Fiat Chrysler unveils new Jeep Grand Cherokee SUV

DETROIT – Fiat Chrysler is expanding its popular Jeep Grand Cherokee lineup with a new three-row model that the company says will broaden the vehicle’s appeal in an increasingly competitive SUV market.

The Grand Cherokee L marks the fifth generation of SUVs since its debut almost 30 years ago. A three-row Jeep has been in development for over a decade. Jeep exited the segment in 2010 after poor sales of a vehicle called the Commander.

“There is a great demand for a three-row Grand Cherokee. We know we are going to do very well,” Christian Meunier, Jeep’s world president, said at a press briefing. “We are going to improve our leadership a lot.”

The 2021 Grand Cherokee L is recognizable as a Jeep but features a new exterior design with horizontal LED daytime running lights, a wider seven-slot grille and other design cues that debuted last year on the company’s Grand Wagoneer SUV concept. It’s built on a new Fiat Chrysler vehicle architecture, which will also underpin a redesigned two-row Grand Cherokee and a new plug-in hybrid version.

Fiat Chrysler said the three-row vehicle will go on sale in the second quarter, followed later this year by the two-row and plug-in models. The company declined to release pricing for the L Model, but it will likely be higher than the current Grand Cherokee at $ 34,000 and lower than the upcoming Wagoneer, a larger three-row SUV that is expected to go on sale this year from around $ 60,000.

Meunier said there would be “significant differentiation” between the three-row Grand Cherokee model and the Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer model, an upcoming luxury Jeep that will exceed $ 100,000.

By the end of next year, Jeep is expected to expand its lineup from six to nine vehicles, including the Grand Cherokee L and Wagoneer vehicles.

The Grand Cherokee L will come standard with a 3.6-liter V6 engine developing 290 horsepower and 257 lb-ft. of couple. A 5.7-liter V-8 engine producing 357 horsepower and 390 pound-feet of torque will also be available. The company has said the new Grand Cherokee will offer hands-free driving technology in late 2021 on 2022 model year vehicles.

The interior of the Grand Cherokee L features 8.4 or 10.1 inch touchscreens as well as a 10.25 inch frameless digital information display behind the steering wheel. It will offer more than 110 safety and security features, including panoramic and 360-degree night vision cameras, according to the company. It will be available in six and seven seat configurations.

The next-generation Grand Cherokee models will be built at a new assembly plant that the company is completing in Detroit. Fiat Chrysler has invested $ 1.6 billion to build a 790,000 square foot paint shop and to convert the two original Mack Avenue engine plants into a new assembly plant.