Yahoo Autos 2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer First Drive Review | A (very) big return
Chrysler, or whatever it was known as at any given time, has been puzzlingly slow to get into the big-SUV game. That it finally decided to do so under the Jeep brand (rather than, say, Ram) and with the Wagoneer nameplate makes sense — the nameplate's history buys instant credibility. The Wagoneer/Grand Wagoneer has been a long time coming. It was a fixture of former FCA CEO Sergio Marchione’s future product presentations and was originally supposed to appear in 2014. It’s unclear why Jeep dithered for so long.
It definitely wasn’t to create something revolutionary. The Wagoneer hews to convention in many ways. It’s built on the modified frame of the highly regarded Ram 1500 pickup, although with an independent rather than a live-axle rear suspension. A pair of off-the-shelf naturally aspirated V8s provide the power. An eight-speed automatic handles shifting duties, and although the Wagoneer comes standard with rear-wheel drive, most will be equipped with one of Jeep’s existing four-wheel-drive systems.
Its size, obviously, is not something we've seen attempted by Jeep, Ram or anything in the Stellantis portfolio. At 214.7 inches in length and with a 123-inch wheelbase, the Wagoneer duo is slightly larger than the standard-size Ford Expedition/Lincoln Navigator and Chevrolet Tahoe/Cadillac Escalade. Three-row seating is, naturally, standard. With the third row in use, the Wagoneer has more luggage space than its rivals, with a genuinely useful 27.4 cubic feet. Its maximum cargo volume varies with equipment, but essentially straddles the FoMoCo SUVs and runs shy of the GMs. All those dimensions are for the standard-wheelbase variants, which launch now. There also will be extended-length versions of both models, mirroring the offerings of GM and Ford.
The Wagoneer, pictured above, is intended to compete against mainstream-brand SUVs, while the Grand Wagoneer (pictured in the top gallery) pushes upmarket to take on the luxury nameplates. The visual differences between them are subtle. The two are differentiated by their grille design, front fascia, lighting, hood, wheels, and liftgate trim. The most obvious point of difference, though, is the black roof that’s exclusive to the Grand Wagoneer. Neither model has any Jeep badging, part of the effort to push them upmarket.
As ever, styling is subjective, but it’s hard not to think that Jeep was less successful in conjuring the spirit of the Wagoneer's iconic predecessor than Land Rover was in its redo of the Defender or Ford in its resurrection of the Bronco. The Jeeps’ lead exterior designer points to the upright pillars, tall side windows, and metal-finished grille as elements that reference the original Wagoneer, which debuted as a 1963 model and was last sold in 1991.
The 2022 Grand Wagoneer is powered by the Stellantis 6.4-liter V8, here with new intake and exhaust manifolds and a specific exhaust system. It puts out 471 horsepower and 455 lb-ft of torque. Those horsepower numbers better GM’s 6.2-liter in the Cadillac Escalade/GMC Yukon/Chevrolet Tahoe and the 3.5-liter turbo V6s in the Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator. The 6.4’s torque output, however, trails those competitors.
The regular Wagoneer uses the corporate 5.7-liter Hemi V8, which is rated at 392 horsepower and 404 lb-ft of torque. Its eTorque mild-hybrid system features a belt-driven generator and a small lithium ion battery (charged via regenerative braking) and can add a brief boost of 130 lb-ft. It also enables engine shut-off when decelerating.
Even with that modicum of fuel-saving tech, the rear-drive Wagoneer’s EPA estimates are 16 mpg city and 22 mpg highway, with the 4WD version at 15/20 mpg. The 6.4-liter 4WD Grand Wagoneer is a thirsty beast at 13/18 mpg. Those numbers aren't much lower than a Cadillac Escalade's 6.2-liter gas-powered V8, but its consumption is considerably worse than GM's 5.3-liter V8 and diesel-powered offerings as well as Ford's EcoBoost V6s.
Don't just blame the big Jeep's engines, though. Its curb weights are crushing. The Wagoneer 4x2 is just barely under three tons at 5,960 pounds, and the Grand Wagoneer can hit 6,420 pounds. The Escalade, by contrast, ranges from 5,635 to 6,015 pounds.
That doesn't prevent a hefty towing capacity, however. The rear-drive Wagoneer tows 10,000 pounds; subtract 150 from that total for the 4WD version or for Grand Wagoneer, despite its larger engine. Either way, those figures are tops in the class, eclipsing the Expedition (9,300 pounds), Navigator (8,700), Tahoe (8,400), and Escalade (8,200), as well as all the Europeans. A class IV receiver hitch is standard, and an available heavy-duty trailer-tow package includes upgraded engine cooling, a trailer-brake controller, a hitch zoom camera, and hitch line-up assist — but no automated steering assist for backing up with a trailer.
Typical of Jeep, there is more than one available four-wheel-drive system. The Wagoneer comes standard with rear-drive, and offers Quadra-Trac I or Quadra-Trac II as options. The JGW comes standard with Quadra-Drive II (although a peek at fueleconomy.gov indicates that it, too, will offer a rear-drive version). Quadra-Trac I has a single-speed transfer case; the other two get a selectable low range, with Quadra-Drive II adding electronic controls to the mechanical limited-slip rear differential.
Unlike most Jeeps, there is no off-road-oriented Trailhawk (no Wagoneer is even Trail Rated), making the most capable version a Wagoneer with the Advanced All-Terrain Group. That package, not available on Grand Wagoneer, brings a two-speed transfer case, air springs, skid plates, a 3.92:1 rear axle ratio, off-road speed control, tow hooks and 18- or 20-inch wheels with all-terrain tires.
We drove a so-equipped Wagoneer on a short off-road course specifically laid out to show off the big Jeep’s abilities. Axle articulation isn’t as great as in more hardcore Jeeps — a couple of times we were left with a tire hanging in the air — but the Wagoneer, which has 10 inches of ground clearance with the air suspension on its tiptoes (or 8.3 inches with the fixed suspension), nonetheless clambered over the rocks and dips without wheelspin or hesitation. And a feature called Active 4 Low (on both of the upper 4WD systems) also allowed it to maneuver around the tight turns in low range without crabbing.
The rest of our drive time was in the Grand Wagoneer. With its 6.4-liter V8, acceleration is certainly adequate, though it’s not on the frenetic level of the Grand Cherokee SRT with the same engine. Instead, the 6.4-liter is smooth and quiet; the accelerator is linear in its response; and the eight-speed automatic’s shifting is utterly unobtrusive. Because Jeep uses a dial shifter, manually downshifting — or, more accurately, setting a maximum gear — is done via buttons on the steering wheel.
