While Fiat-Chrysler confirmed in February that a new Jeep Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer are in the pipeline for 2021, we’ve yet to see a real hint of the finalized, modernized three-row design. Now spy photographers have captured the best images of a large, camouflaged SUV that definitively looks like the Wagoneer or Grand Wagoneer in early road testing.
First, the vehicle in the images looks like the right size to be riding on a Ram 1500 truck platform, so it’s a strong possibility that Jeep will be returning to the body-on-frame SUV category with its reborn Wagoneer. That means it’ll almost definitely feature a 5.7-liter Hemi V8 among other powertrain options, as Car and Driver points out. Don’t be surprised to also see the eTorque mild-hybrid setup from the Ram along with some sort of V6 offering. The 3.6-liter Pentastar block currently found across FCA’s lineup will be a decade old by the time this truck hits the streets, but FCA loves nothing more than to max out a product or part lifespan, so it could find its way over here as well.
A plug-in hybrid variant is also likely in due time, as Jeep has previously discussed its development of the technology.
As far as the design goes, and whether Jeep will be brave enough to offer woodgrain, it’s still anyone’s guess under all that camo. It would make sense to share at least some of the styling cues of the Jeep Grand Cherokee, though that model’s next generation is also due in two years. It’s more likely the Wagoneer’s sheet metal would be based at least in part on that newer, as-yet-unseen Grand Cherokee. But what we can see is that the big Jeep is long and boxy like the Chevy Tahoe and Ford Expedition. Rumor is the Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer will have a similar relationship to the Tahoe and Suburban, too—the former serving as the smaller option and the latter a more spacious SUV with a longer wheelbase and higher price tag.
Jeep says the Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer will reach production in 2021 at the Warren Truck plant, which was recently treated to a $1.5-billion investment of its own. Collectively, they’ll round out the manufacturer’s growing full-size lineup which is also said to include a new model that’ll slot between the Grand Cherokee and Wagoneer. This is all part of Jeep’s continued dedication to expanding its lineup in a market that loves SUVs and isn’t afraid to pay the price for them, either.