After a long wait, the Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer three-row SUVs will soon return to top Jeep’s SUV lineup, most likely for the 2022 model year.
Based on the same platform as the Ram 1500 pickup truck, the two SUVs will be Jeep’s answer to GM’s Chevy Tahoe / Suburban and GMC Yukon / Yukon XL.
These recent spy shots show how massive the Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer will be – just check out the photo in which the Grand Wagoneer prototype is shown near a Grand Cherokee, which is currently Jeep’s largest SUV available in North America.
There’s an interesting story about this particular 2022 Grand Wagoneer prototype, however, as our photographers spotted it just as its passenger-side wheels got stuck on a very soft shoulder somewhere in the USA. Those were certainly not ideal circumstances for Jeep, but for the guy with the camera it was a golden opportunity to snap the big SUV.
Since the wheels had sunk in badly where the roadside shoulder met a swampy lake, the Grand Wagoneer tilted precariously towards the water. Engineers then decided to immobilize the test vehicle instead of risking getting it sunk. They called a tow truck, which later arrived and pulled the prototype from the muck.
Photos of the aftermath revealed mud-caked tires and chunks of turf embedded in the Grand Wagoneer’s new independent rear suspension. Why do we believe we’re looking at the Grand Wagoneer and not the Wagoneer? Well, the length of the rear side windows and the sheer size of the rear overhang are pretty strong clues, not to mention it looks huge compared to the Grand Cherokee.
The run-in with the 2022 Grand Wagoneer prototype also provided photographers with a chance to snap the interior, which appears to feature a huge infotainment screen – likely the 12-inch vertical screen from the Ram 1500.
As for underpinnings, not much is known about the Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer other than the fact it will share the body-on-frame platform with the Ram 1500. This means it will be available with V6 and V8 gasoline powertrains, though the option of a 3.0-liter V6 EcoDiesel should not be ruled out either. An electrified power option is also on the table, according to recent reports.