JEEP WAGONEER

Jeep goes large with a wood-panel-free rebirth of its legendary range-topper

- GRAHAM HEEPS

If you've seen the new Jurassic World blockbuster, Chris Pratt's 1989 Jeep Grand Wagoneer might have caught your eye.

Like the dinosaurs that star in the movie, the Wagoneer name has been brought back from extinction, newly adorning body-on-frame SUVs in what Jeep parent company Stellantis describes as a "premium extension" of the brand. You won't find many Wagoneers on the Rubicon Trail, but its 10in of ground clearance still lets it ford two feet of water.

There are two versions: the regular Wagoneer, which competes in the North American market with 'full-size' SUVs like the Chevrolet Tahoe and Ford Explorer, and the upmarket Grand Wagoneer, which rivals the Cadillac Escalade and Lincoln Navigator, with its price edging into Range Rover territory.

Jeep will stop selling pure-ICE cars in Europe by the end of this year, so the Wagoneer won't be crossing the Atlantic any time soon.

 

For now, every Wagoneer is V8powered. There's a 5.7-litre unit in the regular Wagoneer, tested here in Series II trim, and a 6.4-litre one in the Grand Wagoneer. This latest and possibly final iteration of the famous Hemi engine integrates a 48V mild-hybrid system, named eTorque.

The accompanying transmission is the latest version of the proven ZF/ Stellantis eight-speed automatic.