Spy shots of the 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee-based three-row SUV.

Jeep's three-row SUV based on the next-generation Grand Cherokee has been spotted for the first time.

This vehicle is not to be mistaken for the long-awaited Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer duo, which will ride on the full-size, body-on-frame platform of the latest Ram 1500 pickup truck. Rather, it will be a new mid-size contender alongside the Grand Cherokee.

Just as Jeep uses a different name for its Gladiator pickup truck, even though it is based on the Wrangler.

Comparing the latest spy shots with earlier shots of the redesigned Grand Cherokee, the three-row SUV will feature similar styling to its smaller sibling up front; the three-row SUV will likely have longer rear doors and storage space; the three-row SUV will also have a longer wheelbase, which could be a good thing. It may also have a longer wheelbase.

According to parent company Fiat Chrysler Automobile's latest plans for Jeep in 2018, the redesigned Grand Cherokee, and by extension the new three-row SUV, will ride on a modified Alfa Romeo Stelvio platform and will feature advanced automated driving technology to be mounted on the vehicle. Electrification will also play an important role, and powertrain options are expected to include plug-in hybrids; Jeep's plug-in hybrid technology, called 4xe, has already been announced for the Wrangler, Compass, and Renegade.

The redesigned Grand Cherokee and new three-row SUV are expected to arrive around the end of the year as 2021 models. Production will repurpose the Mack Avenue Engine Complex in Detroit. Jeep will also use the nearby Jefferson North Assembly Plant for additional Grand Cherokee production.

The Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer will follow in 2021 as 2022 models. The rival Escalade and Navigator will be produced at FCA's idle Warren Truck Assembly Plant just north of Detroit.

Interestingly, FCA will continue to offer the Dodge Durango in the mid-size segment. This three-row SUV is about to be refreshed.