2022 Jeep Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer clearly designed for Middle East

Jeep’s Wagoneer is an iconic name, at least in America. Since it went the way of the Dodo in the early 90s after surviving with minor changes for three decades, Jeep aficionados have been asking for a reboot. Now Jeep has brought the name back on the tailgates of the new 2022 Jeep Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer. The new flagship Jeeps plan to push the brand into a premium territory less explored by Jeep, and clearly targeting the U.S. market as well as the Middle East, as evidenced by the white paintjob on the earlier concept.

The Jeep Grand Wagoneer is just a dressed-up version of the Wagoneer, the former apparently attempting to compete with luxury brands while the latter taking on the mainstream full-sizers.

The new behemoth Jeep larger than the formerly-largest full-size SUV, the Chevy Tahoe, which was already larger than the enlarged current-gen Ford Expedition, which in turn is bigger than the Nissan Patrol Y62 which ironically used to be the largest SUV in its class when it debuted in 2010. Honestly, this game of wheelbase-measuring has no winners after a certain point when your daily driver becomes the size of a school bus.

The plusher Jeep Grand Wagoneer goes squarely against the flashy members of the full-size SUV family like the Cadillac Escalade, Lincoln Navigator and GMC Yukon Denali as well as the Infiniti QX80 and Lexus LX570, as well as possibly dreaming of beating the Range Rover and the German bit-players. Giving the edge to the Jeeps is their class-leading third-row and cargo space. Even with all the seats up, the Jeeps provide a cargo space of 775 litres. The generous 3124 mm wheelbase helps the Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer all this space inside.

The tall oddly minivan-like design Wagoneer twins get a seven-slot grille, massive glass areas and an almost upright rear hatch. The seats of the Wagoneer are covered with Nappa leather while the upscale Grand Wagoneer gets equally upscale Palermo leather.

The interior design has certain elements that loosely hark back to the original Wagoneer. These include the two-spoke steering wheel and horizontal HVAC outlets.

Modernising the cabin are the 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster in the Grand Wagoneer (10.3-inch in the Wagoneer) and a large 10.1-inch central touchscreen for the infotainment system. There is yet another screen, an optional 10.3-inch unit that serves as the control panel for the HVAC system and other comfort features.

That’s not all – the Grand Wagoneer gets one more screen, a 10.3 inch unit for the front passenger, helping the “co-pilot” control features like navigation, media, and mirror his/her smartphone. The screen gets a privacy filter to avoid distracting the driver.

And then there are rear passengers, who get a piece of the pie too. They get a pair of 10.1-inch screens mounted to the front seatbacks. And in the models with bucket seats in the second row, yet another 10.3-inch screen pops up on the centre console between them. That is a total of 7 screens, possibly overkill, but definitely a selling point for some.

The audio system is tremendous too. The Wagoneer gets a 19-speaker unit from McIntosh audio, a renowned home stereo brand making its first foray into the automotive arena. The plush Jeep Grand Wagoneer, in its top trim, gets an even more impressive 23-speaker, 1950-watt unit with 3D sound processing.

Powering the Jeep Wagoneer is an updated version of the aging 5.7-litre V8 with a mild-hybrid system strapped on. This powertrain produces 392 hp and 548 Nm and is hooked up to an eight-speed automatic transmission.

There are three four-wheel-drive systems to choose from. Quadra-Trac I is the basic version with a single-speed unit. A two-speed transfer case gets added to form the next option, the Quadra-Trac. The fully blown version is the Quadra-Drive II, which adds a two-speed transfer case and an electronic limited-slip differential. All the off-road chops get coupled with the robust body-on-frame construction and Jeep’s optional Quadra-Lift air suspension, earning the Wagoneer the coveted “Trail Rated” badge. The badge guarantees the off-road capability expected from anything with a seven-slot grill.

The burlier Jeep Grand Wagoneer gets SRT’s carryover 6.4-litre V8, churning out 471 hp and 617 Nm. The eight-speed auto is standard, as are the Quadra-Trac II four-wheel-drive system and the air suspension system. The Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer will get Active Driving Assist, which adds lane-centering, forward collision warning, blind-spot monitoring and adaptive cruise control. More details on this safety suite are yet to be revealed, but it doesn’t look like there is any form of autonomous driving features.

The price for the 2022 Jeep Wagoneer starts at US$ 57,995 (Dhs 213,013) in the United States while the larger Grand Wagoneer starts at US$ 86,995 (Dhs 319,528). If you want all bells and whistles, you can opt for the Grand Wagoneer Obsidian, which will soon be available. The Obsidian will set you back by $98,995 (Dhs 363,604) in the United States. That is a lot of money for a Jeep, and expect a hefty dealer mark-up initially when they land in UAE and GCC dealers, like the sales dud that was the Jeep Gladiator. Word is that long-wheelbase versions of the Wagoneer twins are coming (similar to the Chevy Suburban), as mentioned during the launch of the Grand Wagoneer Concept launch last year.