Yahoo Autos 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L First Drive Review | Jeep, elevated (and elongated)
CHELSEA, Mich. — As I’m bouncing this big, three-row Jeep over boulders while fording water, I can’t help but think back to my childhood. My sister, cousins and I all learned to drive on terrain similar to this in a 1946 Jeep CJ-2A. It wasn’t usually quite as hairy as what we'd get into at Grandpa’s ranch, but this trail was still designed to evaluate Wranglers for off-roadworthiness at the automaker’s Chelsea Proving Grounds. And the 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L is a far cry from that old Army-copy Willys. But despite the swish leather, forward camera feed and actual roof of this 75-years-younger Jeep, the experience is familiar on an elemental level.
If you were concerned that Jeep was running astray of its identity as it moves into a future of more family-friendly and electrified SUVs, fret not. This new Grand Cherokee is a Jeep through and through. It’s just really posh in its upper trims, and much more comfortable to drive and be driven in than what we’re used to. That’s a good thing.
Compared to the standard, two-row Grand Cherokee — which doesn’t see its next-gen updates until the 2022 model year — the new L expands in multiple ways to accommodate the extra row of seating and all-around more space. It’s 15 inches longer overall than the current two-row Grand Cherokee, with an additional 6.9 inches of wheelbase. Maximum cargo volume is 84.6 cubic feet, up from 68.3 cubic feet in the current two-row Grand Cherokee. Weight, however, hasn’t increased by as much as you’d think. The Grand Cherokee L’s curb weight starts at 4,524 pounds in the Laredo 4x2, and reaches 5,279 pounds in the V8-powered Summit 4x4. That compares to the 2021 Grand Cherokee Laredo’s 4,513 pounds and the V8 Summit’s 5,258 pounds, which is about the difference of one well-fed house cat.
Jeep pulled off this weight savings through engineering. Tom Seel, vehicle line executive for the Jeep Grand Cherokee L explains that his team optimized out 175 pounds of weight in this new three-row. Part choices like cast aluminum shock towers and extruded aluminum cross bars, plus techniques like mounting the engine to the front axle not only reduced weight but result in a more controlled, quiet ride as well. The Grand Cherokee L also uses a lot of high-strength steel for body rigidity — leaving less than 29% mild steel in the vehicle.
On the outside, the L definitely looks bigger than the regular Grand Cherokee (duh) but the proportions are all still agreeable. The glasshouse looks huge, with a lowered beltline and the curved windshield bulging out ahead of the A-pillars. One’s eyes can’t help but be drawn to the traditional seven-slot grille, which in the instance of the L is canted forward, reminiscent of the Wagoneer my dad drove when I was wee. I was skeptical of this touch when the L was first revealed, but I must admit it’s quite comely in person. All trims have full LED lighting, while the Summit grade offers an available black roof, as well as a 21-inch wheel package.
Inside the higher trims, the interior feels downright premium. The Summit Reserve package is particularly impressive, with quilted leather, genuine open-pore waxed walnut trim and a microfiber headliner. Every material looks and feels substantial, every detail feels intentional and different surfaces have their own unique feel, like the smoothness of the leather, suppleness of the wood, the cool weight of the scalloped metal on the rotary gear selector. It’s all just so sensual … but in that rugged, exclusive hunting lodge sort of way that feels appropriate for the Jeep brand.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a true Jeep without off-road chops, and the Grand Cherokee L offers it at various levels. All 4x4 versions feature an active transfer case that can manage torque among the axles, as well as five different terrain modes (Auto, Sport, Rock, Snow and Mud/Sand). The basic Quadra-Trac I is a full-time four-wheel-drive, single-speed unit, and is standard in the Laredo and Limited trims. It’s capable of moving up to 100% of torque to either axle when it detects or predicts slippage. The Overland model comes standard with the Quadra-Trac II two-speed transfer case, which features a 2.72:1 low-range gear ratio. Optional in Overland and standard in Summit is the Quadra-Drive II, which adds an electronic rear limited-slip differential. Hill-descent control is standard in Overland and Summit, and works in both forward and reverse.
Additionally, Overland and Summit trims get Jeep’s Quadra-Lift air suspension with the ability to automatically or manually adjust the ride height. It can lower it from its normal 8.3 inches of clearance to improve aerodynamics or ease ingress and egress when parked, or it can raise it up to a height of 10.9 inches for clearing off-road obstacles or fording water depths up to 24 inches. At full stretch, the Jeep Grand Cherokee L boasts an approach angle of 30.1 degrees, a departure angle of 23.6 degrees and a breakover angle of 22.6 degrees. The suspension features a closed-loop air system with two tanks below the rear seat and cargo area.
“For a Jeep that goes off-road in dusty environments — all kinds of environments — to have an open-air system really isn’t practical for the longevity of the vehicle,” Seel said. “So we chose a closed-loop system, but we added quick-down leveling this year,” which allows the suspension to drop 1.8 inches in 7 seconds.
To take things even further, an available Off-Road Group adds more protection to the Overland when venturing far off the beaten path. This package adds skid plates to protect the fuel tank, transfer case, underbody and front suspension. It also adds the aforementioned eLSD, 18-inch polished aluminum wheels and all-season tires. This equipment all proved useful at the proving grounds, as the Grand Cherokee L tackled trails meant for putting the Wrangler through its paces. Even with the L’s longer wheelbase, it still managed to clear breakover angles and articulated terrain that gave me pause on approach. The sounds of rocks scraping the skid plates was unnerving, but this three-row Jeep proved itself worthy of the Trail Rated badge that also comes with the Off-Road package.
