2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L Grows All Around

Jeep’s off-road-capable SUV now offers a 3-row version, but an all-new platform with refined on-road manners is the real advance.

The 2021 Grand Cherokee L is all-new, adding a third row to Jeep’s segment leading SUV. (Jeep)

When engineering an upscale, 3-row Jeep SUV, the development spider charts must get pretty crowded. You’ll need lots of in-cabin technology and thoughtful features for the third-row family customer. No-joke off-road capability is simply part of the brand. And a cosseting ride with real on-road dynamics is a must for competing with luxury brands. If you want to peg a vehicle that needs to do a lot well, the all-new 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L has a heck of a to-do list.

Development of the 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L’s chassis featured extensive time at the company’s Chelsea, Michigan proving grounds (above), Moab and in Arizona’s Sleeping Princess ORV area. (SAE)

“This architecture is 100% brand new,” explained Fil Grado, chief engineer for the Grand Cherokee L. “Every part on this all-new vehicle is mission specific for the Grand Cherokee L, which is an excellent place to be if you're an engineer.”

Thanks to the new platform and a dedicated engineering team that “fought like family” to accomplish an ambitious breadth of program targets, the all-new Jeep Grand Cherokee L (GC-L) appears ready to meet its wide mission. Adding a third row to the fifth generation of Jeep’s segment-leading SUV seems long overdue (as is a 4xe hybrid due before year’s end), and will almost certainly expand its appeal. Off-road ability in its segment will likely remain unmatched, but a keenly sorted chassis brings surprisingly adept on-road dynamics to the expanded Grand Cherokee lineup.

All-new platform, sophisticated suspension

Thanks to thoughtful engine-bay engineering, the water fording capabilities of the 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L have improved four inches (102 mm). (Jeep)
The 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L will feature some truly sumptuous interior designs featuring quilted Palermo leather and open-pore waxed American Walnut trims. An available McIntosh sound system may be the new benchmark in branded OEM audio. (Jeep)
Grand Cherokee L Chief Engineer Fil Grado credits a dedicated engineering team that “fought like family” to deliver on an extensive list of development targets. (SAE)
The 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L features an optional night-vision camera which uses infrared thermographic sensors, and can reveal pedestrian and animal heat signatures at distances up to 200 m (219 yards). (Jeep)
About the only thing not all-new on the 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L is its V8 (above) and V6 powertrains. A 4xe hybrid version is expected before the end of 2021. (Jeep)
The third row in the 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L places passengers close to one another, but leg and headroom are both ample. (Jeep)
Adding a third row, literally: The new Detroit Assembly Complex – Mack plant is highly automated with robotics, here helping install the third-row seat assembly. (SAE)
The all-new Detroit Assembly Complex – Mack plant features its own enclosed, 2,000-ft (610m) buzz, squeak and rattle (BSR) test track. (SAE)

Known internally as the WL75, the 5-door, 6- or 7-passenger, 3-row GC-L’s unibody platform is composed of more than 60% of the latest grades of advanced high-strength steels. The “Generation 3” materials permit the cold stamping of more complex shapes, reducing part counts and mass. Aluminum is used for the hood, tailgate, front cradle, engine mounts, steering gear, suspension arms and shock towers, with those front towers netting their own brace that improves local lateral stiffness by 125%. The cross-car IP beam is magnesium.

The vehicle architecture is supported by novel coil- or air-sprung, multi-link independent front and rear suspensions. The forward setup features a virtual ball-joint design that places the control-arm’s theoretical junction, “more outboard, allowing the vehicle to be less sensitive to varying road inputs and reducing vibrations to the driver. This also provides additional stability and on-center steering performance,” Grado noted.

“We knew we wanted to get more handling capability resulting in increased confidence while driving, which the new suspension enabled because of the multi-links front and rear,” Grado said. “I can dedicate certain links to different functions. This link for handling, this one for comfort, which gave the engineers the freedom to make sure they're tuned appropriately... basically uncuffed at that point versus having to balance multiple requirements with a single link.”

According to Grado, any engineer would be thrilled to have a blank slate to work from. “They were ecstatic that we gave them this freedom in terms of having a white piece of paper, start over, wherever you want to go this time,” Grado said, noting suspension travel has grown 25 mm [0.98 in] compared to the current Grand Cherokee to improve top-out rebound performance.

Another design-engineering advancement and a first on a Grand Cherokee is a front axle mounted directly to the engine. This enables the vehicle’s most massive component to be lowered by 40mm (1.6 in), simultaneously improving Cg and NVH. “With the current Grand Cherokee, the front axle sits on the cradle with bushings, and the engine sits on the cradle with engine mounts” Grado explained. “So, four points and two major systems needing to be isolated, and they sent a lot of energy through the cradle, which was also isolated. It’s great for NVH, but from a handling standpoint, you get a little bit of compliance because you've got a lot of rubber in between those components.

“In the spirit of making the car feel smaller and more precise,” Grado continued, “marrying them together helps us with improved pedestrian impact, reducing weight and lowering the center of gravity, and I don't have conflicting requirements now between the axle and the engine. I'm now able to manage just one cube, and I'm doing that with very advanced engine mounts.” Other NVH aids beyond the active engine mounts include an upgraded active noise cancellation system and “double-dash” body architecture.

The WL75 program team took the third-row challenge to heart, with the two closely joined rear seats providing adequate head (37.3 in/947 mm) and leg room, the latter thanks to a second row with 7 inches (180 mm) of fore/aft travel. Larger second-row doors open 64° and “tip and slide” second-row perches mean child safety seats do not have to be removed for third-row access. The second row can also recline up to 18°. Maximum cargo space with both seating rows folded is 84.6 ft2. Compared to the previous-gen 2-row Grand Cherokee, the GC-L’s track has been widened 1.4 in (36 mm) on a 121.7-inch (3,091 mm) wheelbase – a 7-in (178-mm) stretch.

New drivetrain components

About the only thing not changed on the GC-L are its powertrains. Standard is the all-aluminum 3.6-L Pentastar V6 rated at 293 hp/260 lb-ft (219 kW/353 Nm). The V6 does net an upgraded and even less-intrusive engine start-stop (ESS) feature, and is rated to tow 6,200 lb (2,812 kg). The optional 5.7-L V8 (357 hp/390 lb-ft; 266 kW/529 Nm) features cylinder deactivation that turns off fuel/spark and closes the valves to four cylinders during light-load operation, and has a 7,200-lb (3,266 kg) tow rating. Both engines are paired to a ZF-licensed TorqueFlite 8HP70 8-speed automatic transmission.

While the powertrains carry over, the GC-L’s drivetrain is completely revised with a fuel-saving front-axle disconnect, and all-new, swifter-acting electronic transfer cases. “Being electronic, they're faster – front-to-rear, the way it adapts to the road – smarter and more variable in terms of torque transfers,” Grado said. “Again, it equates to more refinement, a more comfortable ride overall with smooth transitions. Our mission was to bring in the confidence so even an amateur driver can go and have fun.”

The GC-L comes standard with RWD, and three 4x4 systems are available. The AWD-esque Quadra-Trac I setup uses a single-speed active transfer case, and can pre-emptively route 100% of available torque to the axle with the most traction. Quadra-Trac II provides a two-speed active transfer case with 2.72:1 low-range gear ratio. Quadra-Drive II adds a rear eLSD to actively deliver 100% of engine torque to the rear tire with the most traction, with a brake-lock differential setup on the front axle.

The optional Quadra-Lift air suspension is now combined with electronic adaptive dampers that pair well to provide a comfy yet controlled ride. Quadra-Lift features five height settings including two lifted off-road modes (+1.6 in/40 mm; +2.4 in/60 mm) for a max ground clearance of 10.9 inches and up to 24 inches (610 mm) of water fording depth – a 4-in. (102 mm) improvement over the previous gen Grand Cherokee. Aero and Park modes lower the GC-L by 0.8 in (21mm) and 1.8 in (46mm) respectively, and reach those altitudes twice as fast compared to the previous-gen air suspension.

As a Jeep, the GC-L features a 44:1 crawl ratio, and with the Quadra-Lift air suspension, provides approach, departure and breakover angles of 30.1°/23.6°/22.6° respectively. The Selec-Terrain traction management system offers five modes (Auto; Sport; Rock; Snow; Mud/Sand), and hill-descent control works in both forward and reverse. An Off-Road Group includes high-strength-steel skid plates, the efficacy of which we managed to test during the launch drive by bashing them against several rocks with no ill effect.

Interior tech, benchmark audio

Like the upcoming Wagoneer, the GC-L will offer some truly sumptuous looking interiors, featuring quilted Palermo leather and open-pore waxed American Walnut trims. The welcoming cabins provide a wealth of tech, including a digital rearview mirror (a device built for 3-row vehicles) along with a Jeep-first full-color windshield HUD. Two Bluetooth-enabled phones can be connected simultaneously, and wireless charging and a 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot are on offer. A total of 12 USB Type-A and Type-C ports are scattered amongst the three seating rows, covered by a rear-seat monitoring camera with a “zoom-to-seat” function.

Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto should help with cable clutter, and Jeep claims the GC-L’s Android-based Uconnect 5 system is five-times faster than Uconnect 4. Over-the-air (OTA) updates create a pathway for future capabilities. The 10-inch center console screen is customizable to create one-motion shortcuts for oft-used features. An available night-vision camera uses infrared thermographic sensors to augment the GC-L’s headlamp throw, and can reveal pedestrian and animal heat signatures at distances up to 200 m (219 yards). When located, an alert with positions relative to the vehicle are outlined in the 10-inch driver’s gauge-cluster display.

An available adaptive cruise control setup uses a capacitive steering wheel to help ensure “hands-on” driver engagement. If the driver refuses to comply with a series of visual and audible re-engagement warning cues, the system can give a very focusing “brake tap” to regain the driver’s attention, something that should be requisite for all such systems. Jeep plans to offer an SAE Level-2 active driving assist feature as a late-add option before the end of 2021. The system is expected to offer hands-free driving and lane centering on approved roadways, and predictively slow the vehicle down in tighter corners.

Again, like the new Wagoneer, the GC-L will offer a McIntosh sound system. There’s no shortage of branded audio systems in the market these days, but (to our ears) few have the ability to play so astonishingly clean at higher volumes. The GC-L’s 17-channel, 950-watt, 19-speaker setup includes a 10-inch subwoofer with a 21-L enclosure, providing effortless low-end extension. In OEM audio, the Jeep/McIntosh system is likely the new benchmark.

New factory for newest version

The GC-L will be built at Stellantis’ newly constructed Detroit Assembly Complex – Mack plant, adjacent to the Jefferson Avenue facility that builds the 2-row Grand Cherokee. Sandwiching a new 790,000-ft2 paint shop into a footprint that already thinly corralled two Mack Avenue engine plants created a state-of-the art, three-building assembly site. It features the latest in robotic manufacturing, a 2,000-ft (610m) indoor buzz, squeak and rattle (BSR) test track, along with a line-ending measurement cell previously employed in a body-shop application. Using laser light combined with radar to check body-panel geometry, the “gap and flush” system provides greater repeatability and accuracy than camera-based systems.

Those panel gaps should remain tight, as the all-new 3-row SUV netted more than 1,000 hours of testing on the company’s Chelsea, Michigan proving ground’s “Chalma Road.” A concrete recreation named for a nearly impassable route south of Mexico City littered with potholes, cobblestones and diagonal trenches, it was formed after usage data collected from owners of previous-generation Grand Cherokee vehicles showed a desire for improved body/chassis durability.

Off-road mavens will also be happy to hear that Mopar has more than 75 factory-engineered accessories lined up for the GC-L, which is scheduled to begin arriving in Jeep dealerships in the second quarter of 2021. The Jeep Grand Cherokee L has a starting MSRP of $38,690 for V6 RWD Laredo trims, and tops out at $66,985 for V8 4WD Summit Reserve versions.