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What do you do when you lay claim to creating the premium SUV segment, stop selling a powerful nameplate, and then decide to bring it back 30 years later? You come out swinging. In Jeep's case, it sticks a 6.4-liter V-8 engine under the hood of the 2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer to ensure everyone hears the model roar back to life.
Yup, when the 2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer returns to the market this summer, its default V-8 engine will pump out 471 hp and 455 lb-ft of torque. Jeep execs claim the SUV will accelerate from 0-60 mph in 6.0 seconds and tow almost 10,000 pounds.
We expect more variants of the big luxury SUV (hopefully, track- and off-road-oriented ones), including a plug-in gasoline-electric hybrid, to follow. At launch, however, the Grand Wagoneer will only offer one powertrain option.
There have been many attempts to bring the Wagoneer back. Introduced in 1962 as a premium SUV, the model got even more sumptuous with the 1984 Grand Wagoneer. Families made road trips and memories long after the lineup was discontinued in 1991.
The 2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer and the less-expensive 2022 Jeep Wagoneer arrive as the largest and most luxurious offerings in the American brand's model line. The Grand Wagoneer starts at $88,995. This summer the lineup will expand to include a new middle trim: the blacked-out Obsidian, which starts at $100,995. Opt for the top-of-the-line 2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer Series III and you're looking at a starting sum of $105,995, although it can be optioned up to $113,000.
"Jeep is re-introducing the Wagoneer name as a sub-brand to emphasize its upscale status as a more modern, tech-laden, and sophisticated vehicle relative to the brand's other offerings. The new SUVs don't have Jeep badging and don't need it. Instead, the model screams ""Grand Wagoneer"" in bold letters on its front, back, and sides."
The production Grand Wagoneer does not differ greatly from the Jeep Grand Wagoneer concept shown last September. It was an advanced look at what a short-wheelbase Grand Wagoneer plug-in hybrid might look like. The 2022 Jeep Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer will be built at the Warren, Michigan plant that also makes the Ram 1500.
The 2022 Grand Wagoneer separates itself from the lower-priced Wagoneer by way of its black roof, copper-colored tinted glass, and copper finish to its rear badging. It also has a unique laser-etched grille surrounded by liquid chrome. A fine chrome line encircles the entire vehicle, more chrome traces the U-shaped windows, underscoring Jeep's attempt to mimic the spirit of Wagoneers of old.
"On the sides the ""Grand Wagoneer"" name appears again, with an American flag, sitting above the scallop on the body side that hides the deployable step for greater ease getting in and out. Buyers have a choice of 20- or 22-inch aluminum wheels."
"The interior is a mix of metal, glossy black surfaces, warm wood, and supple quilted leather, with ambient lighting spilling out across the dash and onto the doors. Interior color schemes include a velvety all-black, a light sea-salt gray, a rich tan, and deep blue. Look for the ""EST. 1963"" inscribed on the outer edge of the instrument panel."
The two-spoke steering wheel pays homage to the original Wagoneer's. To optimize space, the new SUV features an aluminum rotary shifter that shares its style with the start/stop button (which is also wrapped in leather) and the buttons that adjust the ride height of the air suspension.
Both the Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer have the same interior layout, which affords seating for up to eight when equipped with a second-row bench seat. Available captain's chairs lower that sum to seven. The second-row seats tilt and slide in order to ease access to the third row.
"The Grand Wagoneer has a greater level of detail and more opulent materials compared to the lesser Wagoneer. The leather is nicer (it features so-called ""Palermo"" hides in the top trim), as is the stitching and trim. The big difference is the wood. You would think wood would be a standard in a Wagoneer, given its heritage, but in this modern reinvention, wood is used judiciously. American walnut with a grain like a kitchen butcher's block can be found on the dash, doors, and center console of the Grand Wagoneer."
A cool feature: an available touchpad-controlled safe under the split front armrest. Another option is a cooled storage bin.
There are 75 inches worth of screens available in the Grand Wagoneer, with up to four screens up front and three in the second row. Most of these screens swim in a sea of black glass and are well-integrated into the cabin. By comparison, the regular Wagoneer has only two available screens.
Not all of the Grand Wagoneer's screens are standard, though, and consumers will need to fork over extra cash to nab the 10.3-inch screens in the first and second rows that control the SUV's four climate zones and seat functions, as well as the 10.3-inch passenger screen that enables a co-pilot to answer texts for the driver, get and send directions to the driver, and control the independent streams of entertainment for the second row's two 10.1-inch screens.
A first for Jeep and the automotive industry is the integration of Amazon Fire TV for Auto in the Grand Wagoneer. It allows users to start a movie at home and port it to the vehicle seamlessly. For safety, the driver can't view such entertainment on the center screen unless the vehicle is parked and there is a privacy film over the passenger screen. The front passenger can watch a different flick than those in the back, too. Or they can sit back and enjoy the 1,375-watt McIntosh audio system with its 23 speakers.
Put the Jeep in Park and enter Relax Mode, which has five videos that use all the screens and ambient lighting to immerse you in a scenic getaway with fireplaces or waves or sunsets. Entertainment and gaming designers helped design how the screens move for the experience.
The Grand Wagoneer has wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as wireless charging and up to 11 USB ports. Controls are a mix of hard and haptic buttons. There's also an available digital rearview mirror and a head-up display system.
Four-wheel-drive is standard on the Grand Wagoneer. Three different systems are available, too: Quadra-Trac I for seamless all-wheel drive; Quadra-Trac II that adds a two-speed transfer case; and Quadra-Drive II with a rear electronic limited-slip differential. The five settings in the traction management system include two for off-road modes and the SUV has tow hooks and skid plates up front to further help it battle the elements.
The SUV's Quadra-Lift air suspension system has two off-road heights, which add as little as 1.0 and as much as 2.0 inches of ground clearance to the Grand Wagoneer's standard 8.0-inch ride height. Quadra-Lift augments the Jeep's multilink rear suspension and double-wishbone front setup.
The Grand Wagoneer has a 25-degree approach angle, 24-degree departure angle, 22-degree breakover angle, and can ford up to 24 inches of water. But even though it can tackle tough terrain, the Grand Wagoneer is not Trail Rated—it's simply too big. A more off-road version is likely in the cards.
The air suspension also lowers the Jeep by 1.6 inches to help the driver and passenger get in and out, while the system's Aero mode, which also closes the Grand Wagoneer's active grille shutters, automatically lowers the SUV by more than half an inch.
The 2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer is available with a full suite of safety systems. Those that assist the driver include a head-up display, a night vision system, drowsy-driver detection, and traffic sign recognition. Jeep's Hands-Free Active Driving Assist will be available later this year, as will automated parking.
Standard equipment includes the usual suspects, such as automatic emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, and blind-spot monitoring.
