Jeep threw us a curveball when it introduced the all-new WL Grand Cherokee, the fifth-generation model of the long-running SUV, with the stretched 2021 L model. The latter is the first-ever three-row Grand Cherokee.

It was a palm slap to the forehead moment for a brand celebrating its 80th birthday. Jeep has sold 7 million Grand Cherokees globally since 1992, and every one has been a five-passenger, two-row SUV. But 75 percent of the large SUVs the Grand Cherokee competes with are equipped with or offer a third row, so the Jeep was playing in a game where it wasn’t even swinging the bat in most innings. So yeah, we get why Jeep added the three-row L and launched it first.

Now, one model year later, we have the WL with the conventional layout that made the Grand Cherokee a household name and best-seller. Deliveries of the 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee have begun in North Americ, and all dealerships should have some in stock by the end of the year. The Grand Cherokee 4xe plug-in hybrid follows early in 2022.

New Grand Cherokees—both two- and three-row—are being built at the new Mack Plant in the Detroit Assembly Complex. The Jefferson plant, which made the outgoing model, is being retooled and will be able to make the new two-row in 2022 while continuing to also make the current Dodge Durango. It certainly looks like Jeep expects to sell more Grand Cherokees with its expansion to a family of three versions.

Seel was told the architecture needed a 10-year horizon, which meant it must prepare for an electric and autonomous future, starting with the 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe plug-in hybrid coming early next year, and eventually a pure EV. The 4xe hybrid will have an estimated range of 25 miles of all-electric range and a combined range of more than 440 miles. Jeep is slated to get its first pure battery electric model in 2023, likely a Wrangler, but eventually all models will have an electric variant.

The 2022 Grand Cherokee carries over its combustion engines. The base engine is the 293-hp, 260-lb-ft 3.6-liter V-6. The 357-hp, 390-lb-ft 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 is an option for the top three trim levels and comes with four-wheel drive standard. Both engines are mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. We were happy with their performance in the longer, heavier L. Not surprisingly, they performed even better in the smaller SUV, which is about 250 pounds lighter and 1 mpg more fuel efficient.

The fifth-gen Grand Cherokee is lower and has a longer hood and tapered roof for better aerodynamics while maintaining interior space. Jeep is backtracking from the industry trend to high beltlines, so the GC’s line was lowered 0.4 inch, which translates to more glass for increased light. Improved visibility is a hallmark of new Jeeps, including the new 2022 Jeep Wagoneer and 2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer.

Lowering the beltline meant lowering the powertrain. Engineers ran the front axle through the oil pan to reduce the engine’s packaging height and keep it as level as possible with the rear axle. Lowering the vehicle also has payoffs in how you feel sitting behind the wheel, and a lower center of gravity pays dividends in stabilizing ride and handling.

The SUV features a forward-leaning seven-slot grille and has a full suite of LED lighting front and back. There are eight wheel options sized up to 21 inches. Grilles also vary by trim; the top-end Summit has a glossy black fascia and brightwork to complement its 21-inch wheels with fat sidewalls. A black roof is optional on the Overland and standard on the Trailhawk, Summit, and Summit Reserve.

Jeep brand head of exterior design Mark Allen was conscious of the fact that every generation grows in size, and he was determined that the two-row Grand Cherokee still fit in the garage and be sized for off-road capability. The 2022 model is a bit longer, the track is slightly wider, and the wheels have been moved out, but the overall width remained intact. “There is a magic to the size of the Grand Cherokee,” said the man who has worked on them since the ’94 model.

The air suspension can be lowered to ease ingress and egress. The vehicle is more level as it descends (the old system rocked fore and aft as the body dropped) and lowers in seven seconds versus 14. By the time you turn off the vehicle and grab your phone and other items, the vehicle has lowered and is easy to clamber out of. No running boards needed.

The air suspension has added electronic damping to anticipate and sop up imperfections in the road or trail. It was put to the test in an Overland on a long stretch of dirt road, with smooth rocks pockmarking the largely washboard surface. The extra travel and damping were in constant use and especially appreciated where the road narrowed to a single lane on switchbacks with steep drop-offs.

On similar switchbacks but on paved roads, there was little body roll, and the independent front and rear suspensions have improved the ride. Hats off to the Alfa tuning assistance: This is the best on-road Grand Cherokee to date.

On the straights, acceleration with the V-6 is smooth and effortless. Dropping 250 pounds makes it a faster and leaner sprinter. The Pentastar engine emotes in an upper register compared with the throatier V-8, but it is a satisfying exhaust note, and the shifts are so smooth and seamless on hard acceleration that you have to rely on the aural changes to know they happened. The V-8 is, as expected, more powerful and visceral.

A new feature, front-axle disconnect, will automatically revert to rear-wheel drive if the vehicle senses that the road conditions do not require AWD. Bottom line: If you need to tow, get the Hemi. But for most uses, the V-6 is more than up to the job.

The steering is nicely weighted, not too light as to feel unresponsive but not so heavy as to impede off-roading or make parking and the like a chore. Steering and braking are both standouts on the WL.

The Grand Cherokee was built to go off-road. Its engineers are disappointed if buyers don’t. As such, there are three 4WD systems: the single-speed Quadra-Trac I, Quadra-Trac II with low range, and Quadra-Drive II with a rear electronic limited slip-differential. All have an active transfer case to send torque to the wheel with the most grip. Lower trims have 4×2 as standard.

The Selec-Terrain traction management system offers off-road settings to adjust the torque split, braking, throttle  control, steering, suspension, shifting, transfer case, and stability control. There are five terrain modes: Auto and Sport for pavement, Rock, Snow, and Mud/Sand for more treacherous conditions.

The SUV has up to 11.3 inches of ground clearance and 24 inches of water-fording ability. Being 11.4 inches shorter than the Grand Cherokee L, with a wheelbase 5.0 inches shorter and better approach, departure, and breakover angles, it is a more nimble billy goat, prompting Jeep to add the Trailhawk trim, something not in the Grand Cherokee L stable.

The Trailhawk has standard 18-inch wheels with Goodyear Wrangler Territory all-terrain tires, steel skidplates, red tow hooks, air suspension, and an off-road camera that shows where your tires will land—invaluable on a technical trail.