Mike Uhlmeyer calls the 2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer the largest small car you’ll ever drive.
That’s an interesting way to describe a vehicle with three rows, seating for eight and tons of space, but the vehicle’s chief engineer is really talking about the driving experience — responsive and easy to handle, even on twisty roads.
It’s all relative, of course.
The top of the line Grand Wagoneer and its Wagoneer sibling aren’t sports cars or roadsters. That’s not where they live. They don’t need to manage switchbacks as if they were house cats chasing the dot from a laser pointer.
These newest, poshest rides from Jeep built at Warren Truck Assembly north of Detroit are SUVs with a mission, to take the 80-year-old brand beyond the space occupied by the Grand Cherokee. They represent a foray for Stellantis into the large and premium SUV segments dominated by the Lincoln Navigator, Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban and GMC Yukon.
They also represent the height of ambition from the company’s pre-merger days when it was still Fiat Chrysler Automobiles.
The executives have big expectations, too.
“We weren’t going to come back in the market and be in the middle of the pack,” explained Rachel Fellrath, senior product marketing manager.
The Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer will need to stand out to make an impression. They enter a market much different than the version that left it 30 years ago. Those who want plush appointments will most likely choose the Grand Wagoneer in one of three trim levels, designated as Series I, II and III.
During a presentation and drive last week that began in New York’s Meatpacking District, a classic Grand Wagoneer Woody was on hand, but the stars of the show were the new models, which should be available later this summer, packed full of modern conveniences and safety features.
A line of pre-production Grand Wagoneers waited as auto journalists tried to absorb the details before a drive that took us through Manhattan, into New Jersey and back into New York to a hillside estate.
All cars tell a story, and for the Grand Wagoneer, in particular, “it’s a story about opulence,” said Dwayne Jackson, the chief designer.
I climbed into a Velvet Red Pearl Grand Wagoneer Series II 4X4, with a 6.4-liter V8 mated to an 8-speed automatic. The Sea Salt-colored Palermo leather seats cushioned in all the right ways, getting an assist from massage options, including Waterfall and Rock Climb. Walnut wood accents — a refined nod to the wood theme of the old Wagoneer — and a black interior provided a dramatic contrast.
The 471-horsepower engine provided plenty of giddy-up when called upon (the 5.7-liter, standard in the Wagoneer, promises 392 horses).
The base price had it at $93,995, but with extras, the price for this particular model topped out at $96,985.
You’d spend an extra $8,250 in fuel costs over five years compared to the average new vehicle, according to the sticker, with a fuel economy rating of 15 mpg combined city/highway (13 city and 18 highway). The smog rating put it at 1 out of 10, with 10 being the best.
If you opted instead for the 5.7-liter V8 with eTorque assist, which is standard in the Wagoneer, you’d do a tad better on the mileage — 15/20/17 for the 4X4.
The most expensive Grand Wagoneer I drove wasn’t the Velvet Red number. That honor went to the Bright White Series III with the Blue Agave interior, a succulent color that covers most of the surfaces inside, from seats to carpeting, but doesn’t appear excessive. This combination included the heavy-duty trailer tow package and topped out at $109,980.
Towing is promoted as class-leading, and the SUV and trailer in this example came in at 7,000 pounds, which is still 3,000 pounds shy of what it promises. This towing novice had no issues maneuvering around some tight corners and varied terrain on an approximately 13-minute loop.
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The drive in the Velvet Red SUV along city streets and village roads came close to delivering the “whisper quiet” interior that the engineers were tasked with creating. Even with the sunroof open and the windows down, the noise didn’t overpower the music. Of course, the 19-speaker McIntosh system — you can set the display to show the dancing needles in the center screen — is a step or five above most sound systems out there. If that’s not enough, there’s a 23-speaker version available, too.
Later, I got an audio demonstration from Jackson, who used Hans Zimmer’s “Gladiator” soundtrack to showcase the richness of the sound, with even strumming instruments clearly audible in the orchestra.
During a couple of stops, I tried out various seating configurations, dropping both the second and third rows to expose the full roominess of the cabin. Getting the second row back in place was not automatic, but as noted, this was a pre-production vehicle. My more-than 6-foot frame could sit in the third row and not have my knees touch the second-row seatback.
The liftgate in its up position left me enough room to stand underneath, barely brushing but not bumping my head.
Cool features were scattered throughout. One of the display screens could slide in to reveal a wireless charging pad. The accelerator pedal could be adjusted for height. An auto hold button could be pressed to let the driver take his feet off the brake pedal during extended braking stretches. The head-up display helped me manage both my speed and speed limits.
A cooler packed with half-a-dozen water bottles even replaced one of the storage bins in the Diamond Black Series II I drove on my return trip.
Safety features aren’t always obvious, but a “check rear seat” message popped up at the end of each stop, offering a reminder for me or anyone, particularly busy parents, to take another look for precious cargo.
Screens were prevalent, too, but not distracting, and passenger-side screens are polarized so the driver won’t be tempted to watch what’s in front of the co-pilot.
For those who want to get completely immersed, 75 inches of total screen space is available on the Grand Wagoneer. Uconnect 5 and Amazon’s Fire TV provide a cornucopia of entertainment options as well. In one of the demonstration vehicles, both second row seats and the front passenger screen were all watching different videos, with one paired to a cell phone. The front passenger also had the option to monitor what was on the screens in the second row.
Of course, the Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer can’t claim to be Jeeps without some off-roading chops, and even though opulence is the story, the Wagoneer managed to show it belongs in the Jeep family, too.
I took a 5.7-liter V8 Wagoneer with eTorque assist on the off-road trail, crawling over a rocky incline, managing a bend with wheel tracks that had me leaning toward the ground at a steep angle and rolling in and out of craters that raised a wheel or two into the air as the SUV maneuvered through.
Hard-core off-roaders won’t be trading in their Wranglers for Wagoneers or Grand Wagoneers, but that’s no surprise. The surprise is that a vehicle that will be competing with the premium set in urban spaces feels so at ease outside of the city.
Contact Eric D. Lawrence: elawrence@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter: @_ericdlawrence. Become a subscriber.