2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L vs. Land Rover Defender and Kia Telluride: The 3-row SUV spectrum
The new, three-row Jeep Grand Cherokee competes with proper off-roaders and a long list of midsize SUVs. Here's how it stacks up with the best of the bunch.
The Jeep Grand Cherokee has always been sort of a 'tweener among midsize SUVs . Until now, it never had a third row of seats, and despite its serious off-road chops, it couldn't really hang with the Toyota 4Runners or Mercedes-Benz G-Wagens of the world. The 2021 Grand Cherokee L, which made its debut Wednesday, now comes with a third row but keeps its off-road cred intact. Yet it still falls somewhere in the middle.
To illustrate that point, we'll take a look at how the Grand Cherokee L compares to the Land Rover Defender 110 and Kia Telluride on paper. We picked the Defender because it's arguably the best off-road-focused three-row SUV around, and the Telluride is definitely our top pick among more mainstream midsize crossovers (see also: Ford Explorer , Honda Pilot, Hyundai Palisade, Subaru Ascent , Toyota Highlander, Volkswagen Atlas, etc.). As you'll see, the Grand Cherokee L stacks up nicely against both.
Powertrain and towing
The 2021 Grand Cherokee L can be had with either a 3.6-liter V8 or 5.7-liter V8 and a choice of rear- or four-wheel drive. Similarly, the Defender 110 also has two engine options, though they're smaller: a 2.0-liter turbo I4 or a 3.0-liter turbo I6 with mild-hybrid assist. Unlike the Jeep , though, the Defender only comes with four-wheel drive. The Telluride, meanwhile, can only be had with a 3.8-liter V6, and it offers front-wheel drive in addition to four-wheel drive. No matter the vehicle or engine, an eight-speed automatic is the only transmission you'll find in this group.
For the sake of leveling the playing field, we'll stick with the base engine options for the Grand Cherokee L and Defender 110. Interestingly, despite only having four cylinders, the turbocharged Land Rover is not only the most powerful of the bunch, but has the highest towing capacity, too. Actually, the 2.0-liter Defender can even out-tow the V8-powered Jeep (7,200 pounds). Crazy.
Powertrain and towing
| Jeep Grand Cherokee L | Land Rover Defender 110 | Kia Telluride | |
| Engine | 3.6-liter V6 | 2.0-liter turbo I4 | 3.8-liter V6 |
| Power | 290 hp | 296 hp | 291 hp |
| Torque | 257 lb.-ft. | 295 lb.-ft. | 262 lb.-ft. |
| Transmission | 8-speed auto | 8-speed auto | 8-speed auto |
| Driveline | RWD or 4WD | 4WD | FWD or 4WD |
| Towing (max) | 6,200 pounds | 8,200 pounds | 5,000 pounds |
Exterior dimensions
Jeep will eventually offer a five-passenger version of the new Grand Cherokee, but for now, we only have information about the L. It's a full foot longer than the current Grand Cherokee, and as you can see below, the Jeep is quite a bit longer than the Land Rover Defender and Kia Telluride.
Exterior dimensions
| Jeep Grand Cherokee L | Land Rover Defender 110 | Kia Telluride | |
| Wheelbase | 121.7 in. | 119.0 in. | 114.2 in. |
| Length | 204.9 in. | 187.3 in. | 196.9 in. |
| Width | 77.9 in. | 78.6 in. | 78.3 in. |
| Height | 71.5 in. | 77.4 in. | 69.3 in. |
| Weight (base) | 4,618 pounds | 4,815 pounds | 4,112 pounds |
Interior dimensions
Stepping inside, the Grand Cherokee's added length doesn't immediately translate to more legroom for passengers. In fact, the shortest SUV of the group -- the Kia Telluride -- offers the most stretch-out room. Kia's SUV has the most cargo space, as well.
Interior dimensions
| Jeep Grand Cherokee L | Land Rover Defender 110 | Kia Telluride | |
| Front headroom | 39.8 in. | 40.6 in. | 39.5 in. |
| Front legroom | 41.3 in. | 39.1 in. | 41.4 in. |
| 2nd row headroom | 39.9 in. | 40.4 in. | 40.2 in. |
| 2nd row legroom | 39.4 in. | 38.4 in. | 42.4 in. |
| 3rd row headroom | 37.3 in. | 40.7 in. | 38.1 in. |
| 3rd row legroom | 30.3 in. | 20.5 in. | 31.4 in. |
| Cargo capacity (max) | 84.6 cu.-ft. | 69.0 cu.-ft. | 87.0 cu.-ft. |
Off-road geometry
This section is more of a fight between the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Land Rover Defender. Rugged-looking as the Kia Telluride might be, it's not designed for real off-road use, and the numbers reflect that. That in mind, we'll let the Jeep and Land Rover flex their muscles a bit; the specs below are for models with the air suspension set to its maximum off-road height.
Off-road specs
| Jeep Grand Cherokee L | Land Rover Defender 110 | Kia Telluride | |
| Ground clearance (max) | 10.9 in. | 11.5 in. | 8.0 in. |
| Approach angle (max) | 30.1 deg. | 38.0 deg. | 17.0 deg. |
| Departure angle (max) | 23.6 deg. | 40.0 deg. | 20.9 deg. |
| Breakover angle (max) | 22.6 deg. | 28.0 deg. | NA |
Interior technology
We haven't been able to poke around in the Grand Cherokee yet, but we've already had some experience with the Uconnect 5 infotainment system, and we know it's a winner. The Jeep offers this experience on a 10.1-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto standard. Land Rover, meanwhile, packs the Defender with the often-finicky Pivi Pro system on a 10-inch display. The Kia Telluride comes standard with an 8-inch touchscreen, but a larger, 10.2-inch display can be optioned on higher trims.
Pricing
Jeep won't have pricing available for the 2021 Grand Cherokee L for a few more weeks. The current, five-passenger Jeep starts around $35,000, but given the added size and feature set of the new L, we're ballparking a base MSRP of about $40,000 for the longer variant. And hey, whaddaya know, that price puts it right between the Land Rover and Kia.
Pricing
| Jeep Grand Cherokee L | Land Rover Defender 110 | Kia Telluride | |
| Listed base price | TBD | $50,500 | $32,190 |
| Destination charge | TBD | $1,350 | $1,225 |
| Actual base price | TBD | $51,850 | $33,415 |