Jeep Grand Cherokee L review

This is the real battleground for an SUV in this category. The needs for flexible, comfortable seating and load-carrying ability trump pretty much everything else. Jeep knows this and the GCL doesn’t disappoint. While the first row chairs get everything from cooling to massage functions, the second row can now be heated, too.

There is improved visibility from all five seating positions, thanks to some re-profiled window pillars. And the second row can now be flattened at the touch of a button. So you can quickly reconfigure the rear space according to the amount of people and stuff you need to haul. The tailgate height can also now be set so it doesn't hit the top of the garage.

But as functional as it all seems, it's the new level of quality, fit and finish, materials that is the most impressive feature. It’s not so posh that you wouldn't want to put a wet dog in the back, but it radiates a sense of solidity and, yes, luxury that just wasn’t present on the previous Grand Cherokee.

A case in point being the McIntosh 19-speaker audio system. McIntosh has been an audiophile’s dream brand for years. So to see it for the first time in a car – and a Jeep at that – is quite something. It also helps that it sounds fantastic.