Jeep Wagoneer family vs. Grand Cherokee L by the specs

Jill Ciminillo March 10, 2021

Jeep has had a tough time keeping a three-row SUV in its lineup. In fact, it’s been 11 years since its last failed attempt when the Commander made its 5-year, single generation appearance. So, it’s interesting that Jeep will now have three different three-row SUVs: Grand Cherokee L, Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer. And, what exactly does this mean for Wagoneer vs. Grand Cherokee L?

Jeep insists that the two vehicles are very different and will not attract the same customers, so we decided to take a look at the key specs below to showcase the differences side-by-side.

A few notables

The biggest difference, and we’ve known this since the launch of the Grand Cherokee L, is the fact that the Wagoneer SUVs will be body-on-frame and the Grand Cherokee L is a unibody construction. Thus, the Wagoneer duo will be larger, more powerful, more capable and have better towing capability.

It’s worth noting the Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer will be 10 inches wider and 10 inches longer than Grand Cherokee L. With that in mind, it makes sense the Wagoneer family will seat up to eight passengers, and the Grand Cherokee L only goes up to seven.

2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L (Image courtesy of Stellantis North America)

Price is also going to be a huge differentiator, as there will be a $20K price difference between Wagoneer and Grand Cherokee L. Want more lux-level amenities? You’ll add another $30K for Grand Wagoneer. While the idea of an $86K Jeep without a Hellcat engine might be tough to swallow, we have another shocker for you: Jeep execs have said there will be a range-topping Grand Wagoneer model that will be priced around $111K.

A final note on the Wagoneer vs. Grand Cherokee L before jumping to the spreadsheet: Only the 3.6-liter engine in the Grand Cherokee L recommends using unleaded regular fuel. The 5.7-liter engines in the Grand Cherokee L and Wagoneer recommend mid-grade fuel, and the 6.4-liter engine in the Grand Wagoneer recommends premium.

	Wagoneer/Grand Wagoneer	Grand Cherokee L
Vehicle Type	Four-door sport-utility vehicle	Four-door sport-utility vehicle
Assembly Plant	Warren Truck Assembly Plant, Warren, Michigan	Detroit Assembly Complex – Mack Plant, Detroit, Michigan
EPA Vehicle Class	Multipurpose vehicle	Multipurpose vehicle
Platform	Body on frame	Unibody
Layout	Front engine, rear- or four-wheel drive	Front engine, rear- or four-wheel drive
Construction	Steel frame	Steel uniframe
Engines:	5.7-liter HEMI V-8 with eTorque hybrid assist (Std. Wagoneer); 6.4-liter V-8 (Std. Grand Wagoneer)	3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 (Std. Laredo, Limited, Overland and Summit); 5.7-liter V-8
Horsepower	392 hp @ 5,600 rpm (5.7L); 471 @ 6,000 rpm (6.4L)	290 hp @ 6,400 rpm (3.6L); 357 @ 5,150 rpm (5.7L)
Torque	404 lb.-ft. @ 3,950 rpm (5.7L): 455 lb.-ft. @ 4,400 rpm (6.4L)	257 lb.-ft. @ 4,000 rpm (3.6L); 390 lb.-ft. @ 4,250 rpm (5.7L)
Fuel Requirement	5.7L: Unleaded mid-grade, 89 octane recommended, Unleaded regular, 87 octane acceptable; 6.4L: Premium 91 octane recommended	3.6L: Unleaded regular, 87 octane; 5.7L: Unleaded mid-grade, 89 octane, recommended; Unleaded regular, 87 octane acceptable
Transmission	TorqueFlite 8HP75 automatic, 8-speed overdrive	TorqueFlite 8HP70 automatic, 8-speed overdrive
Front supspension	Short- and long-arm independent with hybrid steel composite upper control arm, aluminum lower control arm, aluminum knuckle, coil springs with monotube shocks or Quadra-lift air suspension with semi-active damping, solid or hollow stabilizer bar	Multi-link independent front suspension, coil springs, gas-charged, twin-tube coilover shock absorbers, all aluminum arms and knuckles
Rear suspension	Five-link independent rear suspension, coil springs with monotube load leveling shocks or Quadra-lift air suspension with semi-active damping, solid or hollow stabilizer bar, cast aluminum links (tension, compression, camber, toe), high strength steel spring link	Multi-link rear suspension, coil spring, twin tube shocks (including load leveling for towing), all aluminum arms and knuckles (including extruded aluminum spring links)
Steering	Electric rack-and-pinion steering	Electric rack-and-pinion steering
Brakes:	Electronic power brakes (eBooster), anti-lock brake system (ABS)	Electric boost
Front rotor size & type	14.88 x 1.18 inches; vented disc	13.94 x 1.10 inches; vented disc
Rear rotor size & type	14.76 x 0.87 inches; solid disc	13.78 x 0.87 inches; vented disc
Wheelbase	123.0 inches	121.7 inches
Track, Front	68.5 inches	65.4 inches
Track, Rear	68.3 inches	65.4 inches
Overall Length	214.7 inches	204.9 inches
Overall Width (width at mirrors)	94.0 inches	84.6 inches
Body Width	83.6 inches	77.9 inches
Overall Height	75.6 / 77.3 inches (at roof rail / at antenna)	71.5 inches
Ground Clearance (with 275/55R20 tire and 5.7-liter engine)	8.3 inches — standard suspension; 10.0 inches — air suspension (Pos#2)	8.5 inches - standard suspension; 10.9 inches — air suspension (Pos#2)
Approach Angle (degrees)	21.5 — standard suspension; 25.0 — air suspension (Pos#2); 25.0 (Off-road II with air dam on)	20.6 — standard suspension; 30.1 — air suspension (Overland, Pos#2); 28.2 — air suspension (Summit, Pos#2)
Ramp Breakover Angle (degrees)	18.5 — standard suspension; 22.0 — air suspension (Pos#2)	18.2 — standard suspension; 22.6 — air suspension (Pos#2)
Departure Angle (degrees)	21.1 — standard suspension; 24.0 — air suspension (Pos#2)	21.5 — standard suspension; 23.6 — air suspension (Pos#2)
Seating Capacity	Standard — 2/3/3 (including 2nd row bench); Optional — 2/2/3 (including captain’s chairs)	2/3/2 (second-row bucket seats or optional bench)
SAE Total Interior Passenger Volume, (cu. ft.)	179.2	159.1
Cargo volume behind first-row seats (cu. ft.)	116.7 Wagoneer / 94.2 Grand Wagoneer	84.6
Cargo volume behind second-row seats (cu. ft.)	70.8 Wagoneer / 70.9 Grand Wagoneer	46.9
Cargo volume behind third-row seats (cu. ft.)	27.4	17.2
Total passenger plus cargo volume (cu. ft. )	206.6	159.1

2022 Grand Wagoneer Series III (left) and 2022 Wagoneer Series II. (Image courtesy of Stellantis North America)

The bottom line on the Wagoneer vs. Grand Cherokee L

OK. We get it. These two vehicles will attract two very different customers. Other than the distinct family resemblance, there isn’t much else these three-row SUVs will share. And while they both look great on paper, we’re definitely curious about whether the market will support three three-row SUVs from a brand that has previously had a tough time with one.

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Jill Ciminillo

Jill Ciminillo is a syndicated automotive writer. Jill also manages the “Drive, She Said” blog for ChicagoNow and posts reviews to DriveChicago. She is the president emeritus of the Midwest Automotive Media Association and has the distinction of being the first female president for that organization. She also serves as a judge for the Automotive Heritage Foundation Journalism Awards. Previously, Jill has been the automotive editor for the Sinclair Broadcast Group, the Chicago Sun-Times News Group and Pioneer Press Newspapers.