2021 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE L FIRST LOOK

2021 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE L FIRST LOOK BY CAR CRITIC STEVE HAMMES

Not long ago, before every manufacturer offered one if not more, if your family drove an SUV it was likely either a Ford Explorer or a Jeep Grand Cherokee. 

And over the past 3 decades, the Grand Cherokee has advanced to the position of the flagship Jeep, with some trim levels so powerful and opulent that their price tags can rise above $100,000. 

 

 

But never has there been a Grand Cherokee big enough for a 3^rd row.  Enter the all-new 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L with 7-passenger seating. 

 

 

 

Moving off of its German-derived platform for the first time in over a decade the unibody Grand Cherokee L now rides atop an Italian-born, rear- or all-wheel drive architecture preserving its iconic 4X4 capability while promising an even more premium experience on-road. 

 

 

Top of the line Overland and Summit models feature an updated air suspension with adaptive damping shocks that Jeep says delivers world-class driving dynamics.  Combined with active engine mounts that stiffen at higher speeds and an enhanced noise cancellation system, this should be one very quiet and comfortable cruiser. 

 

The powertrains are familiar with the 290 horsepower Pentastar V6 serving as the standard engine and the don’t-call-me-a-HEMI 5.7-liter V8 an option on Overland and Summit. 

 

 

It’s rated at 357 horsepower and can tow 7,200 pounds.  Both are paired to an 8-speed automatic with the choice of 3 available 4X4 systems ranging from a basic, single speed transfer case to one with a low range and a limited slip rear differential. 

 

 

Add the Off-Road Group to that system and you’ve also got steel skid plates, more aggressive tires, and up to 24” of water fording capability.  With the Quadra-Lift air springs, there’s up to 4+” of additional height span, more impressive off-road geometry and nearly 11” of ground clearance.  Selec-Terrain offers 5 different modes for set-it-and-forget-it driving.

 

But the Grand Cherokee’s biggest evolution likely lies in here where the objective was to create one of the most exquisite and technically advanced interiors in the industry. 

 

 

Using handcrafted materials with an attention to detail, available features include seat back massage, ventilated 2^nd row seats, a mix of 12 USB ports,

 

 

 

customizable ambient lighting, quad zone climate control, and something I’ve always dreamed of owning, a 19-speaker McIntosh audio system – an automotive first.

 

 

The second row comes with standard “tip and slide” bucket seats and an available power-folding third row.  Bench seating is optional. The third-row seat features a 50/50 split and both the second- and third-rows fold into a flat-load floor.

 

 

An all-new UConnect5 system features wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, there’s a rear seat monitoring camera first seen on the Chrysler Pacifica, a digital rear view mirror, a head-up display, night vision, and more…including late availability of advanced hands-free driving. 

 

 

Don’t need the 3^rd row?  The 5-passenger Grand Cherokee will also be redesigned later this year with plug-in hybrid variants also on the way and an even more luxurious Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer to follow.   

 

2021 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE L FIRST LOOK |  TESTDRIVENOW 2021(c)