Fiat Chrysler unveils new three-row Jeep Grand Cherokee SUV

DETROIT — Fiat Chrysler is expanding its popular Jeep Grand Cherokee lineup with a new three-row model, which the company believes will widen the vehicle’s appeal in an increasingly competitive SUV market.

The Grand Cherokee L marks the fifth-generation of the SUV since its debut nearly 30 years ago. A three-row Jeep has been more than a decade in the making. Jeep exited the segment in 2010 after lackluster sales of a vehicle called the Commander.

“There is high-demand in a Grand Cherokee three-row. We know we are going to do extremely well,” Christian Meunier, Jeep’s global president, said during a media 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 horizonal LED daytime running lights, a wider seven-slot grille and other design elements that debuted last year on the company’s Grand Wagoneer SUV concept. It is built off a new Fiat Chrysler vehicle architecture, which also will underpin a redesigned two-row Grand Cherokee and a new plug-in hybrid version.