Jeep has long been considered the pioneer of the SUV, with a history stretching back over 100 years with the first Willys Overland models. But one segment has been underserved by Jeep for decades, the all-important third-row mid-sized SUV, in fact, the last third row offered in this segment was the Jeep Commander, which went out of production in 2010, so Jeep is long overdue for a third-row SUV. The Jeep Grand Cherokee L will be slotted between the standard wheelbase Grand Cherokee and the all-new Jeep Wagoneer and is sure to be a sales hit for the brand. As former Jeep Grand Cherokee owners, the third row would have solved a lot of problems, so Jennifer and I were excited to drive the L.
The new Grand Cherokee L starts at $41,175 and features all the modern luxury, infotainment, and tech consumers have come to expect. Under the hood are the same V-6 and V-8 engines from the short wheelbase Grand Cherokee. Rear-wheel drive is standard, jeeps Quadra-Drive all-wheel-drive system is optional and according to Jeep, it is the most advanced version ever. We didn't get a chance to take the L off-road, but it is unlikely we would ever take this kind of SUV on anything more difficult than a dirt road anyways, so unless you live where it snows the rear-wheel-drive version should be fine.
Overall the new Grand Cherokee L fills a void in the Jeep lineup and does everything very well, both Jennifer and I were impressed with the visibility, comfort, luxury features, and overall quality for the price point. After a week of driving, both Jennifer and I found ourselves comparing it to the Range Rover Sport, the only Land Rover offering with a 3rd row, which when comparably equipped to the Jeep Overland test vehicle, comes in at $85,990. Jeep is offering a lot of value and capability in the new Grand Cherokee L and we suspect that it will be taking sales from the big European luxury brands.
For more on the Grand Cherokee L visit Jeep.com.
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