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.

  • Marcr My wife and I mostly work from home (or use public transit), the kid is grown, and we no longer do road trips of more than 150 miles or so. Our one car mostly gets used for local errands and the occasional airport pickup. The first non-Tesla, non-Mini, non-Fiat, non-Kia/Hyundai, non-GM (I do have my biases) small fun-to-drive hatchback EV with 200+ mile range, instrument display behind the wheel where it belongs and actual knobs for oft-used functions for under $35K will get our money. What we really want is a proper 21st century equivalent of the original Honda Civic. The Volvo EX30 is close and may end up being the compromise choice.
  • Mebgardner I test drove a 2023 2.5 Rav4 last year. I passed on it because it was a very noisy interior, and handled poorly on uneven pavement (filled potholes), which Tucson has many. Very little acoustic padding mean you talk loudly above 55 mph. The forums were also talking about how the roof leaks from not properly sealed roof rack holes, and door windows leaking into the lower door interior. I did not stick around to find out if all that was true. No talk about engine troubles though, this is new info to me.
  • Dave Holzman '08 Civic (stick) that I bought used 1/31/12 with 35k on the clock. Now at 159k.It runs as nicely as it did when I bought it. I love the feel of the car. The most expensive replacement was the AC compressor, I think, but something to do with the AC that went at 80k and cost $1300 to replace. It's had more stuff replaced than I expected, but not enough to make me want to ditch a car that I truly enjoy driving.
  • ToolGuy Let's review: I am a poor unsuccessful loser. Any car company which introduced an EV which I could afford would earn my contempt. Of course I would buy it, but I wouldn't respect them. 😉
  • ToolGuy Correct answer is the one that isn't a Honda.
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