I think every kid born during the Nixon, Ford, or Carter administrations has a place in their heart for the Jeep Grand Wagoneer: The original SUV. The one with the wood sides that looks sort of like a station wagon had an erotic weekend with a tank. Good stuff, the Grand Wagoneer.
So, here’s the good news: The Grand Wagoneer is coming back in 2019. And we mean back as in the new iteration will bring back the wood sides. And of course a 21st century version of its iconic grill. The news came by a bit of sluicing on the part of Car And Driver magazine and other reporters.
This is big news for all the traditionalists out there, and could very well be a harbinger for SUVs to come. That is to say, its possible the vehicles will move away from big, cold behemoths driven only by moms who are married to investment bankers and litigators, and come back around to the charming, organic looking dirt machines we all remember.
But on a technical level, Jeep has announced the machine will share a body-on-frame platform with the next-generation Ram pickup truck. They made the choice because the original unibody design severely limits towing abilities. So we’ll be getting a wood-sided SUV with the magic of the Ram.
And while the standard Wagoneer will use a smaller wheelbase to compete with the Chevrolet Tahoe, the Grand Wagoneer, will incorporate a longer wheelbase to target the Cadillac Escalade ESV. And while a hybrid powertrain is planned as an option, we can forgive that. The Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer are expected to range from $60,000-$100,000.
So there it is: one of our favorite toys from the garages and driveways of our youth will next year return. Who knows, maybe our kids will grow up with the Grand Wagoneer as part of their life.
