“If you build it, they will come.” Remember when Kevin Costner’s character, Ray Kinsella, built a baseball diamond in the middle of his family farm in the 1989 classic film Field of Dreams? As it turns out, Jeep took the hint as well when drivers asked for a larger, three-row SUV, which the automaker built knowing that drivers would excitedly come calling. That SUV is the all-new 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L that’s set to knock it out of the park with seating for seven, a suite of innovative technology and safety features, exceptional capability, and the reliability of the Jeep brand. Here are a few things about the Grand Cherokee L that you’ll appreciate!
#1 Built on a Legacy
The 2021 Grand Cherokee L builds on the nearly 30-year legacy of the Grand Cherokee, which is the most awarded SUV in history. Jeep put careful consideration into designing the three-row SUV to ensure it would not only live up to the Grand Cherokee’s reputation but, hopefully, exceed it. To do this, Jeep unleashed every trick up its sleeve to promise a legendary SUV with exceptional performance and a design that embodies Jeep’s iconic heritage.
#2 Blends Past + Present
The Jeep heritage on the Grand Cherokee L is undeniable at first glance. The exterior puts a modern spin on the classic Grand Cherokee and also takes inspiration from the original Wagoneer. The Grand Cherokee L features the Grand Cherokee’s iconic seven-slot grille with larger openings and an elegant trim outline. Sitting wider for added stability, the Grand Cherokee L also boasts a longer hood and cab with a forward-tipped grille that visually extends the SUV even further. Its tapered roof seamlessly unites the front and rear of the vehicle, with the rear offering an expansive window, high-set LED taillamps, an integrated tow hitch cover, and fascia-mounted exhaust tips.
#3 A Solid Foundation
The 2021 Grand Cherokee L is not your everyday SUV; after all, it is a Jeep, and in true Jeep fashion, it’s a solid performer. The Grand Cherokee L is designed to easily transition from daily commutes, carpools, and errands to off-road trail-runs and beyond. This capability comes from the all-new aluminum-rich chassis that promises to deliver better four-wheel drive capability, safety, technology, and comfort. So, how does it measure up when paired with Jeep’s two powertrains? Exceptionally well.
#4 Plenty of Power
Jeep gives buyers a choice between two engines – the standard 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 or the 5.7-liter V8. The Pentastar V6 is a veteran in the Jeep lineup and has earned numerous awards for its capability. Paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission, the V6 delivers 290 horsepower and 257 lb-ft of torque and can easily tow up to 6,200 pounds. The alternative is the beefier V8 engine that delivers 357 horsepower and 390 lb-ft of torque with a best-in-class towing capability of 7,200 pounds.
#5 Ready for the Trail
With plenty of power under the hood, Jeep equips the Grand Cherokee L with the latest in four-wheel-drive technology to make it a capable road-warrior both on and off the pavement. This capability starts with three four-wheel drive systems – Quadra-Trac I, Quadra-Trac II, and Quadra-Drive II. The systems are equipped with an active transfer case, but the primary difference is in how they deliver torque and improve traction. The Quadra-Trac I and II systems utilize the SUV’s Brake Traction Control System. The Quadra-Drive II uses a rear-electronic limited-slip differential to deliver industry-leading traction and control by automatically detecting tire slippage, anticipating low traction, and making adjustments as needed.
#6 Water Crossings? No Problem
The Grand Cherokee L also features a class-exclusive Jeep Quadra-Lift air suspension with electronic adaptive damping. What does this mean? It means that the Grand Cherokee L isn’t just a family-sized SUV, but it’s also a capable off-road beast that can ford water crossings and travel across bumpy terrains without any issues.
Operating automatically or manually through a control on the console, the Quadra-Lift offers five height settings that give drivers complete customization for performance. The Normal Ride Height improves fuel economy and aerodynamics on paved roads, while Off-Road 1 lifts the vehicle from its standard 8.3 inches to 9.9 inches to enhance ground clearance. This clearance gets even better with Off-Road 2 that offers a best-in-class ground clearance of 10.9 inches and a water-fording capability of up to 24 inches. The Grand Cherokee L can also be lowered with Park Mode, which offers more control and better responsiveness by lowering the SUV by 1.8 inches, or with Aero Mode that lowers the vehicle 0.8 inches to optimize fuel economy.
#7 The More Rugged the Terrain, The Better
In addition to its best-in-class ground clearance and water fording capability, the Grand Cherokee L also features a best-in-class terrain management system known as Selec-Terrain. Designed to optimize four-wheel drive performance, the system customizes how the Grand Cherokee L handles by offering five terrain modes – Auto, Mud/Sand, Rock, Snow, and Sport. The technology automatically adjusts the steering and suspension, throttle control, traction control, stability, anti-lock braking system, torque split, and braking to make the Grand Cherokee L capable of handling any terrain in its path.
#8 Loaded With Tech
The Grand Cherokee L is loaded with tech from 110 different safety features to the latest in connectivity. The SUV is equipped with Active Lane Management, Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop and Go, Automatic Emergency Braking, Blind Spot Monitoring with Cross Path, and Forward Collision. Owners can add a variety of features like a Night Vision Camera, Drowsy Driver Detection, Active Driving Assist, and Intersection Collision Assist, all of which are designed to give drivers better visibility to minimize the potential for collisions.
When it comes to connectivity, the Grand Cherokee L puts everything the driver needs within reach with a 10.1-inch touchscreen display offering Uconnect 5 with navigation. Owners can sync their smartphones using Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration or take full advantage of the available 4G LTE Wi-FI hotspot. Jeep also gives drivers the option to add a few more bells and whistles with an available 10-inch Head-Up Display that projects vital information like speed and navigation on the windshield.
Which Will You Choose?
If you build it, they will come, and Jeep certainly knows that after answering the demand for a three-row SUV with the all-new 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L. With the SUV positioned to extend the Grand Cherokee’s impressive legacy, the sky’s the limit for just how far the Grand Cherokee L will take you. But there’s still one question, “Will the Grand Cherokee L have a sky-high sticker price to match?”
The answer is a resounding “no,” with the Laredo base model starting at $36,995. Even for such a low price, it offers an impressive suite of standard and available features like the Quadra-Trac I four-wheel drive system, the Selec-Terrain Traction Management System, Adaptive Cruise Control, an 8.4-inch touchscreen display, and much more. On the other end of the spectrum is the fully-equipped Summit priced at $56,995 that includes everything from 16-way power-adjustable seats with memory and massage to parking assist technology. The Limited and Overland trims fall in the middle, with the Limited ($43,995) designed more for luxury compared to the adventure-ready Overland ($52,995) that comes with a dual-pane panoramic sunroof.
Between its affordable price tag, innovative technology, and exceptional capability, the Grand Cherokee L is one of the best-valued SUVs to debut in 2021. It’s apparent that Jeep put every ounce of innovation into the all-new SUV, and drivers will certainly reap those benefits and more. Will you be one of those drivers?
