A decade since the launch of its current generation, the Jeep Grand Cherokee is finally getting a complete redesign for the 2021 model year.
Despite still being competitive in its segment, the SUV is long overdue for a makeover. For one, the current generation of the Grand Cherokee still has its underpinnings based on the Mercedes-Benz back when it was still under the Daimler Chrysler umbrella.
Although Jeep still managed to sell more than 242,000 units of the vehicle in the United States last year to record the best annual sales for the nameplate in a decade, it could still do with an upgrade.
And an upgrade it will get as Jeep just confirmed it is working on an entirely new Grand Cherokee set to arrive sometime later this year.
The new SUV will use a version of the Alfa Romeo Giorgio platform, which is slotted underneath the Giulia sedan and Stelvio SUV. It is expected to be significantly longer than the little Stelvio and feature a wheelbase surpassing the Alfa’s (110.9 inches) as well as the current Grand Cherokee’s (114.7 inches). In short, the new utility vehicle will have more room than the outgoing model.
The upcoming Grand Cherokee will also be launched as a two-row SUV like its predecessors. But Jeep will likely introduce a third-row soon after.
The base engine is expected to be a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four with hybridization, while a Pentastar 3.6-liter V-6 with eTorque assist will be offered as an option. Jeep is also set to release a plug-in hybrid of the vehicle and possibly the diesel option that is also offered in the Wrangler and Ram 1500.
And like the current generation, the new Grand Cherokee will also be available with rear-, all-, and four-wheel-drive configurations, as well as a Trailhawk edition for the off-road enthusiasts.
As for the interior, the model is expected to feature more sophisticated technology than the average Jeep. Digital screens are also likely going to replace the analog gauges, while a rotary knob will replace the conventional shifter.
Sales for the next-generation Grand Cherokee are set to begin in early 2021, shortly after it arrives later this year.
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