![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2021\/06\/15\/PDTN\/b7544399-ae7a-4f38-bfdc-6d23596cc1d7-JeepGrandCherokeeL_fr3-4-wall.jpg?width=660&height=359&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp\")
<\/p>\nThis is no third-row afterthought (looking at you, Toyota Highlander). This is a big, honkin\u2019 American third-row couch made for 6\u20195\u201d giants like me. That\u2019s right. I can sit behind myself in the third row sitting behind myself in the second (best legroom in class) row. Raised middle console so my size-15 feet fit. Padded armrest. USB and USB-C charging ports. Clearly, 6\u20194\u201d Jeep interior design chief Chris Benjamin spent some time back here.<\/p>\n
The Grand Cherokee\u2019s third row has been a looooooong time coming. The OG midsize-SUV born back in 1992 (when then-Chrysler product genius Bob Lutz figured out the way to skirt station wagon-killing mpg laws was to jack them up and call \u2019em utes) has consistently been a segment favorite even as competitors came along with a variety of three-row chariots that now make up 75% of segment offerings.<\/p>\n Now that Grand Cherokee is upping its game and adding a three-row, I expect it to sell (I\u2019m just making an educated guess here) a zillion copies a year. Not just because this thing is a really good mainstream SUV. But because it\u2019s also a really good luxury SUV.<\/p>\n Consumers know what I\u2019m talking about. Jeep is a rare mainstream badge that is shopped by luxe and mainstream buyers. Check out the luxury brand-like price spread of a two-row Grand Cherokee (which will adopt the same design and features of L when it hits dealerships later this year) from its entry-level $36,000 starting sticker to the insane, $105,000, BMW X5 M-stomping, 707-horse Trackhawk.<\/p>\n \u201cShould I buy the new BMW X5, Audi Q7, or Grand Cherokee?\u201d my tennis club pals ask.<\/p>\n As readers of this column know, I regularly opine on how mainstream badges like Mazda and Kia have narrowed the gap to premium products. The Grand Cherokee L obliterates it.<\/p>\n Since its origins, the mid-size Jeep has been rear-wheel-drive based with powerful, longitudinally configured V-6 and V-8 engines. Like models from that other AWD SUV icon, Land Rover, this layout gives Grand Cherokee an inherently athletic look with a short overhang up front and a long hood. Seeking similar aesthetic gains, Ford and Lincoln recently converted their Explorer\/Aviator middie platforms to RWD-based.<\/p>\n Also\u00a0like luxury brands, the Jeep\u2019s seven-slot grille is instantly recognizable. Bucking the current trend to big, toothy grilles (even Bimmer\u2019s spouted buck teeth) the 2021 fascia is lean, athletic.<\/p>\n Speaking of athletic, the RWD platform \u2014 despite the wheelbase growing seven inches and overall length by 15 \u2014 allows more intuitive handling. My L-ephant in tennis shoes was nicely composed as I hustled around town chasing Detroit Grand Prix preparations. The tried-and-true\u00a03.6-liter V-6 (a 5.7-liter, 357-horse V-8 is available for those who need to tow 7,200 pounds) has an authoritative voice.<\/p>\n Merging on to Interstate 96 in a top-trim Summit Reserve, I stomped the throttle and the V-6\u2019s 293 horses responded immediately to my whip, propelling the 5,000-pound sled into the left lane. At cruising speed (air-suspension crouched for better aerodynamics), I relaxed and was pleased to find that both adaptive cruise control \u2014 and a more sophisticated semi-autonomous system called Active Drive Assist \u2014 were on offer. Nestled side-by-side on the steering wheel, the options are another welcome detail allowing drivers to choose their cruise.<\/p>\n Active Drive Assist is competent, and L drove smoothly in the middle of the lane \u2014 not ping-ponging back and forth like, ahem, a recent Volvo XC90 I piloted.<\/p>\n Keep your boot in it and the Jeep will travel 500 miles without range anxiety. When the feedbag runs empty just pull over and fill \u2019er up with $3 gas.<\/p>\n Jeep offered that I take the Grand Cherokee off-road to its diabolical Chelsea proving grounds where they tested the big ute across moguls, ditches, and flooded landscapes. Sounds like the typical Detroit road \u2014 so I stuck with my daily duties in town.<\/p>\n At a gas station on the east side, I ducked in for an iced tea. Upon my return, a few people had gathered to\u00a0admire the Jeep made down the street in the Mack plant.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s the new Grand Cherokee, isn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cYup, and this time it has three rows.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n My AWD tester is made for Michigan\u2019s multi-season challenges with 10.9-inch lift (the same as a Wrangler Rubicon for goodness sake), two-speed transfer case for\u00a0rocky terrain, limited-slip differential that\u2019ll throw 100% torque from one rear wheel to the other to prevent slip in snow, and a prop shaft to swim the Detroit River (kidding about that last one). Lesser Laredo, Limited\u00a0and Overland models get simpler systems that can merely climb Mt. Rushmore. It\u2019s a Jeep thing.<\/p>\n Grand Cherokee saves the best for inside.<\/p>\n I liked the previous Grand\u2019s \u201cislands\u201d theme (shared by Dodge products) that neatly organized dash elements. Jeep steps up the game with an integrated horizontal theme. Its focus is an elegant\u00a0raised console screen. The dash is wrapped by flowing chrome bezels that extend, wing-like, to the doors.<\/p>\n The center display anchors a library of tech including Uconnect 5, the latest version of Chrysler\u2019s (now Stellantis\u2019) class-leading infotainment. It allows for wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a quick\u00a0touchscreen, and swipe-able pages popularized by VW (I love when auto companies learn from one another).<\/p>\n A laundry list of standard safety and convenience features include blind-spot assist, adaptive cruise control, front-rear collision assist, rear cross-traffic detection, wireless smartphone apps.<\/p>\n (Pause to catch breath)<\/em><\/p>\n Optional night vision. Head-up display. Trail-rated skid plates.<\/p>\n If you don\u2019t need the third-row seats, folding them flat opens 47 cubic-feet of space \u2014 11 more than the current, two-row Grand Cherokee. Even the tailgate gets love with a button to set height so it doesn\u2019t \u2014 WHUMP! \u2014 hit your garage door.<\/p>\n The Jeep\u2019s value depends on where you\u2019re standing. A $50,000\u00a0AWD Summit is 4 grand north of, say, a comparably equipped Kia Telluride. Shop against a three-row BMW X7 and it\u2019s $20,000\u00a0cheaper.<\/p>\n That\u2019s an L-uva deal.<\/p>\n Vehicle type: Front engine, rear- and-all-wheel-drive, seven-passenger\u00a0SUV<\/p>\n Price: $41,425, including $1,695 destination fee ($66,985 Summit Reserve as tested)<\/p>\n Powerplant: 3.5-liter V-6; 5.7-liter V-8<\/p>\n Power: 293 horsepower, 260 pound-feet torque (V-6); 357 horsepower, 390 pound-feet torque (V-8)<\/p>\n Transmission: 8-speed automatic<\/p>\n Performance: 0-60 mph (NA); Towing, 6,200 lbs (V-6) or 7,200 lbs (V-8)<\/p>\n Weight: 5,068 pounds (as tested)<\/p>\n Fuel economy: EPA est. mpg 18 city\/25 highway\/21 combined<\/p>\n Highs: Three roomy rows; state-of-the-art interior<\/p>\n Lows: 8-speed gearbox can stumble at low speeds<\/p>\n Overall: 4\u00a0stars<\/p>\n Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The all-new, 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L is a gorgeous hunk of granite. As solid on road as it is solid looking. But the real treats are in the details. Standard\u00a010.1-inch digital screens. Sculpted rotary shifter that might have come off the queen\u2019s finger. American flag badges. Winged dashboard with chrome bezels. Oh\u00a0yes, and it […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,87],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27500"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27500"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27500\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":27501,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27500\/revisions\/27501"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27500"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27500"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27500"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"One](\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2021\/06\/15\/PDTN\/32801a1d-8431-4fc1-a3fb-2db1b559782f-JeepGrandCherokeeL_second-row.jpg?width=660&height=372&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp\")
<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2021\/06\/15\/PDTN\/a9d7c649-1dbe-4190-bc7d-432521c93062-JeepGrandCherokeeL_int.jpg?width=660&height=372&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp\")
<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2021\/06\/15\/PDTN\/0a5a3b3e-b288-4010-94d1-50ab800ad075-JeepGrandCherokeeL_screen.jpg?width=660&height=372&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp\")
<\/p>\n2021\u00a0Jeep Grand Cherokee<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Report card<\/h3>\n