Good News for the Not-Quite-Eco Crowd: The Jeep Wagoneer Lives

We’ve talked an awful lot about fuel-sipping hybrids and virtuous electric vehicles in recent days; so much so, one could forget that a great number of buyers want nothing more than to take home the biggest, most spacious SUV on the road today. Ford sells plenty of Expeditions and Lincoln Navigators, and General Motors decided the time was right for an even larger Chevrolet Suburban, GMC Yukon, and Cadillac Escalade.

Big still sells, so it’s no wonder that Fiat Chrysler wants a piece of the action. It’s frankly bizarre that the automaker went the past decade without a full-size SUV.

Well, that streak will soon end, as there’s now rolling proof of the Jeep Wagoneer’s looming return.

Spy photos that hit the web Monday (see the Motor Authority-published pics here) shows a hulking, camo-clad behemoth stopped alongside a road, tilted somewhat alarmingly into a ditch. Seems a tow truck arrived to put the thing back on level ground. (No word on what that apparent drama was about).

Large and mostly in charge, the three-row vehicle’s FCA origins are clear, despite the layer of bulky clothes. FCA’s plan is to stage a two-pronged assault on the full-size SUV segment, fielding both the Wagoneer and ultra-lux Grand Wagoneer in a bid to battle both its mainstream and premium domestic competition. The vehicle is based off the new-for-2019 Ram 1500, though its role as plush family hauler means the rear suspension swaps to an independent setup (this can clearly be seen in the butt shots).

We can also see that the Ram’s 12-inch vertical infotainment screen makes an appearance in this vehicle, too.

As for what’s under the hood, it’s anyone’s guess, as the duo will be able to field whatever’s found in the 1500, surely mated to an eight-speed automatic. Jeep might even end up offering the automaker’s EcoDiesel V6 to counter the availability of a light-duty diesel inline-six in GM’s big boys. Standard mild hybrid power will be a must for the gasoline powerplants, as this vehicle will undoubtedly boast a significant curb weight — and FCA’s already in the EPA’s bad books.

The automaker claims “electrified” versions of both will see the light of day. This environmental offset could allow room for even brawnier variants to exist, but there’s no official word on that.

Construction of the Grand Wagoneer and its dressed-down sibling will take place at Warren Truck Assembly, recent recipient of $1.5 billion in retooling and modernization costs. Expect to see it appear sometime in 2021, possibly as a 2022 model. While the automaker originally slated the Wagoneer/Grand Wagoneer’s launch for early 2021, the lengthy pandemic shutdown likely saw that timetable pushed back.

[Image: Fiat Chrysler]