QOTD: Wishing for Something Grander?

Steph Willems
by Steph Willems

Big Jeep day yesterday, wasn’t it? Hoo boy. The off-road brand tempted buyers not just with a plug-in hybrid Wrangler, but also a taste of what’s to come in the full-size segment.

The Grand Wagoneer Concept, which closely mirrors a production vehicle we can expect next summer, generated an instant reaction from TTAC chatroom denizens — not all of it favorable. Far from it, in fact. Looking at this hulking, three-row SUV with ultra-premium aspirations, what would you do to turn a B into an A+?

Generally, the reaction here was that the Grand Wagoneer Concept was more “meh” than expected, with rear-end real estate that seemed to borrow too heavily from the largest Ford Motor Company SUVs. Something seemed just a little off.

Of course, we weren’t the only ones to air such opinions; the Twittersphere served up a bevy of similar observations, though the online reaction was generally more positive than this writer would have guessed. It’s a big, body-on-frame Jeep, after all, so at its core the Grand Wagoneer Concept is difficult to dislike — unless you’re the kind of person who spends your day bitching and moaning about Ford committing ecocide by not fielding a hybrid Bronco right out of the gate.

Maybe our quibbles about design decisions warrant no ear time from Jeep. Maybe it’s just the segment and the badge that count; styling be damned. Fault can be found in Ford and General Motors’ biggest products, too, yet they remain healthy and resilient in the sales department.

But let’s turn this issue — and vehicle — loose on you, dear readers. Looking over the Grand Wagoneer Concept, what changes would you make before putting this thing into production?

[Image: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles]

Steph Willems
Steph Willems

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  • Tstag Tstag on Sep 05, 2020

    The Grand Wagoneer looks too much like a Mini Van or Estate car. That’s a shame because the interior pretty good. But that may not be enough. In the next 12 months there will be a new Range Rover and Range Rover Sport to compete with and if Land Rover were really really smart, they’d make an Estate version with 7 seats just to drop Jeep in it....

    • See 1 previous
    • DenverMike DenverMike on Sep 05, 2020

      Except it's fresh meat in a segment or class with very limited choices. Or not very good ones.

  • Inside Looking Out Inside Looking Out on Sep 05, 2020

    My opinion is the same - call it Imperial, V12 and update interior with first class premium materials.

  • Jpolicke In a communist dictatorship, there isn't much export activity that the government isn't aware of. That being the case, if the PRC wanted to, they could cut the flow of fentanyl down to a trickle. Since that isn't happening, I therefore assume Xi Jinping doesn't want it cut. China needs to feel the consequences for knowingly poisoning other countries' citizens.
  • El scotto Oh, ye nattering nabobs of negativism! Think of countries like restaurants. Our neighbors to the north and south are almost as good and the service is fantastic. They're awfully close to being as good as the US. Oh the Europeans are interesting and quaint but you really only go there a few times a year. Gents, the US is simply the hottest restaurant in town. Have to stand in line to get in? Of course. Can you hand out bribes to get in quicker? Of course. Suppliers and employees? Only the best on a constant basis.Did I mention there is a dress code? We strictly enforce it. Don't like it? Suck it.
  • 1995 SC At least you can still get one. There isn't much for Ford folks to be happy about nowadays, but the existence of the Mustang and the fact that the lessons from back in the 90s when Ford tried to kill it and replace it with the then flavor of the day seem to have been learned (the only lessons they seem to remember) are a win not only for Ford folks but for car people in general. One day my Super Coupe will pop its headgaskets (I know it will...I read it on the Internet). I hope I will still be physically up to dropping the supercharged Terminator Cobra motor into it. in all seriousness, The Mustang is a.win for car guys.
  • Lorenzo Heh. The major powers, military or economic, set up these regulators for the smaller countries - the big guys do what they want, and always have. Are the Chinese that unaware?
  • Lorenzo The original 4-Runner, by its very name, promised something different in the future. What happened?
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