Just a couple of days ago, the Jeep® brand posted a teaser photo for one of the brand’s upcoming vehicles on its social media pages. The post featured a beautiful western landscape and had the text of “Grand /grand/: magnificent and striking in appearance, size, or style.” With the launch of two new vehicles for the 2022 model year, using the Grand title in their nameplates, the all-new Grand Wagoneer (WS) will debut before the launch of the two-row Grand Cherokee (WL) next year.
While some were telling us our predictions were wrong and it had to be related to the yet to be named, a three-row variant of the Grand Cherokee that will launch in the first quarter of 2021, the Jeep brand released its first teaser of photos of its all-new premium Grand Wagoneer model confirming our thoughts. The upcoming Grand Wagoneer will be based on the fifth-generation Ram 1500 architecture, making it a true body-on-frame (BoF) Jeep vehicle like the Wrangler and Gladiator.
We have talked about the Grand Wagoneer, being the ultimate Jeep model, and taking on vehicles like the Lincoln Navigator, GMC Yukon Denali, and the ultra-luxury Cadillac Escalade in the full-size premium truck-based SUV market. The Grand Wagoneer will be the most advanced vehicle in the Jeep portfolio, if not the entire Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) portfolio when it launches.
Starting with infotainment, the Grand Wagoneer will offer a 12-inch Uconnect infotainment screen that is frameless. The system will, of course, be equipped with the company’s new Uconnect 5 software and will be accompanied by a new passenger-side entertainment that will allow the passenger to have their own screen to customize and be able to access various applications while on the road. A new rear-seat entertainment system will also be available and will build upon the successful Uconnect Theater system found in the current Chrysler Pacifica. The Grand Wagoneer will also feature the new Uconnect heads up display system, coming to several vehicles in the FCA lineup in 2022.
As far as the instrument panel, we are hearing the use of aluminum, premium wood, and leather will cover a lot of the surfaces. The standard gauges will be replaced by an all-new fully-customizable digital cluster that will seamlessly work with the heads up display as well. We are also being told that the new Grand Wagoneer will feature a new electronic rearview mirror system (like what is found in several premium GM vehicles).
The Grand Wagoneer will also have a Level 3 autonomy capabilities, allowing the vehicle to drive on the highway with limited input from the driver. You can also expect other new advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) like Lane Keep Assist, Active Blind Spot Assist, driver attention alert, Full-speed Forward Collision Warning-Plus, highway assist system, traffic jam assist system, and traffic sign recognition as standard equipment similar to what was introduced this year on the Alfa Romeo Stelvio and Giulia models.
For the first time ever, the all-new Grand Wagoneer will also feature a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) option. This will allow the Grand Wagoneer to run solely on battery power for around an estimated 30 miles we are being told. The system will use the new ZF-sourced 8HP hybrid transmission which will also be under the hood of the upcoming Wrangler Unlimited 4xe. Like the Wrangler, the Grand Wagoneer will also feature the 4xe nameplate but it will debut about a year after the standard Grand Wagoneer makes its debut.
There have also been some rumors surrounding that the Grand Wagoneer will offer a “Trail Rated” Trailhawk model, for those who look to tackle nature, as well as a Hellcat-powered Trackhawk model a year after the vehicle starts production at the Warren Truck Assembly Plant in Warren, Michigan in the second quarter of 2021.
Today, two photos were released teasing the new Grand Wagoneer and its unveiling date. The first picture is that of the nameplate badge along with the American flag badge that will adorn the front doors of the vehicle. The second photo shows the new push-button start, which as the picture shows, has a lot of details elements to it.
While no official unveiling date posted, the Grand Wagoneer has been on the minds for many of Jeep fans since former CEO Sergio Marchionne had announced the nameplate would return at the 2011 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit. The Ram-based Wagoneer would be the first full-size truck-based SUV from the former Chrysler Corporation since the Mexico-exclusive Dodge RamCharger ended production in 2001.
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