It’ll get a three-row variant, too.
For Fiat-Chrysler, it’s no secret that their cash-cow is the Jeep brand. The American SUV marque has been the biggest contributor to FCA’s finances over the last few years, which means that FCA’s decision to shore up the brand and expand its lineup comes as no surprise.
The Grand Cherokee, the brands’ flagship model, is one of the first cars that’ll have to be reviewed. It’s getting a little long in the tooth, and FCA knows it. So by the end of 2022 we can expect an all-new Grand Cherokee, with better powertrain options, more advanced technology, and even a three-row seating option.
FCA’s CEO, the famously-outspoken Italian-Canadian Sergio Marchionne, said to Motor Authority that the next-generation Grand Cherokee will utilise Alfa Romeo’s ‘Giorgio’ platform.
“It started originally off the Alfa architecture, which has now been modified and extended to reach both a two-row and three-row Grand Cherokee.” — Sergio Marchionne, CEO, Fiat-Chrysler Automobiles
Notable here is Marchionne’s comment of a “three-row Grand Cherokee.” Plans for Jeep had previously listed an ‘E-Segment 3-Row’ as part of their 5-year roadmap. Has Marchionne just let the cat out of the bag?
In any case. By utilising the Giorgio platform, it raises the question about whether the upcoming Grand Cherokee will be as off-road capable as any Jeep should be (though extensive revisions to the platform will likely see it work the way Jeep needs it too). Use of the Giorgio platform also means that powertrains could be shared across the greater FCA portfolio, including the plug-in hybrid powertrain presently available on the Chrysler Pacifica minivan (3.6-litre V6 petrol engine, two electric motors, 16kWh battery pack). In that, combined output is rated at 194kW, with over 50km of full-electric range on a single charge.
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