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2021 Kia Sorento
WHAT IT IS The fourth
generation of Kia’s mid-
size crossover. Like the
current version, the new2021 Jeep
Grand Cherokee
T
he Jeep Grand Cherokee doesn’t
really need to be replaced. This lux-
ury-SUV stalwart is as handsome
and pleasant a vehicle to drive as
anything in FCA’s lineup. But this
generation came out in 2 010; that’s
an eternity in the modern SUV
world. The current version is so old that its Mer-
cedes-Benz-based underpinnings date back to
the DaimlerChrysler days. Still, Jeep managed
to sell more than 24 2, 000 of them in the U.S. in 2019. That’s
not just the best year of the WG 2 generation’s nine-year run,
it’s the best annual sales for the nameplate since 2 000.
But change must come to all things, even the good ones.
And so, late this year, Jeep will launch an entirely new Grand
Cherokee. It likely won’t make it into buyers’ hands until
early next year. What those new owners will get is a Jeep
based on a version of the Alfa Romeo Giorgio platform found
under the Giulia sedan and Stelvio SUV. The Grand Chero-
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though. Not only will the Jeep’s wheelbase surpass the Alfa’s- 9 inches, we expect it to be longer than the current Grand
Cherokee’s 114.7 inches. So it’s a good bet that the new ute
will be roomier than the outgoing model.
It will launch as a two-row SUV like all previous Grand
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third row as well. A three-row Wagoneer is also planned, but
that vehicle will be much larger and use body-on-frame con-
struction, so there shouldn’t be much overlap between them.
We anticipate a turbocharged 2 .0-liter inline-four, likely
with hybridization, to become the Jeep’s base engine. Surely
we’ll also see a Pentastar 3.6-liter V- 6 with eTorque assist
in the engine bay. Later, the brand will introduce a plug-in
hybrid, too. Might the Grand Cherokee also
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1500? Quite possibly. Could it also host a Hemi,
maybe even a Hellcat like the Trackhawk does?
We don’t see FCA walking away from its Hell-
cat-everything strategy anytime soon.
Like the current model, the new Grand
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wheel-drive versions, and because this is Jeep
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ble edition is certain to be in the mix. Since the
vehicle will still have “Grand” in its name, the
interior details should be a step above those of
your average Jeep. And because such things are
considered progress, digital screens will replace
the analog gauges and a rotary knob will take the
place of a conventional shifter.
The outgoing Grand Cherokee owes its
enduring appeal to the substantive engineer-
ing beneath the leather and behind the screens.
Here’s hoping that substance carries through in
this wholesale redesign of a market favorite on a
QVßR_R[aN_PUVaRPab_R—Daniel PundSorento needed an
injection of style.
PLATFORM Assembled in
West Point, Georgia, the
Sorento is going to be
based on the unibody
architecture of the
similarly sized Hyundai
Santa Fe.
POWERTRAIN Kia will offer
a hybrid version of its
turbo 1.6-liter engine that
will make 227 horse-
power. Range toppers
will get Hyundai-Kia’s
277-hp turbocharged
2.5-liter four-banger
while base versions could
see the Sonata’s 191-hp
2.5-liter inline-four.Sorento will have three
rows and exist below the
Telluride in Kia’s lineup.
WHY IT MATTERS It’s
another three-row SUV
for folks who won’t go
minivan. Plus, theCOMPETITION Chevrolet
Blazer, Ford Edge, Honda
Passport, Hyundai Santa
Fe, Jeep Grand
Cherokee, Nissan
Murano, Toyota 4Runner.
WHAT MIGHT GO WRONG
It looks better inside and
out, but buyers may still
gravitate toward the
styling and larger size of
a basic Telluride instead
of a high-spec Sorento.
ESTIMATED ARRIVAL
AND PRICE Prices are
expected to open at
$29,000 and rise to
$44,000 when the
Sorento goes on sale
late this year.