2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L first drive review: What the L?

The Jeep Grand Cherokee is a single of the most common SUVs available right now, and for excellent purpose. Not only does it look terrific, this rugged car or truck gives immense off-highway capability, a coddling cabin and plenty of refinement. Accordingly, any time Jeep redesigns this mountain goat, it is massive news. And for 2021, that is specifically legitimate, because the recently minted Grand Cherokee L is pumped up in stature and now comes with a standard third-row seat.

The addition of that new bench makes it possible for the Grand Cherokee L to seat up to 7 persons (a 6-passenger configuration is offered, too), enormously growing its flexibility. And this third row just isn’t just some young ones-only zone — life-sized adults in shape with plenty of area for knees and noggins, and the base cushion is a respectable height over the floor. Of study course, the second-row chairs are even nicer to plunk your backside down on and the outboard types idea up and slide for much easier accessibility to individuals rearmost seats.

To accommodate a third row, the L is 15.one inches for a longer time than the outgoing standard Grand Cherokee and the wheelbase has been stretched by 7 inches, alterations that contribute to the vehicle’s longroof look. In a natural way, if you do not need to have extra seats or prefer a more workable car or truck, Jeep will provide a traditional two-row variation, but it won’t arrive until eventually afterwards this yr.

It is debatable regardless of whether the new Grand Cherokee L is more eye-catching than its predecessor. The L’s gaping reduced air consumption and curiously angled grille look bizarre, specifically on a body that is if not cleanly styled and handsome. Matching individuals fresh new appears, the 2021 Grand Cherokee L is created on a new adaptable architecture, a unibody construction comprised of more than 60{d11068cee6a5c14bc1230e191cd2ec553067ecb641ed9b4e647acef6cc316fdd} higher-toughness metal, which offers this off-roader an practically unyielding backbone. To decrease bodyweight, the vehicle’s closures, like the hood and liftgate, are built of aluminum.

I am not fully marketed on the Grand Cherokee L’s exterior styling, but designers knocked it out of the park with this Jeep’s interior. The format, supplies, comfort and tech are all primo. The selection-topping Summit product comes with attractive Nappa leather or tremendous-quality Palermo cow hides if you nab the Summit Reserve bundle. You can also get attractive open-pore wooden accents and even Berber floor mats. A familiar rotary shifter is standard equipment, even though its metallic development and artfully milled edges make this dial truly feel like a piece of jewellery. A suede-like headliner is offered, too, as is a 19-speaker McIntosh audio system. In greater-finish designs, this Jeep’s interior is luxury-vehicle wonderful, adequate to give cars like the Acura MDX and Lincoln Aviator a operate for their funds.

The Grand Cherokee L’s symmetrical dashboard arcs from door to door, bringing to mind a bird’s outstretched wings. In the middle is either an eight.4- or ten.one-inch touchscreen, both equally of which are house to the Android-powered Uconnect five infotainment system. With fairly graphics and loads of operation, this multimedia array is uncomplicated to use and supposedly five instances faster than its predecessor. A ten.three-inch electronic instrument cluster is bundled at no extra charge and you can even get evening vision.

Normal security tech involves automatic unexpected emergency braking, rear cross-targeted traffic inform, lane-holding aid, blind-spot checking and adaptive cruise management with halt-and-go capability. Active Driving Guide, in essence adaptive cruise with lane centering, is available on Overland designs and standard on the Summit trim. This fingers-on system works phenomenally, holding the Jeep locked in its lane and adeptly different pace centered on targeted traffic situations. Capacitive sensors in the steering-wheel rim know if you’ve got got a hand on the wheel or not, popping up an orange warning in the instrument cluster if you do not have at the very least a couple fingers making get hold of. Using matters a action further more, Palms-No cost Active Driving Guide will be offered in the 2022 product yr. This must perform like GM’s outstanding Tremendous Cruise system, supplying fingers-free convenience on accredited motorways.

Alongside with a two-row variant, an electrified variation of the Grand Cherokee is below development, too. But for now, the Grand Cherokee L is offered with two friendly and familiar engines. If you might be very well-versed in the Stellantis powertrain lineup, practically nothing listed here will surprise you. The foundation featuring is a three.6-liter Pentastar V6. It delivers a respectable 293 horsepower and 260 pound-toes of torque, adequate pork and beans to make it possible for this SUV to tow up to 6,200 kilos. As easy and tranquil as ever, this bent-6 gives adequate oomph for most clients in normal diving, even if it does not make the Grand Cherokee L truly feel particularly vigorous.

Of study course, if you need to have more gusto, a five.7-liter Hemi V8 is on the menu, too. Easy, spirited and supremely sonorous, it gives a 357-horse stampede and 390 lb-ft of twist, adequate for this SUV to drag 7,200 kilos. If you do not mind the added price tag — both equally up entrance and at the gas pump — this is the powerplant to get.

Rounding out the Grand Cherokee L’s drivetrain is a standard 8-pace automatic transmission. Engineers have many years of encounter with this gearbox and its tuning is just about excellent. The transmission shifts quickly and seamlessly, plus it is more than willing to drop a few gears when you need to have to boogie. Torque will get routed by this cog-swapper to either the rear wheels or a single of 3 various four-wheel-travel techniques.

A V6-powered Grand Cherokee L with rear-wheel travel is EPA-rated at 19 mpg city and 26 mpg highway. Merged, hope 21 mpg. Opting for four-wheel travel cuts down the 1st two figures by one mpg each individual, even though the mixed ranking is unchanged. Hemi-powered Grand Cherokees, which occur standard with four-wheel travel, are rated at fourteen mpg city, 22 highway and seventeen mpg mixed.

This Jeep’s on-highway performance is admirable. Acceleration is brisk, specifically with the Hemi. And many thanks to a selection of NVH advancements — matters like acoustic glass, particular door seals and improved energetic noise cancellation — the Grand Cherokee L’s interior is constantly serene. The available air suspension improves dynamics and enhances off-highway performance by allowing for the body to be lifted a number of inches. The vehicle’s ride excellent is smooth, even when equipped with 21-inch clodhoppers that occur in the $three,000 Summit Reserve Team solutions bundle, yet body roll is small when pushed by corners. The steering is gentle but fairly exact, which makes the Grand Cherokee L truly feel smaller sized than it essentially is.

Off highway, this 3-row SUV is a Jeep by and by, an amazingly capable mountain goat irrespective of its cumbersome dimensions. Effectively outfitted designs have up to ten.nine inches of ground clearance and can travel by an amazing 24 inches of drinking water. This SUV’s off-highway geometry is praiseworthy, too. Talking in optimum figures, the approach angle is thirty.one levels, breakover angle 22.6 and its departure measurement clocks in at 23.6 levels.

Of the 3 available four-wheel-travel techniques, Quadra-Generate II is the most superior. It involves a two-pace transfer situation and an electronically locking rear differential. If slippage is detected, this system can immediately redistribute torque to the wheels with more traction. Quadra-Generate II is available on Overland designs and standard on the Summit trim.

Crashing about rocks on a particularly gnarly part of off-highway study course at Stellantis’ Chelsea, Michigan proving ground makes me take pleasure in the available higher-toughness metal skid plates, which protect sensitive underbody componentry from rough terrain. Bashing into and scraping together boulders brings about me to wince in discomfort, even though the spotters by no means bat an eye and neither does the Grand Cherokee L. Helping tailor this SUV’s habits to various situations, the Selec-Terrain traction-administration system has five modes: vehicle, activity, rock, snow and mud/sand. Hill-descent management immediately checks the Grand Cherokee L’s pace, even in reverse.

The 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L is assembled in Detroit and goes on sale this thirty day period. It will be offered in four trim levels: Laredo, Constrained, Overland and Summit. Of study course, that is just the start off until eventually there is certainly a Trackhawk product or a plug-in hybrid variant or whatsoever else Jeep’s engineers could be cooking up.

An entry-level, rear-wheel-travel Grand Cherokee L starts off at $38,690 such as $one,695 in shipping and delivery costs. Decide for four-wheel travel and you’ll be expending an additional $two,000. My V6-powered Summit tester checks out for a hefty $sixty six,275, a figure padded by the $one,995 Highly developed ProTech Team, the $245 Luxurious Tech Team, a shimmering Diamond Black Crystal Pearl-Coat paint work for $345 and, of study course, the dear Summit Reserve bundle. That’s a lot of challenging-acquired scratch to expend, but many thanks to the Grand Cherokee L’s refinement, capability and sumptuous interior, that figure is not unreasonable, specifically in contrast to some of its luxury levels of competition.