National Dodge Chrysler Jeep RAM · Jacksonville, NC
Which Jeep Grand Cherokee Model Years Have a Third Row?
None of them. No standard Jeep Grand Cherokee has ever had a third row. The three-row version is a separate, longer model called the Grand Cherokee L, and Jeep has built it every model year since 2021.
Full model-year chart below, plus the seating and cargo numbers, and the one older Jeep that does explain why this question keeps coming up.
Grand Cherokee Third Row by Model Year
Read the badge on the tailgate. That one letter is the whole answer.
| Model | Model years | Third row | Seats |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Cherokee (ZJ, WJ, WK, WK2) | 1993 to 2021 | No | 5 |
| Grand Cherokee (WL, two-row) | 2022 to today | No | 5 |
| Grand Cherokee L The three-row one | 2021 to today | Yes | 6 or 7 |
| Jeep Commander (separate model) | 2006 to 2010 | Yes | 7 |
| Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer (separate models) | 2022 to today | Yes | 7, or 8 with the bench |
2021 is the year that trips people up. Jeep sold the outgoing two-row Grand Cherokee and the brand-new three-row Grand Cherokee L side by side as 2021 models. On a used listing from that year, check for the L.
What the Grand Cherokee L Actually Gives You
The L is not a package or an option box. It is a longer vehicle. It rides on a stretched wheelbase and runs roughly 11 inches longer overall than the two-row Grand Cherokee, and that added length is what the third row lives in.
Seating goes up to seven with a second-row bench. Order second-row captain's chairs instead and you get six, with a walkway between them that makes reaching the third row far easier when a child is climbing back there in a parking lot.
Cargo is where the difference shows most clearly. Jeep publishes 17.2 cubic feet behind the third row with every seat up, and up to 84.6 cubic feet with the second and third rows folded. The two-row Grand Cherokee tops out at 70.8 cubic feet.
What does not change: engines, four-wheel-drive systems, trim structure and the 6,200 lb towing rating all carry across both body styles. You are choosing length and seats, not capability.
Second and third rows in the Grand Cherokee L. The third row is the entire reason the L exists.
Up to 7 seats
Seven with the second-row bench, six with captain's chairs. The captain's chairs are the better choice if the third row will be used often.
17.2 cu ft behind row three
Enough for a full grocery run with all seven seats occupied, which is more than several rivals manage.
84.6 cu ft maximum
With the second and third rows folded. That is nearly 14 cubic feet more than the two-row Grand Cherokee's maximum.
Power-folding third row
Available on the L. It sounds like a small thing until you are holding a car seat in one hand and a diaper bag in the other.
Why This Question Keeps Coming Up: the Jeep Commander
Seats folded. The L's advantage is that it does this and still has a third row to put back up.
Between 2006 and 2010, Jeep sold a boxy seven-seat SUV called the Commander. It shared its platform with the Grand Cherokee of that era and was Jeep's first three-row, seven-occupant vehicle. It was discontinued after 2010.
That is where most of the confusion starts. Someone remembers a mid-2000s Jeep with three rows, assumes it was a Grand Cherokee, and goes looking for a model year that never existed. It was a Commander.
So if you are shopping used and a listing claims a 2008 Grand Cherokee seats seven, that is worth a second look at the title and the VIN before you drive to see it. The genuine used three-row Grand Cherokee starts at the 2021 Grand Cherokee L and nowhere earlier.
For more on the current lineup, see which Grand Cherokee model years had a V8, or our guide to the strongest Grand Cherokee model years if you are buying used.
Choosing Three Rows in Jacksonville and Onslow County
Around here the three-row question usually has one of two shapes behind it, and they point to different vehicles.
Occasional third row. Carpool to school, extra seats when family visits, four adults plus gear on a run to Wilmington. That is what the Grand Cherokee L is built for. It parks like a normal SUV, and the seats are there when you need them.
Full-time seven or eight. If the back row is occupied every day and everyone needs their own space, the Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer are the bigger answer. Both seat seven as standard with an eight-passenger bench available.
The practical local note: a Grand Cherokee L still fits comfortably in a base housing driveway and in the parking decks at Jacksonville Commons, where a full-size Wagoneer starts asking more of you. If you split the difference wrong, you will feel it every day, not on the road trip you bought it for.
The useful move is to sit in the third row of each one in a single visit rather than reading dimensions. Call ahead and we will line up whichever of them we have on the ground that day. Bring the car seats. We would rather you find out at 2223 N Marine Blvd than in your driveway.
If the third row turns out not to be the priority after all, the two-row Grand Cherokee is the shorter, easier-to-park version of the same vehicle.
Second-row captain's chairs leave a walkway to the third row, which matters more than the spec sheet suggests.
One check before you commit to a used L
Fold and raise the third row yourself, and on a power-folding car watch it cycle through the full range in both directions. Then sit in it. Third-row access and comfort are the two things people regret not testing, and they take about ninety seconds to check. Inventory changes weekly, so see what is listed right now or call and we will tell you which three-row Jeeps are on the ground today.
Grand Cherokee Third-Row Questions From Jacksonville Buyers
Which Jeep Grand Cherokee model years have a third row?
None of them. No standard Jeep Grand Cherokee has ever had a third row, in any model year from 1993 to today. The three-row version is a separate, longer model called the Grand Cherokee L, which Jeep introduced for the 2021 model year and has built every year since. If a listing says a Grand Cherokee has a third row, it is a Grand Cherokee L.
How many people does the Grand Cherokee L seat?
Up to seven. Order the second row as a bench and you get seven seats. Order it with captain's chairs and you get six, with a walkway between them that makes the third row much easier to reach. Jeep also offers a power-folding third-row bench, which matters more than it sounds when your hands are full in a parking lot.
How much cargo room is behind the third row of a Grand Cherokee L?
Jeep publishes 17.2 cubic feet behind the third row with all seats up, and up to 84.6 cubic feet with the second and third rows folded. For comparison, the two-row Grand Cherokee holds 70.8 cubic feet with its rear seats folded. The L is the one to buy if you need seats and cargo at the same time rather than one or the other.
What is the difference between a Grand Cherokee and a Grand Cherokee L?
Length and seats. The L rides on a longer wheelbase and stretches about 11 inches further overall, and that extra length is what makes room for the third row. Engines, four-wheel-drive systems, trims and the 6,200 lb towing rating carry across both. If you do not need seven seats, the standard Grand Cherokee is shorter, easier to park and does everything else the same.
Did Jeep ever build a three-row SUV before the Grand Cherokee L?
Yes, the Jeep Commander. It was sold from 2006 through 2010, seated seven, and shared its platform with the Grand Cherokee of that era. It is a separate model with its own name and its own boxy styling, not a Grand Cherokee variant. If you are shopping used and someone tells you a mid-2000s Grand Cherokee has a third row, they are describing a Commander.
Which other Jeep models have a third row today?
The Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer, both introduced for 2022. Both seat seven as standard, with an eight-passenger bench available. They are larger and more expensive than the Grand Cherokee L, so the practical question is usually whether you need three rows or three rows plus full-size-SUV space. Call ahead and we will line up whichever of the three we have on the ground that day so you can compare them in one visit.
Seating, cargo and towing specifications verified against jeep.com Grand Cherokee specs and the Jeep Grand Cherokee L three-row page on September 8, 2026.
Sit in the Third Row Before You Buy It
We are at 2223 N Marine Blvd in Jacksonville, on the main auto corridor and a short run from either Camp Lejeune gate. Bring the car seats and the tallest kid. Third-row comfort is not something a spec sheet settles.
Sales: (910) 347-3777
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What Jacksonville Drivers Say
Compare Three-Row Jeeps in One Visit
Grand Cherokee L, Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer, side by side on N Marine Blvd. Call ahead and we will have the ones you want to see pulled up front.
National Dodge Chrysler Jeep RAM · 2223 N Marine Blvd, Jacksonville, NC 28546