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Jeep CEO: Wagoneer, Grand Wagoneer to be distinguished by trim levels

2K views 13 replies 10 participants last post by  69gtsdart 
#1 ·
Jeep Compass, Patriot replacement due early next year
Luxury Wagoneer, Grand Wagoneer to be distinguished by trim levels, Jeep boss says
June 23, 2016
Larry P. Vellequette
AutoNews.com

CHELSEA, Mich. -- The single vehicle replacement for the Jeep Compass and Patriot will debut in late September in Brazil and will retain one of the two names, Jeep brand head Mike Manley said today.

Manley said the vehicle, known internally as the C-SUV, is not delayed and will be shown in the U.S. at the L.A. Auto Show in November. It will appear in U.S. dealerships in early 2017, Manley said.

Its official reveal in Brazil will be during a celebration of the start of production at FCA’s new Pernambuco assembly plant, which also builds the Jeep Renegade, Manley said.

Manley said a Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer are best thought of as luxury trim levels instead of wholly separate vehicles.

“The Wagoneeer name represents, historically, the pinnacle of premium for the Jeep world. But in the same way as you may have an Overland and a Summit, you have different trim levels, so you could imagine the use of Wagoneer to denote a really premium vehicle, and Grand Wagoneer takes it to the very next level,” Manley said. “So if you were to use that as your naming strategy, that’s exactly how I would use the trims.”
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#2 ·
That's some interesting news to be sure. I think on one level, it makes sense, since you can't really go "bigger" above a standard 3-row SUV. Even if they were to put out a Jeep the size of the Suburban, it wouldn't be anything more than an extended-Wagoneer.

He said he continues to study an entry-level Jeep that would be smaller than even the Renegade but would be sold primarily outside North America.

“I am right in the middle of that right now. I have a strong belief that there is an opportunity for a smaller Jeep, beyond Renegade. That opportunity lies … outside of NAFTA,” Manley said. “I’m not sure NAFTA would ever be the lead market for such a vehicle to be codeveloped with the next-generation Grand Cherokee onto a new platform.”
On a related note, Manley set a hard date for the introduction of a long-awaited Wrangler-based pickup: Early 2018.
Both interesting tidbits above. I can see a smaller-than-Renegade Jeep doing well in many markets worldwide, even if it won't be sold in the NAFTA region. I can still remember vehicles like the Suzuki Samarai doing quite well for a small/mini-SUV. No doubt such a product would be well received in South America, India, and elsewhere.

As for the Jeep Pickup: Whenever it gets here, it has to be good. There's been more hype and anticipation over such a product for the last decade than almost anything Jeep has/hinted at producing. I hope they pay attention to all the details to get it right.
 
#6 ·
As for the Jeep Pickup: Whenever it gets here, it has to be good. There's been more hype and anticipation over such a product for the last decade than almost anything Jeep has/hinted at producing. I hope they pay attention to all the details to get it right.
I think it will. As long as the Wrangler is good, the PU will be too. If its one thing the typically don't screw up, its Wrangler.

No. I think that the Wagoneer is going to be a bespoke-appareing three-row off-road SUV (that may or may not share a platform with the Grand Cherokee --- I've read conflicting things).

However, after reading Manley's comments, the Grand Wagoneer will seemingly be a top-trim-level spec'd Wagoneer. So that would apparently make the Grand Wagoneer a kind of "Wagoneer Denali" of sorts.

That's the way I interpreted this.
Agreed. I read it as comparable to a three row Yukon + Yukon Denali. I actually expect it to share a modular platform with GC, just like GC + Durango do now, so Medium and Long versions.

Kind of bummed the GW is taking so long, I kind of wanted one. Now it might be too late unless it knocks my socks off.
 
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#4 ·
No. I think that the Wagoneer is going to be a bespoke-appareing three-row off-road SUV (that may or may not share a platform with the Grand Cherokee --- I've read conflicting things).

However, after reading Manley's comments, the Grand Wagoneer will seemingly be a top-trim-level spec'd Wagoneer. So that would apparently make the Grand Wagoneer a kind of "Wagoneer Denali" of sorts.

That's the way I interpreted this.
 
#10 ·
#12 ·
I find it irritating that the story of the Patriot/Compass being replaced by only MP (Wagoneer) continues to be told. It is almost as if the Renegade does not exist.

MK47 Patriot => BU Renegade
MK49 Compass => MP (Wagoneer)

Also in the pipeline:
JL Wrangler => JK Wrangler / JT Wrangler truck
KL Cherokee => MCE with longer wheel base
WK Grand Cherokee => MCE
WD Dodge Durango => WS Jeep Grand Wagoneer
 
#13 ·
1. MP is definitely not going to be called Wagoneer
2. KL Cherokee is not going longer wheelbase for the MCE- they are testing a 3-row version for China. Next-gen will very likely be RWD though.
3. Durango still has a chance to live on.
4. The Wagoneer/Grand Wagoneer aren't two separate vehicles
 
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