Jeep has unveiled its grandest Grand Cherokee yet

Jeep is stepping into the full-size SUV stable with its new Grand Cherokee L and for the first time ever, it will offer seating for six or seven passengers.

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Set to replace the now-ageing Grand Cherokee that has been on sale since 2011, the new Grand Cherokee L will rival key competitors who have had the full-size SUV segment all to themselves for decades.  

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Its power comes from two normally-aspirated engines in the form of a 3.6-litre V6 and 5.7-litre V8. Both engines will be paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission.Power is rated at 213 kW and 353 Nm for the former and 266 kW and 528 Nm for the former.

In terms of the exterior design, the new Jeep Grand Cherokee L has changed compared to the outgoing model. It features a new larger front fascia, all-new slim LED headlights, the familiar seven-slot grille that is wider whilst spawning larger individual openings. The front grille also incorporates active grille shutters that, according to Jeep, help improve on-road performance and fuel efficiency. The roof rack has been reworked and now consists of a singular side rail cap.

At the rear, the new Jeep Grand Cherokee L is fitted with a new rear fascia that consists of sleek LED taillamps, LED fog lamps as well as a unique character line. Jeep also fitted a new LED centre high-mounted stop lamp, standard integrated tow hitch cover and fascia-mounted exhaust tips. 

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Jumping inside the cabin, the new Jeep Grand Cherokee L features three rows of seats. As standard, the second row of seats can be slid and tipped. The third row of seats can be had optionally with the electronically-operated folding feature. Rear passengers benefit from soft armrests colour-keyed to the leather seats, cup holders and 12 USB Type-A and Type-C ports sprinkled throughout the cabin. The interior is further fitted with a 10.1-inch display for the new Uconnect 5 system and as well as a 10.25-inch frameless digital gauge cluster. Depending on the trim, the first and second rows can be had with four-zone automatic temperature control. The system also offers four different temperature settings. For the first time in an FCA vehicle, the second-and third-row vents are now wider, slimmer and are placed in the pillars. 

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The new Grand Cherokee L has 3 091 mm of wheelbase and that surely translates to impressive interior space. By comparison, the BMW X7 wheelbase. measures 3 105, 2 745 mm for the Toyota Fortuner and 2 787 mm for the Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace.

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The new Jeep Grand Cherokee L features a rear-seat monitoring camera system that provides a clear view of second-row, rear-facing child seat occupants, as well as a split-view display and a unique “zoom-to-seat” function.

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In the safety department, the Jeep Grand Cherokee is fitted with a Full-Speed Collision Warning with Active Braking and Pedestrian/Cyclist Detection, Rear Cross Path detection, Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop and Go, Active Lane Management, LaneSense Lane Departure, Warning with Lane Keep Assist, Advanced Brake Assist, Blind-spot Monitoring, ParkView rear back-up camera, ParkSense rear park assist sensors with stop, Switch-activated electric park brake and Tyre-pressure monitoring system. 

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According to FCA SA, the introduction of the model is yet to be confirmed for our market, suffice to say that it is under strong consideration.