Jeep presents the highly anticipated Grand Wagoneer SUV, which exceeds $ 111,000

DETROIT: Jeep’s highly anticipated Grand Wagoneer SUV will propel the quintessential off-road brand toward luxury vehicles with a fully loaded model that will surpass $ 111,000 on sale later this year.

The new three-row SUV will test whether Jeep can expand its product range to the lucrative luxury SUV segment and attract new customers the size of Cadillac, Lincoln and Land Rover. Jeep has turned its main SUVs into a full range of vehicles in recent years amid an influx of new competitors.

The Grand Wagoneer will be the premium sibling of a less expensive SUV called the Wagoneer, which will start at $ 57,995. Both vehicles are the same size, but the Grand Wagon, starting at $ 86,995, features a slightly different exterior design, a more powerful engine, and exclusive interior comforts. The two vehicles are scheduled to be introduced online on Thursday.

“Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer are born from Jeep, but their character is different from the rest of the brand,” Jeep CEO Christian Meunier said during a pre-presentation briefing. “They are modern and future-oriented. There is pure DNA that we are building to make these products absolutely unique.”

While the exterior of the Grand Wagoneer is unmistakably a Jeep, the interior of the SUV may seem unrecognizable to current owners. It has screens up to 75 inches, including a 10.25-inch touch screen available in front of the passenger that can stream videos and Amazon’s Fire TV and control certain functions such as navigation and external cameras.

The interior of the vehicle also features premium materials such as satin American walnut wood, aluminum and electric seats upholstered in Nappa or Palermo leather.

“You can pit this interior of the Grand Wagoner against anything on the market,” said Jim Morrison, head of U.S. Jeep operations. “Not only do I say no SUV, but you can fight anything on the market.”

Overall, the Wagoneer has fewer standard features and premium materials compared to the Grand Wagoneer. For example, the cheaper Wagoneer has screens up to 50 inches compared to 75 inches. Some of the screens are smaller and do not offer touch screens to set up comfort. Amazon Fire TV is available in both a touch screen for passengers, which is blocked in the driver’s view by a filter.

Jeep said both Wagoneer models will end up offering a hands-free assistance system to the driver on “approved roads,” but a spokesman declined to offer additional details. Vehicles will be launched with a driver assistance system that will be able to control the speed, braking and spacing of the vehicle among other vehicles, but drivers will need to keep their hands on the wheel.

Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer are expected to hit dealerships during the second half of 2021, including a high-end Grand Wagoneer Series III model starting at $ 103,995. Jeep will be made with refundable deposits of $ 500 for both vehicles through the Jeep website starting Thursday.

Jeep dealers must be certified to sell the models. Certification includes training and an undisclosed investment. They have to fulfill 10 “promises” for Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer owners, ranging from free Wi-Fi and car wash on service visits to a “high-tech, efficient service and sales experience”. The carmaker will also offer 24-hour customer support for owners.

“Customer satisfaction with both the product and the treatment they have throughout the purchase process is paramount to the entire Wagoneer and Grand Wagon experience,” Meunier said.

The Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer names were previously used by Jeep for large SUVs from 1963 to 1991. The company had promised to revive the Wagoneer name for nearly a decade as a way to better compete in the high-profit SUV segment. .

Seven- or eight-passenger vehicles are largely based on a conceptual version of the vehicle the company introduced last year. The concept included similar design elements as well as much of the features and displays of the interior. The missing elements of the concept are a lighted grille, a full glass roof and a plug-in hybrid gasoline-electric motor.

Jeep has announced that all of its new models will offer some form of electrification, such as the plug-in hybrid system, though executives declined to comment on alternative propulsion systems for the Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer. Meunier said the brand “has an electrification plan.”

Jeep’s new parent company, Stellantis, the product of a $ 52 billion merger between carmakers Fiat Chrysler and Groupe PSA, plans to offer a range of all-electric or hybrid vehicles by 2025.

The Wagoneer comes standard with a sleek 5.7-liter V-8 hybrid with 392 horsepower and 404 pounds of torque. The Grand Wagoneer comes standard with the 6.4-liter V-8 engine with 471 horsepower and 455 pound-feet of torque. Each engine is paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission.

The hybrid engine features a 48-volt battery to provide better fuel economy and faster acceleration, as well as other benefits.

Jeep did not release fuel consumption estimates for the vehicles.