San Diego Union-Tribune (Sunday)
JEEP BRINGS BACK WAGONEER SUVS
The Jeep brand, a pioneer of the modern sportutility vehicle, has long missed out on one of its most lucrative segments. Not anymore.
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, which merged with French rival PSA to become Stellantis in January, is debuting three large Jeep SUVS this year, crowned by the Grand Wagoneer, a land yacht that tops out at $111,000 when fully loaded.
The Grand Wagoneer, and its more affordable sibling the Wagoneer, are a shot across the bow at General Motors, whose Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Yukon and glitzy Cadillac Escalade have helped it command more than 50 percent of the U.S. three-row SUV market for years. The Jeep SUVS will be available in dealerships this summer.
“Sales in that segment are still dominated by GM. That’s really what they’re looking at,” said Stephanie Brinley, an analyst with IHS Markit. “I’m optimistic they’ll be able to get enough of the Grand Wagoneer buyers to make that a success for them.”
The product onslaught is the work of Fiat Chrysler, long the scrappy underdog of Detroit’s three automakers, which is poised to benefit from gains in scale and resources from the merger with PSA. It comes as Chief Executive Officer Carlos Tavares takes the reins of Stellantis. Key to his mission will be a successful expansion of the Jeep brand, which has provided the lion’s share of profit for Fiat Chrysler, along with the Ram pickup truck franchise.
Besides the Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer, Jeep is adding a three-row version of its Grand Cherokee SUV, filling a hole in its lineup that has cost it sales for years. The Grand Cherokee was the top-selling Jeep in 2020, with nearly 210,000 U.S. deliveries.
The return of the Jeep Wagoneer, which first debuted in 1962 and ceased production in 1991, will allow Jeep to re-enter a segment expected to grow more than 50 percent in the next three years to nearly 450,000 vehicles, according to LMC Automotive. The average transaction price for large SUVS has risen 16 percent since 2015 to $68,405, and 17 percent for large luxury SUVS to $98,949 this year, according to researcher Edmunds.
The twin Wagoneers are more than just a new model launch for Jeep. They’re an ambitious step for a rugged brand known for muddy offroading into the rarefied air of luxury vehicles.
The Wagoneer starts at $57,995 and the Grand Wagoneer starts at $86,995. Extravagant amenities account for the eye-popping $30,000 price difference: Palermo quilted leather-trimmed seats, passenger and rearseat screens, Amazon Fire TV, and Mcintosh speakers. The trucks will also offer “hands-free” driving assist features, though executives declined to give specifics.
The Wagoneer is built on a new car platform designed for gas, hybrid or electric powertrains and will serve as the luxury benchmark for the brand.