The new Grand Cherokee L gains more seats, tech and new looks

Jeep recently unveiled the new 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L – the “L” providing suggestion to the extended platform with a third-row seating configuration. The current Jeep Grand Cherokee has been around since 2011, and some much needed new life will be brought to the range vi the 2021 range refresher.

2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee: Exterior Design

The new Grand Cherokee L’s styling gets subtle changes but still maintains the Grand Cherokee DNA we have become accustomed to for the last decade. At the front end, the new Jeep features a more prominent hood with an aggressive downward slope, smaller seven-slat grille pieces and a large lower bumper with an opening design, and slim LED headlights flanking the grille and the bumper. The new Grand Cherokee L’s side profile is sharp and defined, much like the front, and features 21-inch wheels for the first time. The Grand Cherokee has a tapered roofline that flows into a sleek rear which features a slim LED Design. Given that the Grand Cherokee L, it has also grown by a significant amount over its predecessor. The L model’s wheelbase extends 30cms, giving way to a total length of 5.1meters. By comparison, the current Grand Cherokee manages to muster 4.8meters in length.

2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee: Interior 

Inside, the 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L gets a new centre and digital cluster design, a multifunction steering wheel, attractive leather finishes, and more high-quality trim pieces like wood and metal. The Grand Cherokee L features power-adjustable front bucket seats which are heated and offer a massage function with five customizable profiles. The Overland and Summit models also offer heated second-row seats as an option, with heating and ventilation standard on the range-topping Summit Reserve model. The infotainment system features a standard 8.4-inch touchscreen measures with an option to upgrade to a larger 10.1-inch, which is flanked by a 10.3-inch digital instrument cluster with menu options, including access to features like adaptive cruise control, night vision, and traffic sign detection. The Grand Cherokee L also offers wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as a 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot.

2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee: Safety and Specification

In terms of safety, the Jeep Grand Cherokee L features safety features such as full-speed collision warning with an automatic emergency braking system, rear cross-path detection, adaptive cruise control with stop and go, and lane-keep assistance, lane-departure warning and advanced braking assist. New for 2021 is a suite of optional active and passive equipment available on higher trim levels like the Overland and Summit models. That list of optional equipment starts with the brand’s new Active Driving Assistant, which uses lane-centring and adaptive cruise control with distance assist for Level 2 automated driving. Later this year, joining Active Driving Assist will be the Hands-Free Active Driving Assistant, which promises even more in the way of semi-autonomy. Other optional features available on the 2021 model include night vision, a head-up display, an intersection collision alert – which gives an audible warning of oncoming traffic from either side – drowsy driver detection, traffic-sign recognition, and a 360-degree camera.

2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee: Engine Line up and range 

The new Grand Cherokee L is powered by the Pentastar 3.6-litre V6 engine suitable for 216kW and 348Nm and a 5.7-litre V8 engine that pushes out 266kW and 530Nm. Both engines are paired with an eight-speed automatic gearbox with two-wheel drive standard and four-wheel drive available as an option. The four-wheel-drive Grand Cherokee will also feature a front-axle disconnect system, allowing it to drive the rear wheels only. This serves to save petrol should all four-wheels not be required at the time, which should prove useful given both engines have proved to be very thirsty in our experience even when pottering around town.

2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee: Price In South Africa

No official communication on the 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L’s availability and price has not been announced at this point. Still, there are strong indications that it will be coming to South Africa to fight the GLS, Q7 and X7 making it a fairly expensive and technically a pretty outdated offering by comparison.