MOAB, Utah — Designers working on the fifth-generation Jeep Grand Cherokee didn't want to reinvent the wheel.
They chose to refine it and build upon its legacy, said Mark Allen, Jeep brand's head of exterior design.
But there was a new challenge because they had to craft designs for a traditional two-row model, which arrives at dealerships by year end, as well as the nameplate's first three-row variant, which is already on sale.
Allen, 58, spoke with Staff Reporter Vince Bond Jr. at a media event here for the redesigned two-row Grand Cherokee. He discussed juggling the two-row and three-row designs and the approach to the Grand Cherokee 4xe, a plug-in hybrid due in early 2022. Here are edited excerpts.