{"id":28211,"date":"2021-11-05T09:27:51","date_gmt":"2021-11-05T13:27:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=28211"},"modified":"2021-11-05T09:27:51","modified_gmt":"2021-11-05T13:27:51","slug":"payne-jeep-grand-cherokee-l-is-a-first-class-road-trip","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2021\/11\/payne-jeep-grand-cherokee-l-is-a-first-class-road-trip","title":{"rendered":"Payne: Jeep Grand Cherokee L is a first class road trip"},"content":{"rendered":"

Charlevoix<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 At first blush, the new, 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L looks familiar.<\/p>\n

On a road trip Up North, the SUV brand\u2019s ubiquitous, best-selling vehicle barely turned a head. Seven-slot grille. Body chiseled as if from granite. V-6 engine purring under the hood. This being Michigan, a couple of car guys noticed something different \u2014 like the local book club noticing one of its own just got their first Botox treatment.<\/p>\n

\"All-new<\/p>\n
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\u201cThat\u2019s the new Grand Cherokee, isn\u2019t it?\u201d said the owner of a blood-red Corvette C7 after I parked next to him on Michigan Beach. The thinner front headlights tipped him off.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Grand Cherokee\u2019s gotten longer,\u201d said my neighbor Jon as I drove up.<\/p>\n

Correct on both counts as Grand Cherokee designers took advantage of the latest advances in lighting technology, while brand marketers saw a sales opportunity by offering the Grand with three rows for the first time. L-yeah!<\/p>\n

Open the door to check out the three-row execution and the new stuff hits you like a tidal wave.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhoa! That\u2019s nice. Where\u2019s the umbrella in the door?\u201d laughed Jon, referencing the Rolls Royce Cullinan I recently tested \u2014 complete with the Brit brand\u2019s signature\u00a0rear-door parasols.<\/p>\n

Jeep has longed bridged the mainstream and luxury segments \u2014 its powerful brand cross-shopped by Mercedes and Toyota owners alike. It\u2019s a rare talent shared by Detroit Three pickups and Mazda. The 2021 Grand Cherokee goes all-out luxe. Its handsome, thin infotainment screen spills down the console like a black waterfall. Behind the bronze-trimmed steering wheel is a configurable\u00a0digital dash that would be at home in a Bimmer. A head-up display floats over the dash like a Caddy.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n
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Much of this is made possible by modern electronics, which have democratized vehicle brands. But the Jeep backs this capability with carefully paced materials. Lush wood sprawls across the dash from A-pillar to A-pillar. At night, cool blue trim lights circle the cabin like a Merc. The leather seats on my Summit tester were laced with stitching that extended to the third row, where my sprawling\u00a06\u20195\u201d frame sat behind myself with ease.<\/p>\n

I was sometimes lulled into complacency by the rich details.<\/p>\n

Lounging in the third-row thrones, I simply pulled the seat tab in front of me and the entire second-row seat folded forward \u2014 opening a passageway out like Moses crossing the Red Sea. On my way out, I carelessly cut my foot on the seat\u2019s bottom\u00a0plastic frame. Careful, Payne! This is still a vehicle, not your living room.<\/p>\n

Dropping my kids at the airport on the way north, we unloaded the enormous cargo hold stuffed with luggage \u2014 including sub-cargo beneath the trunk floor. Jeep has thoughtfully placed a throw carpet over the cargo floor so the base carpet doesn\u2019t get ripped up by repeated luggage tosses (I wish my thinly carpeted Tesla trunk had one of those).<\/p>\n

But I neglected to make sure the carpet was in place after disgorging our cargo. I pushed the automatic (of course) trunk close button and jumped back in the car. Unbeknownst to me, the lid bounced off the carpet and re-opened so that I exited the airport with rear wide open.<\/p>\n