HI, I'M JOHN DAVIS AND THIS IS MOTORWEEK !

JOIN US AS WE LOAD UP HYUNDAI'S STYLISH TAKE ON THE COMPACT PICKUP TRUCK: THE SANTA CRUZ... PAT GOSS RECONNECTS WITH AN OLD FRIEND DOWN AT GOSS' GARAGE... GREG CARLOSS GOES OVER THE EDGE WITH YET ANOTHER EXTREME EXPERIENCE... THEN WE'LL SEE WHAT THE NEW JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE L ADDS TO AN AMERICAN LEGEND.

SO COME DRIVE WITH US, NEXT!

CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY MARYLAND PUBLIC TELEVISION.

* Announcer: MOTORWEEK , TELEVISION'S ORIGINAL AUTOMOTIVE MAGAZINE BROUGHT TO YOU BY... FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS LUCAS OIL PRODUCTS HAS HELPED PEOPLE TACKLE MECHANICAL PROBLEMS IN THE AUTOMOTIVE, MARINE, AND INDUSTRIAL FIELDS.

FROM OUR ORIGINAL FOUR CORE PRODUCTS... LUCAS OIL HAS DEVELOPED OVER 400 CUSTOM PRODUCTS TO HELP BOTH PROFESSIONALS AND DO IT YOURSELFERS.

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LUCAS OIL, KEEP THAT ENGINE ALIVE.

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ROCKAUTO.COM, ALL THE PARTS YOUR CAR WILL EVER NEED.

John: ONE OF THE COMPLAINTS WE HEAR MOST FROM VIEWERS IS THAT NO ONE BUILDS SMALL, AFFORDABLE PICKUP TRUCKS ANYMORE.

WELL, THAT WAS THEN AND THIS IS NOW.

FORD HAS STEPPED UP WITH THE FUN AND FRUGAL MAVERICK, AND HYUNDAI WITH THIS SNAZZIER SANTA CRUZ.

TWO BIG BRANDS, TWO SOMEWHAT DIFFERENT APPROACHES.

SO, LET'S SEE IF THE SANTA CRUZ HAS ENOUGH METAL TO GET WEEKEND JOBS DONE.

* YOU CAN SAY ONE THING ABOUT THE 2022 HYUNDAI SANTA CRUZ; IT CERTAINLY IS UNIQUE, LOOKING LESS LIKE A PICKUP TRUCK AND MORE LIKE A TUCSON CROSSOVER WITH A STYLISH BED ON THE BACK.

WHICH IS MORE OR LESS WHAT IT IS.

MUCH LIKE HONDA DID WITH THE PILOT TO CREATE THE MID-SIZE RIDGELINE, THE MOST SUCCESSFUL CROSSOVER PICKUP TO DATE, HYUNDAI HAS TAKEN THEIR COMPACT TUCSON UTILITY AND EXCHANGED THE CARGO HOLD FOR A 4-FOOT OPEN BED.

WITH THAT BED, OVERALL LENGTH IS 13.4-INCHES GREATER THAN TUCSON; AS THE SANTA CRUZ IS AVAILABLE AS A CREW CAB ONLY.

ALSO SIMILAR TO RIDGELINE, THE SANTA CRUZ IS HIGHLY COMFORTABLE AND EASY TO DRIVE; ALONG WITH BEING VERY QUIET AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS.

IT ALSO HAS A FEW TRICKS UP ITS SLEEVE TO GET THE MOST OUT OF ITS SMALL BED; LIKE LOCKABLE UNDERFLOOR STORAGE AND A LOCKABLE INTEGRATED TONNEAU COVER.

PLUS, CORNER BUMPER STEPS AND MORE STORAGE SPACE UNDER THE REAR SEAT.

PLENTY OF POWER, TOO.

STANDARD IS A 191-HORSEPOWER NATURALLY-ASPIRATED 2.5-LITER I4; WHILE OUR TESTER FEATURED THE OPTIONAL TURBO VERSION OF THAT 2.5-LITER, OUTPUTTING 281-HORSEPOWER AND 311 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE.

BOTH ENGINES GET AN 8-SPEED TRANSMISSION, BUT THE BASE UNIT IS A TRADITIONAL AUTOMATIC, WHILE THE TURBO GETS A DUAL-CLUTCH WITH PADDLE SHIFTERS.

COMPREHENSIVE DRIVE MODES SHAPE THE DRIVING EXPERIENCE, WITH SMART MODE PRESENTING A GOOD COMPROMISE BY SMOOTHING OUT THE TURBO'S ABRUPTNESS, YET DELIVERING THE GOODS WHEN YOU CALL FOR THEM.

MOST SMALL CROSSOVERS ARE NOT KNOWN FOR THEIR GREAT VISIBILITY, AND THE THICK C-PILLARS THAT BLEND INTO THE BED, MEANS RELYING ON YOUR MIRRORS FOR LANE CHANGES.

EVERYTHING INSIDE MOSTLY COMES STRAIGHT FROM THE TUCSON.

SO, THERE ARE LOTS OF SMART LOOKING FLAT SCREENS AND TOUCH PANELS, AS WELL AS DURABLE, BUT ALSO UPSCALE-LOOKING MATERIALS FOR A PREMIUM ENVIRONMENT, ESPECIALLY COMPARED TO ITS FORD MAVERICK RIVAL.

THANKFULLY, EVEN IN TOP LIMITED TRIM, IT KEEPS A TRADITIONAL SHIFTER, INSTEAD OF USING HYUNDAI'S LATEST PUSH-BUTTONS.

THE 10-INCH TOUCHSCREEN IS AN UPGRADE OVER THE STANDARD 8-INCH ONE.

IT DID SHOW SIGNS OF THE SURFACE BEING EASY TO SCRATCH, WHILE HYUNDAI'S INFOTAINMENT SYSTEM STILL RANKS AS ONE OF THE BEST.

GOVERNMENT FUEL ECONOMY RATINGS FOR OUR TESTER WITH THE TURBO AND ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE ARE 19-CITY, 27-HIGHWAY, AND 22-COMBINED; WE AVERAGED A GREAT 24.2 MILES-PER-GALLON OF REGULAR.

THAT'S AN AVERAGE ENERGY IMPACT SCORE; 15.0-BARRELS OF YEARLY OIL CONSUMPTION, WITH 6.7-TONS OF CO2 EMISSIONS.

NOW, FORD'S FRONT-WHEEL DRIVE ONLY MAVERICK HYBRID OBVIOUSLY DOES MUCH BETTER, AND THEIR OPTIONAL 2.0-LITER TURBO DOES TOO; BUT THE SANTA CRUZ WILL OUT TOW THE MAVERICK; 5,000-POUNDS VERSUS THE MAVERICK'S 4,000.

TIME TO HAUL THE TESTING GEAR TO MASON DIXON DRAGWAY FOR FURTHER IMPRESSIONS.

THE SANTA CRUZ HAS A RELAXED SURFER VIBE OFF THE LINE, BUT CATCHES A BIG WAVE OF TORQUE AT ABOUT THE 30-FOOT MARK ON THE TRACK AND IT'S ON FROM THERE; HITTING 60 IN 6.0-SECONDS FLAT.

TIMELY DCT SHIFTS PROVIDED STABLE POWER DELIVERY THROUGHOUT THE QUARTER MILE, ENDING IN 14.5-SECONDS AT 98 MILES-PER-HOUR.

SHARP AND SMOOTH THROUGH THE CONES, FEELING MORE LIKE A LOW-SLUNG SPORTS CAR THAN ANY PICKUP TRUCK WE'VE EVER DRIVEN.

WE WERE ABLE TO MAINTAIN A GOOD AMOUNT OF SPEED THROUGHOUT, WITH ONLY MINOR OVERSTEER AT THE LIMITS.

THE BRAKE PEDAL FELT STIFF SOMETIMES, VIRTUALLY NO RESISTANCE AT OTHERS; BUT ULTIMATELY, WITH CONSISTENT FADE-FREE STOPS OF JUST 101-FEET FROM 60, QUITE EFFECTIVE.

THE OPTIONAL HTRAC ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE SYSTEM IS PRIMARILY SUITED FOR GETTING YOU THROUGH BAD WEATHER.

BUT ITS ABILITY TO WIDELY DISTRIBUTE ENGINE TORQUE SIDE-TO-SIDE AS WELL AS FRONT-TO-BACK ALSO AIDS IN HANDLING AS WELL AS ACCELERATION, AND EVEN PERFORMED ADMIRABLY IN SOME LIGHT OFF-ROADING.

PRICING STARTS AT $25,215 FOR FRONT-WHEEL DRIVE, WITH $1,500 MORE TO ADD ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE.

THAT'S ABOUT FIVE-GRAND MORE THAN THE BASE FORD MAVERICK.

SEL PREMIUM AND LIMITED COME WITH AWD AND THE TURBO ENGINE STANDARD; WITH TOP LIMITED STARTING AT $40,945.

AND JUST LIKE THAT, WE WENT FROM HAVING NO COMPACT PICKUP TRUCKS IN THE MARKET, TO HAVING TWO ABLE ONES TO CHOOSE FROM.

THE 2022 HYUNDAI SANTA CRUZ AND THE FORD MAVERICK CLEARLY HAVE DIFFERENT VIBES, BUT OFFER MUCH THE SAME THING: A SMALL, EASY TO DRIVE ADVENTURE VEHICLE EQUIPPED TO EQUALLY GET YOU THROUGH YOUR DAILY GRIND AS WELL AS WEEKEND EXCURSIONS.

THE SANTA CRUZ JUST HAPPENS TO LOOK A LOT FUNKIER WHILE DOING IT.

* SPEED PROVIDES THE KINDS OF SENSATIONS THAT WORDS FAIL TO DESCRIBE.

YOU HAVE TO EXPERIENCE IT TO GET IT.

AND THIS WEEK GREG CARLOSS TAKES US "OVER THE EDGE" WITH SOME CAR NUTS THAT SATISFY YOUR NEED FOR SPEED.

* [ENGINE NOISE] Greg Carloss: BLASTING DOWN A FRONT STRAIGHT AT WIDE-OPEN-THROTTLE IN AN EXOTIC CAR IS THE THRILL OF A LIFETIME.

TRUST ME, I'VE DONE IT, BUT, GUESS WHAT?

SO CAN YOU.

AND, I'M HERE WITH SOME FOLKS WHO HAVE BUILT THEIR NAME ON GIVING THAT EXTREME EXPERIENCE.

IN FACT, IT IS THEIR NAME.

SINCE 2012, XTREME XPERIENCE HAS BEEN HOSTING TRACK DAYS AND CHECKING OFF BUCKET LIST ITEMS FOR OVER 250,000 SPEED SEEKERS.

Brandon York: XTREME XPERIENCE GOT STARTED IN A VERY SORT OF ROCK AND ROLL PIRATE WAY.

WITH OUR FOUNDERS...

THEY SAW AN EMPTY SPOT IN THE MARKET WHERE THERE WAS NOT A LOT OF AUTO ENTERTAINMENT AVAILABLE TO THE EVERYDAY GUY.

AND SO, THEY GRABBED UP A COUPLE OF CARS, RENTED SOME TIME ON THE LOCAL RACETRACK AND GAVE IT A SHOT.

Greg: A DECADE LATER, XTREME XPERIENCE HOLDS DOZENS OF EVENTS PER YEAR AT RACETRACKS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY INCLUDING OUR OWN, DOMINION RACEWAY OUTSIDE OF RICHMOND, VIRGINIA.

IT ALL STARTS ONLINE WITH A SIMPLE BOOKING PROCESS TO CHOOSE WHERE, WHEN AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, WHAT TO DRIVE.

AMERICAN MUSCLE, GERMAN PRECISION, OR ITALIAN STYLE.

XTREME XPERIENCE HAS WHATEVER REVS YOUR ENGINE.

IF YOU CAN'T CHOOSE JUST ONE, DRIVE THE WHOLE FLEET.

Brandon: WE'RE RUNNING THE NEW C8, THE HURACAN EVO, THE MCLAREN 570 S... WE'VE GOT THE FERRARI 488, WE JUST GOT IN OUR GT3 RS.

Greg: PRICING VARIES FOR EACH CAR, FROM $200 TO $430 FOR A 3-4 LAP SESSION.

AN INSURANCE PACKAGE IS REQUIRED, BUT BASE COVERAGE ADDS JUST $39 TO THE TOTAL COST.

THEN, WHEN THE DAY COMES ALL GUESTS HAVE TO DO IS SHOW UP AND FOLLOW THE SIGNS.

Brandon: WE GET THEM EVERYTHING THEY NEED TO GET READY THEY GET THE USB FOR THE VIDEO, THEY GET IT ALL SORTED OUT, BOOM, QUICK, EASY WAIVERS, EVERYTHING.

THEN, THEY HIT THE CLASS, AND SAFETY IS OUR NUMBER ONE THING.

SO THE CLASSROOM IS REALLY WHERE YOU LEARN A LOT ABOUT HOW TO GET THESE CARS AROUND THE TRACK.

Greg: THE CLASS IS QUICK YET COMPREHENSIVE, BUT THOSE LOOKING FOR A LITTLE MORE INSTRUCTION CAN OPT FOR A RIDE-ALONG WITH A PRO-DRIVER.

AFTER THAT, FIND YOUR CAR WHERE AN INSTRUCTOR WILL GET YOU STRAPPED IN BEFORE TAKING THEIR PLACE IN THE PASSENGER SEAT WHERE THEY'LL TALK YOU THROUGH THE CAR AND THE TRACK.

Brandon: YOU GOT TO FIGURE THAT MOST PEOPLE HAVE NEVER BEEN ON A RACE TRACK, MOST PEOPLE HAVE NEVER DRIVEN A CAR LIKE THIS, THOSE INSTRUCTORS IN THE RIGHT SEAT HAVE GOT TO HAVE A CALM DEMEANOR.

Instructor: ...YOU DON'T TOUCH THAT GUY IN THE MIDDLE... Ryan Grose: WHAT I LIKED IS THAT THE TRAINER THEY PUT ME WITH, THE OTHER DRIVER HELPED ME TO DRIVE FAST SAFELY.

SO EVERY TIME I TOOK A LAP, HE WAS TELLING ME, ACCELERATE A LITTLE BIT MORE IN THIS TURN, TURN A LITTLE BIT EARLIER...SO BY THE END OF THE DAY, I WAS WAY FASTER THAN I WAS EARLY ON.

Addison Grose: I DROVE THE LAMBORGHINI HURRICANE EVO, THE PORSCHE GT3RS, AND THE FERRARI 488.

IT WAS AWESOME.

I'VE GROWN UP JUST LOVING CARS AND WATCHING VIDEOS OF THEM ALL THE TIME, BUT ACTUALLY GETTING BEHIND THE WHEEL WAS INSANE.

Brandon: IF YOU'RE INTO CARS AT ALL, THIS IS THE BEST WAY TO FIGURE OUT WHY WE DO THIS AND WHY PEOPLE SPEND SO MUCH EFFORT, TIME, AND ENERGY INTO THESE KINDS OF CARS INSTEAD OF YOU KNOW, YOUR BASIC COMMUTERS...

THIS IS A VERY SPECIAL, UNIQUE THING.

AND WE HAVE TAKEN EVERY SINGLE PRECAUTION TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE THE BEST POSSIBLE TIME THAT YOU CAN IN THE SAFEST POSSIBLE WAY.

John: THIS WEEK AT GOSS' GARAGE, PAT MEETS UP WITH AN OLD FRIEND, ONE THAT YOU MIGHT JUST REMEMBER TOO!

* Pat Goss: WELL...NOW THAT WE'VE SEEN OUR MAXTON AND WE UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S BEEN SITTING FOR THE LAST 20-25 YEARS WITH NO USE, AND NO PREPARATION BEFORE IT WAS PUT IN STORAGE, WELL, WE NEED TO EVALUATE IT.

SO FAR, WHAT WE'VE DONE IS WE'VE LOOKED AT THE FUEL LINES AND THINGS LIKE THAT...

IF YOU LOOK AT THE FUEL, WE RAN THIS COAT HANGER DOWN INTO UH, ONE OF THE FUEL LINES AND COME OUT WITH THIS THICK SLUDGE, THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS TO FUEL AFTER IT SITS... WE CAN ACTUALLY SEE IT IN THIS FUEL LINE, SEE IT JUST KINDA STRINGS OUTTA THERE...NO GASOLINE LEFT.

SO, WE REPLACED THE FUEL LINES, GOT THE CAR RUNNING, SO IT RUNS, BUT NOT WELL.

IT PROBABLY NEEDS CARBURETOR WORK.

IN ADDITION, IN ORDER TO MOVE IT, THE BRAKES HAD SEIZED UP, SO WE HAD TO TAKE THE PADS OUT OF THE REAR BRAKES AND NOW WE HAVE TO FIND OUT ALL THAT'S WRONG BACK THERE.

THE CLUTCH, WELL THE CLUTCH YOU CAN'T PUSH THE PEDAL.

SO THAT MEANS IN MOST CASES THAT THE CLUTCH DISC HAS WELDED ITSELF TO THE FLYWHEEL OR THE PRESSURE PLATE SO PROBABLY BOTH IN THIS CASE, SO WE HAVE TO FIND A WAY TO FIX THAT.

NOW IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE TOOK THE AIR CLEANER HOUSING APART AND THIS IS WHAT WE FOUND, THE AIR CLEANER HAD TURNED TO THIS YUCKY-LOOKING MESS HERE, AND WE ALSO HAVE A SITUATION WITH- THERE'S A RAG THAT'S TIED AROUND A LINE UP IN THE FRONT AT THE OIL COOLER.

WELL, IT APPEARS THAT THE OIL COOLER IS LEAKING SIGNIFICANTLY, SO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO FIX THAT.

NOW ONCE, WE GET ALL DONE WITH IT, WE'LL GET OUR MAXTON BACK ON THE ROAD.

AND IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION OR A COMMENT, DROP ME A LINE, RIGHT HERE AT MOTORWEEK !

John: TIME FOR US TO TAKE ANOTHER REALLY QUICK QUICK SPIN.

MOST EVERY MODEL IN THE MERCEDES-BENZ LINEUP HAS BEEN TOUCHED BY THE BRAND'S HIGH-PERFORMANCE ARM, AMG.

SO, IT WAS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE THEY HEADED INTO UNCHARTED WATERS WITH THEIR FIRST ALL-ELECTRIC PERFORMANCE SEDAN, THE 2022 MERCEDES-AMG EQS.

THE EQS IS THE EV EQUIVALENT OF THE FLAGSHIP S-CLASS SEDAN AND THE FIRST OF THE ALL-ELECTRIC EQ BRAND BEING LAUNCHED HERE IN THE U.S.

THE AMG DYNAMIC PLUS PACKAGE COMES STANDARD IN NORTH AMERICA AND USES TWO HIGH-PERFORMANCE ELECTRIC MOTORS PAIRED WITH AN IMPROVED COOLING SYSTEM TO HELP DELIVER A MAX OF 751-HORSEPOWER AND 752 LB-FT OF TORQUE.

THAT SHOULD GIVE A 3.4 SECOND 0-60 WITH A MAXIMUM SPEED OF 155 MILES-PER-HOUR.

A 107.8 KWH BATTERY PACK HAS A RANGE OF 277 MILES AND CAN RECOUP 180 MILES IN 19 MINUTES WITH 200 KW CHARGING.

Jessica Ray: WHEN WE TEST AMGS, IT'S USUALLY ALL ABOUT THEIR BIG, POWERFUL, AND VERY LOUD ENGINES.

I'M IN THE AMG EQS SO THERE'S NO ENGINE HERE, BUT AMG HAS CREATED A SOUND TO MATCH THE POWER OF THE MOTORS.

[MOTOR SOUND] OR, YOU KNOW, IF THAT'S NOT REALLY YOUR THING, YOU CAN JUST TURN IT OFF, FOR A QUIET RIDE.

John: RIDE IN COMFORT MODE IS VERY SIMILAR TO THAT OF THE S-CLASS BUT THROW IT IN SPORT OR SPORT PLUS FOR A SHARPER DRIVING EXPERIENCE.

AMG RIDE CONTROL+ WITH AIR SUSPENSION AND ADAPTIVE DAMPING IS STANDARD AS WELL AS 9-DEGREE REAR AXLE STEERING.

OUTSIDE SEES AN AMG-SPECIFIC GRILLE, 21 OR 22-INCH AMG WHEELS, AND A LARGER REAR SPOILER.

INSIDE GETS SPORT SEATS AND AN AMG SPECIFIC INSTRUMENT CLUSTER.

PRICING WILL BE ANNOUNCED CLOSER TO THE AMG EQS'S NEAR TERM ARRIVAL TO THE STATES.

AND WE'LL HAVE MORE QUICK SPINS SOON.

* WITH SUVS TAKING OVER THE AUTOMOTIVE WORLD, IT ONLY MAKES SENSE THAT CLASSIC UTILITIES WOULD BECOME A LOT HOTTER IN THE COLLECTOR CAR MARKET.

THAT HAS CERTAINLY BEEN THE CASE WITH FORD'S BRONCO.

NOT TO MENTION, WITH FORD BRINGING THEIR ORIGINAL JEEP-FIGHTER BACK TO MARKET, BRONCO MANIA HAS NEVER BEEN HIGHER.

HAVING BEEN AROUND THEM MOST OF HIS LIFE, AUTHOR TODD ZUERCHER KNOWS A THING OR TWO ABOUT ORIGINAL BRONCOS.

IN HIS BOOK, FORD BRONCO: A HISTORY OF FORD'S LEGENDARY 4X4, IS A MUST READ THAT WILL ENSURE THAT YOU DO, TOO.

* Greg: 9-MONTHS IN, AND WE KEEP RACKING UP THE MILES IN OUR 2021 SUBARU CROSSTREK SPORT LONG-TERM; TACKING ON ANOTHER 1,000 OVER THE LAST MONTH, BRINGING OUR TOTAL TO 12,000.

SPORTING NEW SPORT TRIM MEANS THERE'S UNIQUE GUNMETAL FINISHES APPLIED TO THE EXTERIOR BADGES AS WELL AS THE SIDE MIRRORS; ALONG WITH DARK GRAY 17-INCH WHEELS, AND FENDER FLARES.

THE SPORT'S UPGRADED STARTEX UPHOLSTERY ALSO SEEMS TO BE HOLDING UP QUITE WELL THROUGH ALMOST A YEARS' WORTH OF ABUSE.

FUEL ECONOMY AVERAGE SITS AT A NICE EVEN 30.0 MILES-PER-GALLON.

IT'S PROVEN TO BE A GREAT GETAWAY VEHICLE, FEELING SOLID AND QUIET ON SMOOTH ROADS, BUT IT CAN GET A LITTLE JOUNCY ON ROUGH WINTER PAVEMENT; THOUGH THAT GENERALLY COMES WITH THE TERRITORY IN VEHICLES THAT ARE AS OFF-ROAD CAPABLE AS THE CROSSTREK.

THIS IS THE TIME OF YEAR WHEN WE GET READY TO HAND OUT OUR ANNUAL DRIVERS' CHOICE AWARDS; AND THE LAST 10-MONTHS' TIME IN THIS 2021 ACURA TLX HAS PROVEN THAT WE MADE A VERY GOOD CHOICE WHEN WE GAVE IT OUR BEST LUXURY SEDAN AWARD LAST YEAR.

THIS TLX IS NOW ONE OF THE MORE TENURED VEHICLES IN OUR LONG TERM TEST LOT, BUT WE'RE CERTAINLY NOT GETTING BORED OF IT.

AND NOT EVEN WINTER CAN SLOW THIS SEDAN BECAUSE IT'S EQUIPPED WITH ACURA'S SUPER HANDLING ALL-WHEEL DRIVE SYSTEM, WHICH HAS PROVED HIGHLY EFFECTIVE NOT ONLY IN SNOW, BUT IN SPIRITED DRIVING ON DRY PAVEMENT.

FUEL ECONOMY FROM THE 272-HORSEPOWER 2.0-LITER TURBO SITS AT 24.9 MILES-PER-GALLON AFTER 18,500 VARIED MILES, A BIT BETTER THAN WHAT THE EPA SAYS IT SHOULD BE.

WE'LL CHECK IN ON OUR NISSAN PATHFINDER ON THE NEXT MOTORWEEK LONG-TERM ROAD TEST UPDATE!

John: WHETHER YOU CONSIDER IT AN EVERYMAN'S RANGE ROVER, OR THE ULTIMATE 4-SEASON SUBURBAN FAMILY ADVENTURE CRUISER; THE JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE HAS BEEN MANY THINGS TO MANY PEOPLE OVER THE LAST 28-YEARS.

BUT, WITH THE ARRIVAL OF THE 5TH-GENERATION, IT OFFERS SOMETHING IT NEVER HAD BEFORE.

* WHEN IT COMES TO GO ANYWHERE OR DO ANYTHING VEHICLES OFF AND ON ROAD, THE JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE IS ONE OF THE FIRST THAT COMES TO MIND.

BUT, UP UNTIL THIS POINT, GRAND CHEROKEE ADVENTURES WERE LIMITED TO 5-PASSENGERS.

FOR 2021, JEEP IS SET TO GROW GRAND CHEROKEE APPEAL, BY GROWING ITS SEATING CAPACITY WITH THE 3-ROW GRAND CHEROKEE L. AND THE ADDITIONAL ROW OF SEATING IS NOT JUST AN AFTERTHOUGHT, OR COMPROMISED INTO THE EXISTING ARCHITECTURE; THERE'S AN ALL-NEW UNIFRAME STRUCTURE HERE, PROVIDING AMPLE SPACE FOR ADULTS IN THAT 3RD ROW.

REAR DOOR OPENINGS ARE LARGER AS WELL, PROVIDING EASY ACCESS.

MIDDLE ROW PASSENGERS, WHETHER THEY'RE RIDING IN THE STANDARD BUCKETS OR THE OPTIONAL BENCH SEAT, HAVE PLENTY OF LEGROOM TOO; AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT FOR THOSE THAT DON'T NEED 6 OR 7-PASSENGER CAPACITY, THE TRADITIONAL 5-SEAT GRAND CHEROKEE WILL SWITCH TO THIS PLATFORM LATER THIS YEAR AS A 2022 MODEL.

SO, JUST HOW MUCH BIGGER IS IT?

WELL, ITS 121.7-INCH WHEELBASE IS 7-INCHES LONGER THAN THE CURRENT WK2 GRAND CHEROKEE AND ABOUT 2-INCHES LONGER THAN THE DODGE DURANGO.

ALL OF THIS ELEGANTLY DONE AROUND CUSTOMARY JEEP CUES SUCH AS THE 7-SLOT GRILLE, TRAPEZOIDAL WHEEL ARCHES, AND LIMITED FRONT AND REAR OVERHANGS.

AND IT CERTAINLY DRIVES LIKE A MUCH LARGER VEHICLE.

THE INDEPENDENT FRONT AND REAR SUSPENSION, WITH AVAILABLE QUADRA-LIFT ADAPTIVE DAMPING, ALSO FEELS MUCH MORE SOFTLY SPRUNG; GIVING IT A TENDENCY TO ROLL ENOUGH IN CORNERS THAT IT MAKES YOU VERY CONSCIOUS OF YOUR SPEED.

STANDARD ENGINE IS THE FAMILIAR 3.6-LITER PENTASTAR V6 WITH 293-HORSEPOWER AND 260 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE.

ADEQUATE, BUT NOT EXCITING.

IF YOU WANT A LITTLE MORE PEP, OR ARE LOOKING TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE EXCEPTIONAL 7,200-LBS.

TOWING CAPACITY, YOU'LL NEED TO UPGRADE TO THE 357-HORSEPOWER 5.7-LITER V8.

BOTH WORK WITH THE SAME 8-SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION.

REAR-WHEEL-DRIVE IS STANDARD; BUT WITH THREE DIFFERENT 4-WHEEL-DRIVE SYSTEMS AVAILABLE, AS WELL AS MORE GROUND CLEARANCE THAN BEFORE, THE GRAND CHEROKEE L OFFERS OFF-ROAD CAPABILITY FOUND IN FEW OTHER 3-ROW SUVs.

WITH THE SAME V6 ENGINE, AND MORE VEHICLE TO MOVE THAN BEFORE, OUR ON PAVEMENT PERFORMANCE EXPECTATIONS WERE TEMPERED HEADING TO MASON DIXON DRAGWAY.

AND INDEED, IT WAS A LEISURELY TRIP TO 60 OF 9.4 SECONDS; ABOUT A SECOND SLOWER THAN LAST GEN.

THE ENGINE REVS HIGH AND MAKES A LOT OF NOISE, BUT FEELS A LITTLE OVERMATCHED MOVING THIS BIG OF A VEHICLE.

THE QUARTER-MILE TRIP WAS A FULL 17.1 SECONDS AT 82 MILES PER HOUR.

MORE OF THE SAME SOFTLY SPRUNG TUCK AND ROLL THAT WE EXPERIENCED ON THE STREET HERE AT OUR HANDLING COURSE...

BUT STEERING FEEL WAS BETTER THAN PAST JEEPS, AND THE L CERTAINLY BEHAVES APPROPRIATELY FOR ITS SIZE.

BRAKES WERE WELL ABOVE AVERAGE THOUGH; WITH STRONG AND CONSISTENT STOPS OF ONLY 105 FEET FROM 60 MILES PER HOUR.

REGARDLESS OF TRIM, THE GRAND CHEROKEE L IS A QUITE LUXURIOUS AND INVITING SPACE TO BE IN; AND WITH THE STRETCH, THERE'S A LOT MORE OF IT FOR CARGO TOO.

BEHIND 2ND ROW SPACE CLIMBS FROM 36.3 CUBIC-FEET TO 46.9, AND MAX GROWS FROM 68.3 TO 84.6; THERE'S EVEN 17.2 CUBIC-FEET OF SPACE WHEN THE 3RD ROW IS UP.

UP FRONT, A PAIR OF 10 INCH SCREENS ARE STANDARD; ONE IN THE CENTER FOR UCONNECT 5; AND ONE FOR THE DRIVER, AS A FRAMELESS DIGITAL GAUGE CLUSTER.

THE WIDER CENTER CONSOLE IS TRIMMED IN PIANO BLACK, AND HOUSES A ROTARY SHIFTER.

GOVERNMENT FUEL ECONOMY RATINGS FOR THE V6 ARE 18-CITY, 25-HIGHWAY, AND 21-COMBINED.

BUT WE AVERAGED JUST 19.1 MILES PER GALLON OF REGULAR.

STILL, THAT'S ONLY SLIGHTLY WORSE THAN AVERAGE FOR THE ENERGY IMPACT SCORE; CONSUMING 15.7 BARRELS OF OIL YEARLY, WITH 7.1 TONS OF CO2 EMISSIONS.

THERE'S A WIDE SPREAD OF GRAND CHEROKEE Ls TO CHOOSE FROM, STARTING AT THE BASE LAREDO FOR $38,690, WITH ANOTHER TWO GRAND FOR 4-WHEEL-DRIVE, AND STRETCHING ALL THE WAY TO TOP SUMMIT RESERVE TRIM BEGINNING AT A HEALTHY $63,690.

WHEN YOU HAVE SOMETHING GREAT, YOU WANT TO SHARE IT WITH AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE, THE 2021 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE L NOW PROVIDES SEATING FOR UP TO SEVEN, WHICH MEANS GROWING JEEP FAMILIES NO LONGER HAVE TO LOOK ELSEWHERE FOR COMFORTABLE 3-ROW CAPABILITY.

AND, JEEP IS DOUBLING THEIR EFFORTS; AS IN ADDITION TO THIS GRAND CHEROKEE L, IS AN ALL-NEW FULL-SIZE WAGONEER ON WHICH WE'LL HAVE A FULL ROAD TEST SOON.

SO, PLENTY OF REALLY BIG NEW JEEPS HEADED OUR WAY, WITH PLENTY OF ROOM TO BRING MORE FRIENDS ALONG FOR THE ADVENTURE!

WELL THAT'S OUR SHOW.

I HOPE YOU ENJOYED IT.

NOW FOR MORE MOTORWEEK ; INCLUDING DAILY NEWS UPDATES, PODCASTS, AND EVEN COMPLETE EPISODES, CRUISE ON OVER TO PBS.ORG/MOTORWEEK.

AND I HOPE YOU'LL JOIN US NEXT TIME... FOR OUR FIRST ALL-OUT TRACK TEST OF THE YEAR IN THE LEXUS IS500, THEN BACK TO THE STREET IN A MERCEDES S550, WE'LL TONE IT DOWN WITH TIPS FROM GOSS' GARAGE, AND STEPHANIE HART GOES FOR THE FULL PORSCHE EXPERIENCE.

TIL' THEN I'M JOHN DAVIS.

WE'LL SEE YOU RIGHT HERE ON MOTORWEEK !

Announcer: TO LEARN MORE ABOUT MOTORWEEK , TELEVISION'S ORIGINAL AUTOMOTIVE MAGAZINE, VISIT... MOTORWEEK HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO YOU BY... FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS LUCAS OIL PRODUCTS HAS HELPED PEOPLE TACKLE MECHANICAL PROBLEMS IN THE AUTOMOTIVE, MARINE, AND INDUSTRIAL FIELDS.

FROM OUR ORIGINAL FOUR CORE PRODUCTS... LUCAS OIL HAS DEVELOPED OVER 400 CUSTOM PRODUCTS TO HELP BOTH PROFESSIONALS AND DO IT YOURSELFERS.

TO LEARN MORE VISIT LUCASOIL.COM.

LUCAS OIL, KEEP THAT ENGINE ALIVE.

ROCKAUTO HAS AUTO PARTS FROM HUNDREDS OF MANUFACTURERS, OFFERING A VARIETY OF BRANDS, PRICES, AND SPECIFICATIONS.

ROCKAUTO.COM, ALL THE PARTS YOUR CAR WILL EVER NEED.

* Announcer: THIS PROGRAM WAS PRODUCED BY MARYLAND PUBLIC TELEVISION, WHICH IS SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR ITS CONTENT.

[SOUND OF CAR ENGINE REVVING] * YOU'RE WATCHING PBS.