Jeep Grand Wagoneer revealed

Big, square-jawed, bristling with tech and dripping with luxury, the colossal new Jeep Grand Wagoneer has come out of hibernation after more than 25 years.

Providing the Jeep brand with a full-size luxury SUV to take on the likes of the Cadillac Escalade and Chevrolet Suburban in the US, the 2021 Jeep Grand Wagoneer is quite an eyeful.

And it’s a chance to come to Australia. Jeep has previously indicated the Grand Wagoneer would be a global model and although a Jeep Australia spokesperson wouldn’t be drawn on how far the ‘global’ tag extends, stating “Jeep isn’t commenting on future product at the moment,” the big blinged-out beast hasn’t been ruled out for our market either.

While the big seven-seat Jeep shares its ladder platform with the latest RAM 1500 pick-up truck, and is therefore bigger than Texas, it’s pitched as a genuine rival to high-end luxury machines like the Mercedes-Benz GLS, Range Rover and Lexus LX, and has lots of chrome and gold finishes to prove it.

There are several 3D-printed exterior elements, plus intricate cabin details, acres of sustainably sourced leather-like upholstery, aluminium accents and a whopping seven digital screens – two more than the just-launched Mercedes-Benz S-Class limousine and one ahead of the front passenger.

Although the Grand Wagoneer revealed last night was a ‘concept’ and no engine details were announced beyond its use of a plug-in hybrid powertrain, the design inside and out looks showroom-ready and Jeep has confirmed its new SUV flagship will enter production in Detroit next year.

Slotting into the Jeep range above the Grand Cherokee – which is expected to adopt many of the eye-popping luxury items, including some of the digital screens, when it's also renewed in 2021 – the Grand Wagoneer will be joined by a slightly less extravagant Wagoneer model in due course.

The opulent interior is arguably the headline act for the extra-large 4WD and its seven digital screens delivering 45 inches of digital splendour in the cockpit alone is quite an incredible feat. Here's the run down:

As in the Porsche Taycan, movies and TV shows can be streamed wirelessly onto the front passenger-side screen from a phone to wile away long drives.

The second-row seats have another three displays, taking the car's total digital screen real estate to a mind-numbing 80 inches. Just think how much an 80-inch TV costs! And how much power it consumes...

Jeep will also offer a high-fidelity audio system supplied by McIntosh with 23 speakers - which will probably match the vehicle's wheel size in inches.

Along with the plug-in hybrid powertrain, which could be a reworked version of the 280kW/637Nm 2.0-litre powerplant also revealed in the Wrangler 4xe overnight, expect to see a range of petrol V8s to be offered in future, potentially even a 500kW-plus Hellcat V8 for a tyre-flaying Trackhawk model.

Jeep reckons the Grand Wagoneer will be a proper off-roader with a total of three different four-wheel drive systems available, and air suspension will be standard across the range.

Jeep also says its new flagship 4x4 will deliver “unmatched” towing capabilities.

The 4WD systems and big towing capacity bode well for the regular and more affordable Jeep Wagoneer model that will take on the Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series and Nissan Patrol in due course.

Production of the Jeep Grand Wagoneer and Wagoneer models will begin in early 2021. The next-generation Jeep Grand Cherokee is expected to adopt many of the Wagoneer's bold new design, multimedia and powertrain technologies when it follows it into production later next year.