Jeep Grand Cherokee L Ranges From Comfy Cruiser to Muscle Machine

The 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L is making its presence known on highways and off-the-map trails everywhere, offering more space without sacrificing the style that dominated the SUV segment for nearly two decades. A frequent choice for The Car Connection's “Best SUV to Buy” honors, it has recently been updated, and now ideally fills the lineup gap with its esteemed bestseller. 

The 7-slot grille and trapezoidal wheel ride on 21-inch wheels, and more slender LED headlights and taillights now bear resemblance to the iconic Grand Cherokee classic. The testing team at The Car Connection enjoyed the six-passenger seating and the 46.2 cubic feet of space behind the second row after folding down the 50/50 split third row. The Summit Reserve allows for second-row passengers to enjoy heated and cooled seats as well as perfectly situated USB-C/USB-A ports just above the wheel wells on the armrests. 

Up front, there are luxurious Palermo leather seats and nappa leather on the doors, with open-pore walnut wood underscored by a chrome band that fashionably separates the lower and upper dash. The 10.1-inch touchscreen offers camera views that will prove useful while merging on the highway. Instead of the mechanical levers frequently found in other SUVs, the Grand Cherokee L offers two switches on the console that result in a much sleeker feel than the clunky options in the average American-made crossover. 

Sport mode pulls the most out of the 293-hp 3.6-liter V6, providing quicker throttle response and thoroughly-tested 8-speed automatic transmission shifts that are sensitive to each input. If you are on the hunt for more power, the Grand Cherokee L can be equipped with a 5.7-liter V8 that puts out 357 horsepower and 390 lb/ft of torque. 

With adaptive dampers, this suspension is tuned for comfort, and activating Park mode will lower the clearance to a very urban-friendly 6.5 inches. Rounding out their review, The Car Connection crew deemed this vehicle as capable as a Land Rover and one of the wisest allocation of engineering resources in automotive history!