Jeep begins teasing Grand Wagoneer ahead of 2021 release
Jeep has begun to tease glimpses of the upcoming 2022 Jeep Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer, a Ram 1500-based SUV that looks to square up with GM and Ford’s full-size, three-row people carriers. With the massive renovations wrapping up at FCA’s Warren, Michigan assembly plant, where the Ram 1500 pickup is currently assembled, this announcement doesn’t come as a surprise.
— Jeep (@Jeep) August 10, 2020
— Jeep (@Jeep) August 14, 2020
Dropping the unibody construction of the Grand Cherokee for a body-on-frame truck chassis will ensure that the new SUV has plenty of hauling and towing capacity, though the Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer have been spotted in prototype testing with a unique independent rear suspension not found on any Ram pickup.
This move is critical in the new SUV’s up-market aspirations, allowing it to aim for the likes of the Suburban and Expedition as much as the Escalade and Navigator. Such a rear suspension set up would help the Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer to share the refined ride quality and handling of contemporary full-sizers—a segment that would be nearly impossible to challenge with a traditional solid axle flying around beneath the floorboards. Styling is rumored to be rooted firmly in the Grand Cherokee’s more conservative roots, eschewing the retro cues so beloved in the Wrangler, the Gladiator, and the Renegade.
