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The Long Road to the Jeep Wagoneer's Revival

Fiat Chrysler first announced the Wagoneer nameplate's revival all the way back in 2011. Since then, the new Wagoneer has suffered delay after delay. But, the good news is that we do have an expected release date on the new Wagoneer, and things seem to be on track.

If you're as excited as we are about the return of the original Sport Utility Vehicle and station wagon, you're in the right place. Here, we'll go over the history of the nameplate's revival and everything we know about the new Jeep Wagoneer.

When Is the New Jeep Wagoneer Coming Out?

Right now, it is looking like a 2022 release for the new Jeep Wagoneer. The project was first announced in 2011 with a 2013 release date. However, the Dodge Durango needed time to hook the market, and Chrysler didn't want to compete with itself. Thus, this first delay pushed the Wagoneer's release date back to 2015.

We didn't hear anything else about the new Wagoneer until 2014 when Chrysler released a five-year plan, which included a fresh flagship project that was quite likely the new Wagoneer. Although the plan pushed the Wagoneer back to 2018, it was good news that the Wagoneer flagship would be the focal point of future Jeep design. The plan also noted that the Wagoneer would share a platform with the Dodge Durango and Jeep Cherokee.

In 2015, Jeep announced we would be getting our first look at the Wagoneer unveiling later in the year, however, it took this back later several months later and suggested a 2018 first-look instead.

In 2016, Jeep finally released images of the new Wagoneer. They announced another release date for 2019 and that the new Wagoneer would be manufactured at the Warren Truck Assembly Plant. Later, production was again delayed until 2021 with a 2022 model-year planned for the revival. As of now, this is the best estimate on the new Jeep Wagoneer.

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New Jeep Wagoneer and Jeep Grand Wagoneer: What We Know

We don't know much about the new Jeep Wagoneer. In recent tests, observed by Car and Driver, the current design for the Wagoneer has independent rear suspension. The vehicle in the test might look like a pickup truck, but it's confirmed to be the chassis and configuration of the new Wagoneer underneath. This also proves that the new Wagoneer will have a body-on-frame design, which means it will likely share a platform or components with similar upcoming models such as Ram 1500.

You can be sure that there will be a four-wheel drive option, and that the Jeep Grand Wagoneer will be a full-size SUV while both models will be marketed as luxury SUVs. As such you can expect a roof rack, utility grille, off-road capabilities, and a premium price tag.

We also are fairly certain that the woodgrain panel styling will no longer be featured in the new model, as this would be quite outdated and out of style. There will certainly be a standard automatic transmission option, but we might even see manual transmission available on certain trims. We suspect that the Grand Wagoneer will be a three-row SUV.

We don't have any information right now on powertrains, transfer cases, drivetrains, or wheelbases. One thing we'd love to see is a plug-in hybrid option or perhaps down the road a fully electric Jeep Wagoneer.

Wrapping Up

Although the Wagoneer has been delayed several times so far, we are feeling confident about the timing of the new release date. The Wagoneer would fit in well with Chryslers current market shares and design certainly must be approaching completion after nearly a decade of planning. So, surely, we'll have a new Jeep Wagoneer soon, right?... Right?

This post was originally published on August 9, 2019.

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