New Jeep Grand Wagoneer will be big

What’s big, American and set to be Jeep’s most luxurious vehicle to date? The Jeep Grand Wagoneer, that’s what.

The American off-road brand has previewed the front-end of its imposing new seven-seat Jeep Grand Wagoneer, revealing a monster of a machine via the Jeep Instagram page.

With a hint of the Jeep Grand Cherokee about it, only with significantly wider wheel-arches and a more expansive front-end, the all-new SUV will take the fight to big, capable, lavish 4WDs like the Range Rover and Lexus LX.

The seven-seat Jeep Grand Wagoneer and Wagoneer vehicles will be revealed on Thursday September 3 in the USA, reviving a much-loved nameplate for the brand that will also provide it with a high-end three-row SUV.

Thus far Jeep has teased gold badges, previewed a leather-covered interior and shown a blinged-out chrome grille, highlighting an attention to detail and level of luxury never seen before in a Jeep vehicle.

The new model is also expected to employ a range of advanced technologies, from in-car entertainment systems to driver assistance systems that will help steer, brake and accelerate the car automatically.

The question is, should BMW and Mercedes be worried? Along with the silhouette of its new model, Jeep revealed the Grand Wagoneer's catch-cry: “The shape of premium returns”.

Parent company Fiat Chrysler Automobiles' most recent financial reports confirmed that Jeep will commence production of the Grand Wagoneer in the second quarter of 2021.

Like the standard, less luxurious Jeep Wagoneer that will follow, it's expected to be available in both five- and seven-seat configurations.

Based on the same rugged ladder-frame chassis as the latest DT-series RAM 1500 pick-up, the Grand Wagoneer will be a genuine off-roader. Unlike the RAM, however, the flagship Jeep is understood to be a global model and is odds-on to be sold in Australia as the brand confirms its commitment to right-hand drive markets.

In Australia, Jeep is best known for the Wrangler and Grand Cherokee, with the Gladiator ute adding another string to its bow.

While the Grand Wagoneer will be a super-luxury machine, the regular Wagoneer will be a rival for the Toyota LandCruiser and Nissan Patrol and would be another popular product for Jeep in Australia.

Powertrains for the big American 4X4s are unknown at this stage but Jeep has plenty of traditional engines to draw on, including naturally aspirated and supercharged V8 powerplants for the top-spec model grades. Expect V6 engines to feature at launch and hybrid powertrains in the future.

It’s not yet clear whether diesel power will be available.

The next couple of years will be crucial for Jeep Australia, whose sales have nose-dived over the past few years due to perceived reliability problems that haven’t been helped by the Grand Cherokee being one of the most recalled vehicles available.

Following the commencement of production for the Grand Wagoneer and Wagoneer in early 2021, an all-new Jeep Grand Cherokee will begin rolling out of the factory later in 2021.

Stay tuned for more details on the Jeep Wagoneer range ahead of its September 3 global premiere.