Three-Row Jeep® Grand Cherokee L Matches Last Generation’s MPG Rating:

It was 29 years ago today, that the Jeep® brand shook up the SUV segment with the introduction of the 1993 Jeep Grand Cherokee (ZJ). Fast forward to 2021, Jeep is launching its fifth-generation Grand Cherokee (WL). The iconic American brand is getting ready to launch the all-new 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L, the first three-row vehicle to carry the Grand Cherokee nameplate. It also marks the brand’s return to the three-row offerings in the SUV E-Segment since the discontinuation of the Jeep Commander (XK) after the 2010 model year.

With the addition of the third row, the Grand Cherokee L is bigger than its WK2 predecessor. With a wheelbase of 121.7-inches and a length of 204.9-inches, the all-new Grand Cherokee L has a 6.9-inch longer wheelbase and is 15.1-inches longer in length. As for the width, the new Grand Cherokee L is 1.4-inches wider than the current model as well.

When compared to the current three-row 2021 Dodge Durango which shares its underpinnings with the current Grand Cherokee WK2, the all-new Grand Cherokee L has just under 2-inches of a longer wheelbase about 4-inches longer in overall length. 

When it comes to powertrain, customers will have some familiar choices. Standard is the award-winning 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 producing 290 horsepower and 257 lb.-ft. of torque, while those looking for more capability and power can opt for the legendary 5.7-liter HEMI V8 delivering a robust 357 horsepower and 390 lb.-ft. of torque. Both are mated to the same TorqueFlite 8-speed automatic transmission that we have grown accustomed to in the WK2 lineup. Of course, both two-wheel-drive (4×2) and four-wheel-drive (4×4) configurations are available.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has officially updated its website to include the 3.6-liter Pentastar V6-powered 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L models, as they will be the first units launched. The Pentastar-powered Grand Cherokee L received a rating of 19 mpg city, 26 mpg highway, and 21 mpg combined for 4×2 models. Adding 4×4 will set the fuel economy back to 18 mpg city, 25 mpg highway, 21 mpg combined. That matches the outgoing Pentastar-powered two-row 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee (WK2) official ratings.

The fuel economy numbers are helped by the fact that the all-new fifth-generation Grand Cherokee only weighs around 100 lbs. more than the outgoing two-row (WK2) model. That is pretty impressive considering the size difference between the two vehicles.

While the EPA ratings for the 5.7-liter HEMI V8-powered models haven’t been released yet, we are expecting them to feature the same results. 

Production of the new Grand Cherokee L has started at the new Mack Avenue Complex in Detroit, Michigan. We expect that the first units will be arriving in dealerships in mid-May. For more information on ordering availability and incoming inventory, you can visit your local Jeep dealer.

For those interested in learning and discussing more on the all-new 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L, be sure to visit our sister site WLJeepForum.com, a dedicated site surrounding the all-new Grand Cherokee trio.