A good ten years after the first contact with the current generation of the Jeep Grand Cherokee, the off-road vehicle manufacturer from the USA presented the fifth generation at the beginning of 2021. And right in the long version Grand Cherokee L, which ennobles the luxury SUV to a seven-seater for the first time. In the USA in particular, three rows of seats are an important selling point for family vehicles, which is why the Grand Cherokee L is allowed to ring in the premiere party.
Under the model code Jeep Grand Cherokee WL75, the fifth generation comes up with a heavily modified design, which, similar to the predecessor Grand Cherokee WK, should serve as a blueprint for the new editions of the Cherokee and Compass models located below. The design is similar to that of the already Last year presented the giant Jeep Grand Wagoneer on a smaller scale. A grim look, a radiator grille that is significantly reduced in height, sharp edges and straight surfaces make it look much more massive than the current model.
Grand Cherokee on “Giorgio” platform
For the new Jeep Grand Cherokee of the model year 2021, Jeep uses the “Giorgio” platform for the first time, which was originally developed for Alfa Romeo. Back in 2017, the then FCA boss Sergio Marchionne announced that the rear-wheel and all-wheel drive platform from Alfa Romeo Giulia and Stelvio would also be used by the US brands Dodge and Jeep in the future. Despite the enlarged scale, especially of the Jeep Grand Cherokee L, which drives up with a wheelbase of over three meters and a length of 5.20 meters with dimensions from the pick-up warehouse, the focus should be on driving comfort and dynamism on the road.
Nevertheless, Jeep promises sufficient competence for excursions into unpaved regions. Three all-wheel drive systems (Quadra Trac I and II as well as Quadra Drive II) are available depending on the equipment; you already know that from the predecessor. Because even customers of the brand sometimes only understand “train station” with more than a dozen names for Jeeps all-wheel drive systems, in a nutshell: Quadra Trac I is a simple permanent all-wheel drive with electronic traction control, Quadra Trac II an all-wheel system with switchable off-road reduction and Quadra Drive II the same, only with additional axle differential lock (s), on the Grand Cherokee WL75 in the form of an LSD differential brake on the rear axle.
New Grand Cherokee also in the future with V8
When it comes to the engines of the new Grand Cherokee L, you can (at least for the time being) expect old acquaintances: the base engine is the Pentastar V6 with a displacement of 3.6 liters and 290 hp. As an option, the 5.7-liter V8 with 357 hp is used, in both cases combined with an eight-speed automatic. In the medium term, a PHEV engine for partially electric driving will certainly follow, and a purely electric drive is not unlikely – the Giorgio platform is fit for something like that.
The use of a completely new design language for the body design also means that the interior of the new Jeep Grand Cherokee does not indulge in old values; new territory is also in here. In modern times, the use of the new UConnect 5 platform for the multimedia system is particularly important. Jeep promises a processing speed that is 5 times higher than its predecessor. UConnect 5 is based for the first time on the Android operating system and brings the ability to over-the-air updates in order to be able to import new vehicle functions or improvements via the Grand Cherokee’s cellular connection.
Screen on the passenger side
UConnect 5 uses a central operating screen with a diagonal of around 26 centimeters in the new Jeep Grand Cherokee WL75. Five different users can be set up, for each of which the individual settings (for example the apps used, but also configurations for seats and climate control) can be stored. The system allows the wireless integration of Android Auto and Apple Car Play. We show and explain further equipment details in the picture gallery for this post.
Stellantis North America
From model year 2022, the Jeep Grand Cherokee L will be available with a screen on the passenger side.
Keyword: Jeep Grand Cherokee WL75: 7-seater bargain