The name Grand Wagoneer it's history on Jeep. The original, only Wagoneer, appeared in 1962 (SJ generation) and was one of the forerunners of today's premium or luxury SUVs — it predated the Range Rover by eight years.
The SJ would remain in production for 29 years — it never stopped evolving — gaining the prefix Grand in 1984 and keeping it until 1991, the end of its production. The name would return soon — just a year — in 1993 in a version of the Grand Cherokee.
Since then, Jeep's flagship has been the Grand Cherokee — not anymore. The Grand Wagoneer will take over these roles. It is being anticipated by this concept that, truth be told, it has very little concept, being nothing more than a production model with additional “makeup” and 24″ mega-wheels.
What to expect from the new Jeep Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer?
Unlike the new Grand Cherokee, also scheduled for 2021, the new Grand Wagoneer will not have a unibody body. It will be based on a more traditional chassis with spars and crossmembers, inherited from the robust Ram pick-up. No wonder, therefore, that it appears to be quite vast in size.
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Jeep says that the production model will have a choice of three four-wheel drive systems, independent suspension on two axles, as well as mount the Quadra-Lift air suspension. Being a Jeep, even a luxury one, the off-road skills have not been forgotten and they are expected to be very competent.
The North American brand did not come up with many more technical specifications, referring only that this concept is electrified, being a plug-in hybrid.
The ultimate premium SUV?
For the first time in its history, the Grand Wagoneer will have a maximum capacity of up to seven seats and, despite the more “utilitarian” base on which it rests, the Jeep's goal for the Grand Wagoneer is clear, to be the ultimate premium SUV on the market.
It seems to be in the right direction. Its shapes are undeniably Jeep — with touches that evoke the Wagoneers and Grand Wagoneers of yesteryear — but they present a level of sophistication and detail that we're not used to seeing in the American brand.
The same can be said of the interior, which seems to have the same levels of refinement and sophistication of a contemporary luxury saloon, where we see an improved combination of materials and technological elements, including screens, even many screens.
There are seven (!) in total, and all of them generous in size, the screens we can see inside this Grand Wagoneer concept — will they all make it to the production model? They'll run the UConnect 5 system, which Jeep says is five times faster than the UConnect 4. The center console has two generous screens — reminiscent of the Range Rover's Touch Pro Duo system — and even the front passenger has a screen to match. disposition.
Highlight also for the presence of a McIntosh audio system with 23 speakers.
Will we see the Grand Wagoneer on this side of the Atlantic?
For the time being, it only has a guaranteed presence in the North American market, with its arrival scheduled for 2021. Nothing has been advanced about a possible commercialization of this leviathan in the “old continent”.
Among its potential rivals will be the unavoidable Range Rover, but its domestic rivals are easier to identify. The Wagoneer will target the Ford Expedition or Chevrolet Tahoe, while the more luxurious Grand Wagoneer will target segment leader Cadillac Escalade and the Lincoln Navigator, all also derived from the chassis of large and popular North American pick-ups.
