 The Autoweek Dispatch: Jeep's Grand Wagoneer Is Back! Well, at least as a concept. BY WES RAYNAL The Grand Wagoneer concept is going to give way to the production version sometime next year, and it wasn't the only news our off-roading friends made this week: Jeep also showed its upcoming Wrangler in plug-in hybrid form. Here's what's happening in the car world: QUOTE OF THE WEEK "Our new Grand Wagoneer Concept marks the first step in the rebirth of Wagoneer—a true and rare premium American icon. With the electrification of each Jeep nameplate coming in the next few years, and the reintroduction of Wagoneer, we are quickly expanding into new segments and more premium space." —Christian Meunier, Jeep's global president, on the Grand Wagoneer concept's launch and what it means to Jeep.
FROM THE EDITOR'S DESK Sometime next year Jeep is going to launch production versions of the Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer. The trucks mean a lot to FCA, and you probably already know the basics about the concept and its gorgeous interior, almost 45 inches of touchscreen, hybrid powertrain ... Jeep said the production car will have three available 4x4 systems, the Quadra-Lift air suspension and independent front and rear suspension, among other attributes. You can find our thorough coverage here. One question I think deserves a bit more attention is, what exactly do Jeep officials mean when they say the Wagoneer "will ultimately become a portfolio of vehicles," as Jeep global president Christian Meunier has said? We reached out to Meunier to find out. "Wagoneer is not a Jeep, but it's rooted in Jeep," Meunier told Autoweek. "You can tell. There are a lot of Jeep cues and a few Easter eggs hidden here and there, but I would call Wagoneer the premium extension of Jeep. "We want to take Jeep to another level," Meunier told us. "We know the customer has different expectations and it's important to us to project and push ourselves to what we know we can do." Meunier told Autoweek Jeep as a brand has very defined values, leaning more toward the outdoor lifestyle, "not 100% compatible with the premium world of comfort and technology. "Wagoneer is about authenticity, craftsmanship, technology, comfort and capability. That's the one thing that brings Wagoneer and other Jeeps together. This vehicle is going to deliver a level of premium as it had never been delivered until the first-generation Wagoneer. They're going to be well ahead of the competition, more capable than the competition with more attention to detail, more craftsmanship and more technology in one package." The trucks will be called Wagoneer, not Jeep Wagoneer, Meunier told us. He said there will be the Wagoneer and the top-of-the line Grand Wagoneer, the latter which will compete with the Range Rover and the Cadillac Escalade. Wagoneer will tangle with the more mainstream SUVs. FCA is looking into separate showrooms for the Wagoneer line. "Pricing will be between $60,000 and $100,000-plus," he told us, "and we'll cover the market very well with different levels of technology, different amenities, but always with the purpose of a premium product, even the $60,000 model." Meunier told us showing a top-line Grand Wagoneer first is completely intentional. "We designed the best of the best and then we are going to see how we can keep the premium-ness, the design, the authenticity and the craftsmanship and bring the product to around $60,000." And speaking of design, I asked design boss Ralph Gilles how close the concept is to what we'll see next year. "Very close," he told us. "Fundamentally this is the production car. It was easy to make the concept car from the production car. "It's a flagship for the brand, but in many ways this is a flagship for FCA," Gilles said. "There's years and years of know-how and development and learning—we put it all in here. It's our North Star." A new Grand Wagoneer has been a long time coming. In fact our 2011 story quoting then- CEO Sergio Marchionne said the seven-seat Grand Wagoneer would be out in 2013. "The time spent was well spent for us to get the perfect product, and I think we have it," Meunier said. We can't wait to drive them all. CAR NEWS AND NOTES Quick Spin No. 7 has LA's own Mark Vaughn in the seventh-gen VW GTI, a car nearing the end of its road with the eighth-gen model just around the corner. Vaughn just finished three months tooling around LA in the GTI. He calls it practical but fun, whetting all of our appetites for the new one. The Jeep Grand Wagoneer mentioned above is hogging the limelight, but Jeep also showed off its plug-in hybrid Wrangler, the 4xe, a truck I'd argue is mighty important itself. The 2.0-liter turbo-four combines with the high-voltage, liquid-cooled motor generator and a 400-volt, 17-kWh, 96-cell battery pack to add up to a Hemi-like 375-hp and 470 lb-ft of torque. Don't be surprised to see this powertrain in upcoming Jeeps—the Gladiator could be next. RACING LINES Incredibly this weekend's Italian Grand Prix is the last race for the Williams family in the sport. Sir Frank Williams and his family have been in F1 for 43 years—739 races, 114 wins, nine constructors' titles and seven driver titles. The team has been sold to New York-based investment firm Dorilton Capital and Williams Racing's deputy team principal Claire Williams is stepping down after this weekend. She's been with the team since 2002 and took over the day-to-day operation in 2013. NASCAR boss Steve Phelps said it's possible the sanctioning body could release the 2021 schedule in chunks, much like it did this summer while assessing where it could race and which states would allow potential fans in attendance amid the pandemic. That said, we expect the 2021 season to begin with Speedweeks and the Daytona 500, even if the infield remains closed to everyone but participants. Phelps doesn't anticipate postponing The Great American Race until further in the year even if that means reduced revenue and decreased sponsorship activation from a closed-off infield.
WHAT WE'RE DRIVING Who needs a 500-hp crossover? Lots of people, and you know who you are. Thus Vaughn is putting the new Audi SQ7 through its paces. The SUV indeed brings V8 power and performance (and better handling) to the three-row crossover. Audi says it has "a ton of customers who have been waiting for V8s in this car." Asked to define "ton," he had no specific figure to share, but we'll say "ton" equals "a lot." As Vaughn says, drive the new Audi and you'll rule the school ... parking lot.
MOSTLY ODDS, SOME ENDS In homage to the new Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer we thought a Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer gallery was in order. For nearly 30 years the trucks secured a place in the SUV pantheon. Even though it's been absent from the Jeep lineup for 30-plus years, its fans readily felt the originals' absence. Indeed as a new Jeep model dawns, go ahead and take a look back at the original, which spanned 28 years and three corporate parents.
LISTEN UP On this episode of the Autoweek Podcast, No. 125, I talk with Wesley Wren about the finally revealed Jeep Grand Wagoneer concept and the path to production. We also discuss Jeep's Wrangler 4xe and other new products joining the Jeep lineup globally. After the Jeep discussion, Robin Warner chops it up with Fernando Alonso, and closing the show Susan Wade talks with Mike Pryson about the upcoming NHRA U.S. Nationals and the revised NHRA schedule. Tune in here, on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher or wherever podcasts are played. WHAT'S AHEAD As always we're on the case this weekend, monitoring and reporting on the automakers' and sanctioning bodies' latest happenings. We'll continually update the site of course -- you'll know what's happening when we do. Check back often! Thanks for reading Autoweek and please stay safe.
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