Jeep unveils long-awaited Grand Wagoneer SUV, which exceeds $ 111,000

DETROIT – Jeep’s long-awaited Grand Wagoneer SUV will push the quintessential off-road brand into luxury vehicles with a fully loaded model, which exceeds $ 111,000, when it goes on sale later this year.

The new three-row SUV will test whether Jeep can expand its product range in the profitable segment of luxury SUVs and attract new customers from Cadillac, Lincoln and Land Rover. Jeep has developed its regular SUVs into a full range of vehicles in recent years, amid an influx of new competitors.

Grand Wagoneer will be the premium brother of a less expensive SUV called Wagoneer, which will start at $ 57,995. Both vehicles are the same size, but the Grand Wagoneer – starting at $ 86,995 – has a slightly different exterior design, a more powerful engine and exclusive interior features. Both vehicles are scheduled to be unveiled online on Thursday.

“Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer were born from Jeep, but their character is different from the rest of the brand,” Jeep CEO Christian Meunier said during a media briefing before the unveiling. “They are modern and forward-looking. There is pure DNA that we build to make these products absolutely unique.”

While the exterior of the Grand Wagoneer is unmistakably a Jeep, the interior of the SUV may seem unrecognizable to current owners. It has up to 75 inches of screens, including a 10.25-inch touch screen available in front of the passenger, which can stream videos and Amazon TV and control certain functions, such as navigation cameras and outdoor cameras.

The interior of the vehicle also has premium materials such as satin American walnut, aluminum and 24-way electric seats, finished in leather or nappa or Palermo.

“You can take this Grand Wagoner interior against anything on the market,” said Jim Morrison, head of Jeep’s North American operations. “I’m not just saying SUVs, you can do this against anything on the market.”

Overall, the Wagoneer has fewer standard features and premium materials compared to the Grand Wagoneer. For example, the less expensive Wagoneer has screens up to 50 inches compared to 75 inches. Some screens are smaller and do not offer touch screens for convenience settings. Amazon Fire TV is available on both the passenger touch screen and the passenger screen, which is blocked from view by the driver through a filter.

Jeep said both Wagoneer models will eventually offer a hands-free assistance system on “approved roads,” but a spokesman declined to provide further details. The vehicles will be launched with a driver assistance system, which will be able to control the vehicle’s speed, braking and distance between other vehicles, but drivers will have to keep their hands on the wheel.

Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer are expected to arrive in dealerships in the second half of 2021, including a top model Grand Wagoneer Series III, which starts at $ 103,995. Jeep is taking $ 500 refundable deposits for both vehicles through the Jeep website starting Thursday.

Jeep dealers must be certified to sell the models. Certification includes training and an undisclosed investment. They have to fulfill 10 “promises” for Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer owners, ranging from free Wi-Fi and car washes to service visits to a “high-tech, efficient sales and service experience.” The car manufacturer will also provide non-stop customer support for owners.

“Customer satisfaction with both the product and the way they are treated throughout the purchase process is critical to the entire Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer experience,” said Meunier.

The Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer names were previously used by Jeep for large SUVs from 1963 to 1991. The company had promised to revive the Wagoneer name for nearly a decade as a way to better compete in the large SUV segment, extremely profitable.

Vehicles with seven or eight passengers are largely based on a conceptual version of the vehicle that the company unveiled last year. The concept contained similar design elements, as well as many of the features and interior screens. Remarkable missing elements in the concept include an illuminated grille, a full glass roof and a plug-in hybrid gasoline-electric motor.

Jeep has announced that all of its new models will offer some form of electrification, such as the plug-in hybrid system, however, executives declined to comment on alternative propulsion systems for the Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer. Meunier said the brand “has an electrification plan.”

Jeep’s new parent company, Stellantis – the product of a $ 52 billion merger between automakers Fiat Chrysler and Groupe PSA – plans to offer a range of all-electric or hybrid vehicles by 2025.

The Wagoneer comes standard with a lightweight 5.7-liter V-8 hybrid with 392 horsepower and 404 pounds of torque. The Grand Wagoneer is standard with a 6.4-liter V-8 engine with 471 horsepower and 455 foot torque. Each engine is associated with an eight-speed automatic transmission.

The hybrid engine has a 48-volt battery to provide better fuel consumption and faster acceleration, as well as other benefits.

Jeep has not released fuel consumption estimates.