The burly Jeep Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer are about to get even bigger.
Jeep is preparing larger variants of the premium SUVs with longer wheelbases that will put them head-to-head with rivals such as the Chevrolet Suburban, GMC Yukon XL, Cadillac Escalade ESV and Lincoln Navigator L.
A camouflaged extended Wagoneer or Grand Wagoneer prototype has been spotted road testing in metro Detroit. The latest version is considerably longer than the current models, which are nearly 18 feet in length.
Jeep officials declined to comment.
General Motors has dominated the lucrative segment for large, extended SUVs for decades.
Dave Kelleher, chairman of the Stellantis National Dealer Council, said he’s “hopeful” that the extended Jeep models will arrive this year.
“As a dealer, I’m excited because it closes the loop and pretty much covers all of our competition,” said Kelleher, who owns David Dodge-Chrysler-Jeep-Ram in Glen Mills, Pa. “We will have an answer for everything a customer could want.”
Kelleher expects Jeep to price the bigger variants 10 to 15 percent higher than the standard body Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer. A fully loaded Grand Wagoneer Series III crosses $112,000.
“It’s tolerable there,” Kelleher said of the potential price point for the longer editions. “We’re getting up there for sure.”
In 2021, U.S. sales of the Wagoneer tallied 5,307 and Grand Wagoneer deliveries totaled 2,585 after the SUVs made showrooms debuts in the fall.
“Our customer flow is all toward the higher end,” Kelleher said.
