The Grand Wagoneer, before being dropped nearly 30 years ago, was a standard-bearer of luxury for Jeep.
Now Jeep is ready to head back upstream with a modern take on the storied nameplate, which is expected to arrive at dealerships next summer, putting the brand in position to take on the likes of Range Rover while tapping the American consumer’s unwavering appetite for well-appointed light trucks.
The latest Grand Wagoneer makes its debut as a tech-laden, plug-in hybrid concept that includes the industry’s first passenger infotainment screen in an SUV. The 10.25-inch screen, which is shielded from the driver by a privacy film on the glass, allows occupants to find destinations and send them to the driver, for example.
The main infotainment screen in the center console is 12.1 inches. Chris Benjamin, lead designer for the concept’s interior, said the front passenger will be as “equally entertained as the driver and the rear-seat passengers.”
Production of the Grand Wagoneer and its mainstream sibling, the Wagoneer, will start in the second quarter of 2021 at Fiat Chrysler’s Warren, Mich., truck assembly plant in suburban Detroit.
