construction and powerful engine. The latest release has introduced a new dimension to the competition with the hybrid engine model that is a convenient, fuel efficient, and environmentally friendly alternative to the traditional gas engine.

The brand KIA Motors itself is the second largest vehicle manufacturer in South Korea where its headquarters are. In 2015, it became a part of the Hyundai Motor Corporation which is the leading automobile company in the country. Since then, the company has seen major revenue growths with 74% in profits in 2019. KIA is also publicly traded in the Korean Exchange market (KRX).

Honda CR-V

Since 1995, the Honda CR-V has been one of Honda’s leading SUV models and vehicle make in general. This has a lot to do with the powerful engine and fuel economy that it offers. Since its launch in the mid-90s, there have been 5 generations with major changes to everything form the aesthetics to engine capabilities. One of the most celebrated changes thus far is the turbocharged engine that can achieve up to 5000rpm torque. 

The company behind this model is Japan-based Honda which has been one of the leading producers of SUV-type vehicles. Honda has seen massive global success with revenues of as high as 138.25 billion and an employee base of more than 200,000 all over the world. In addition to car sales, this success is largely due to public trading in markets like the New York Stock Exchange, Tokyo Stock Exchange, as well as markets in Osaka, London, and Paris just to name a few.  

Subaru Forester

Subaru is a major player in the SUV niche with the likes of the Crosstrek, and the massive 7-seater Ascent. However, the Forester easily stands out as one of the biggest competitors to the Jeep Grand Cherokee model. The model was first released in 1997 and is currently at its 5^th generation release. It is considered one of the most powerful SUVs especially for off-road use. This is mainly due to the strong engine and default 4-wheel drive setting. It is also popular for its spacious design especially when it comes to trunk storage. All these perks have earned it several awards including Motor Trend Magazine’s SUV of the Year Award in 2014.

Subaru itself is an industry giant and has been consistently ranked among the top 30 most successful global automobile manufacturing brands. They are known for their powerful boxer engines and 4 wheel drive mechanism perfect for everything from racing to off roading. 

Ford Edge

Ford Edge is one of the Jeep Grand Cherokee’s youngest competitors having only been introduced into the market in 2006 as the 2007 model. This started the brand’s winning streak with multiple awards in this first year alone including being named one of the best cars for families by AAA and Family Magazine. This popularity is due to a combination of features like the spacious design, sturdy construction, as well as incredible safety features.

The company Ford has also been a strong Jeep competitor in general. It is actually considered the second biggest automobile manufacturer in the United States second only to General Motors. Furthermore, it has made a name for itself on a global scale with a 5^th position ranking. It is also publicly traded in the New York Stock Exchange market. The interesting fact is that despite Ford Edge being one of the youngest competitors to the Grand Cherokee, the brand Ford itself is one of the oldest on this list having been launched in 1903. That is more than 100 years in service. 

Toyota 4Runner

Toyota is the largest automobile manufacturer in the entire world. With their dedication to quality and innovation, it comes as no surprise that one of the Grand Cherokee’s biggest competitors is a Toyota SUV. The 4Runner in particular is everything you would want from an SUV from performance both on smooth and rough roads to space. It is also considered one of the longest lasting vehicles to reach 200,000 miles and one of the easiest to maintain among SUVs. All these factors have contributed to its massive popularity as a mid-size SUV alternative in the global market. 

In addition to being an automobile niche leader, Toyota is generally one of the most successful companies in the world. In fact, it is the 10^th largest company in the world by revenue and is traded on several stock exchange markets from New York and Tokyo to Nagoya and London. 

Nissan Pathfinder

The Nissan Pathfinder was one of the very first SUV models to hit the market with the compact version being released in 1986. It has come a long way from the body-on-frame, 2 door models of the first generation to the unibody, 4 door option in the current generation. The model has been enjoying 5 figure sales with 65,691 units sold in 2019. While it may not be the bestselling SUV among Grand Cherokee’s competitors, its features have made it stand out as a truly formidable alternative. 

Nissan itself is a global automobile bigwig accounting for a huge proportion of global sales that landed it its 6^th position ranking among the top vehicle manufacturing companies in the world. In the last decade, the company has shifted its focus to more revolutionary technology including electric cars. It was actually considered the leading manufacturer of electronic cars as of April, 2018 and has only been making massive leaps forward since. 

GMC Acadia

The GMC Acadia SUV gives the Grand Cherokee model a run for its money when it comes to space. The interior cabin offers more head and leg room despite the model still being in the mid-size SUV category. The GMC Acadia is also more impressive when it comes to use of technology with its Intellilink system. This comes in handy for everything from navigation to entertainment integration with your other devices. Other than these perks, the Acadia and the Grand Cherokee are almost neck to neck when it comes to performance, quality of construction, and fuel efficiency. 

The model is from America’s number one automobile manufacturing company and the 4^th in the world. It is also the second oldest on our list of competitors having been started in 1908 as a holding company. Since then, the company has been behind several iconic lines including Cadillac, Buick, and Chevrolet. 

Audi Q5 

The one thing that the Audi Q5 stands out the most in is aesthetics. It is popular in the foreign, luxury SUV niche and it more than delivers as far as aesthetics are concerned. The 5-seater vehicle is also lauded for its high tech systems especially with more recent models including the 2 generation Q5 SUVs released from 2018. 

Though the vehicle is branded with the Audi logo, it is actually a product of the larger Volkswagen Group which owns the Audi brand. The brand is known for its high performance, luxury cars whether it is their SUVs, Sedans, or sports car styles. 

Chevrolet Traverse

The Chevrolet Traverse is a full-size, crossover SUV that can sit up to 8 individuals comfortably. This is where it beats the most space-limited Jeep Grand Cherokee. The Traverse is another young model on this list of competitors being released as recently as 2008. Despite being late to the game, it has stood out with its performance and safety features as well as quality of construction. It has actually enjoyed higher yearly sales than many other classic SUV models with 147,122 units sold in 2019.

Chevrolet itself is a brand under General Motors Company. The division was launched in 1911, 3 years after the start of the parent company. The brand is known for large vehicles including is multiple lines of trucks and SUVs.

Dodge Durango

The Dodge Durango and Jeep Grand Cherokee share one thing in common which is the fact that their brands are both under the Fiat Chrysler Automobile. It stands out among other SUVs with all its space from the 7 seater capacity to the 85.1 cubic feet of trunk space. These changes are part of the 3^rd generation models that have been released since 2011.

As an individual brand, Dodge has seen some pretty rough times including a 2009 filing of chapter 11 bankruptcy after which it was acquired by Fiat. Today, it exists to serve a mid-price audience for the Fiat Chrysler Automobile company. With annual sales reaching 422,886 in 2019, it is safe to say that the targeting strategy is working. 

Conclusion

The top 10 Jeep Grand Cherokee direct competitors are: the Kia Sorento, Honda CR-V, Subaru Forester, Ford Edge, Toyota 4Runner, Nissan Pathfinder, GMC Acadia, Audi Q5, Chevrolet Traverse, and Dodge Durango. Together these brands behind these models employ about 1.27 million people worldwide with an average of 127,645 employees per company. Honda has the most at 215,638 and is ranked 2^nd among Jeep Grand Cherokee’s top 10 competitors in the SUV automobile niche. 

Competitors’ Stats

NAME	FOUNDED	HEADQUARTERS	EMPLOYEES
KIA	1944	Seoul, South Korea	52,488
Honda	1946	Minato, Tokyo, Japan	215,638
Subaru	1953	Ebisu, Shibuya, Japan	34,200
Ford Motors	1903	Dearborn, Michigan, United States of America	190,000
Toyota	1937	Toyota City, Japan	359,542
Nissan	1933	Nishi-ku, Yokohama, Japan	138,910
General Motors	1908	Detroit, Michigan, United States of America	164,000
Audi	1910, Relaunched in 1969 under VW group	Ingolstadt, Germany	91,674
Chevrolet	1911	Detroit, Michigan, United States of America	20,000
Dodge	1900	Auburn Hills, Michigan, United States of America	10,000