Jeep’s Wagoneer Line Makes No Sense

I get the place Jeep is coming from, with the Wagoneer. I can image, in my mind’s eye or whatever, CEO David Stellantis (not an actual identify) sitting at his desk, obvious enviously in any respect these Escalade earnings. I can see him studying the information about Cadillac refocusing on EVs, a smile starting to daybreak on his face — there are luxurious consumers who gained’t go EV, so that they’ll should go to a different model. That is his probability, his alternative to grab these clients he’s so desperately wished. Construct an Escalade competitor, slap a Wagoneer badge on it, and name it a day.

However that badge is the place the entire operation begins to collapse. There are two names, Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer, so how do you divide these? Do you observe Chevy, with the Tahoe and Suburban denoting short-wheelbase and long-wheelbase variations of the identical automobile? In fact not, you fool, you rube — you make Grand imply Costly. That’s the highest trim now, solely it’s not a trim, it’s an unbiased mannequin, as a result of god will personally smite David Stellantis if his clients confuse the posh three-row with the fully an identical base mannequin. This all is smart, in fact.

However, y’know what, these lengthy wheelbase variations do look like a good suggestion. Let’s put these within the combine too. Solely, rattling, what can we name them? Cadillac makes use of ESV for its largest Escalade, however that’s simply so many letters. We’re Stellantis, for christ’s sake, we are able to simplify this. Only one letter: L.

However, Wagoneer and Wagoneer L are too shut in identify. Hm. We are able to’t have two unbiased fashions whose names solely differ by a single letter. Nicely, there’s just one clear resolution to this downside: Make the lengthy wheelbase model a trim stage, not an unbiased mannequin.

So now Stellantis has two an identical automobiles, the Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer, every of which have a trim stage that’s bodily totally different in measurement and look. That is completely absurd, on its face, however the firm that introduced you a special edition Challenger meant for key parties can do higher. Go additional. Be extra incorrect.

Wagoneer, as a full-fledged Jeep sub-brand, wants an EV. However, clearly, it may’t be an EV that has actually something in widespread with the present Wagoneers. It could possibly’t be huge or boxy, it may’t be the identical measurement, and don’t even assume about sharing styling cues between the 2. It needs to be fully unrelated, but in addition nonetheless a Wagoneer, as a result of Stellantis hates you, particularly.

So now now we have the Wagoneer S, which is the scale of a Grand Cherokee, and has nothing in widespread with the opposite automobiles within the lineup. We’ve the Wagoneer, which is accessible in brief and lengthy wheelbase configurations, after which now we have the Grand Wagoneer, which is identical factor however fancier. That is really astonishingly dumb, however not less than it’ll confuse customers once they attempt to shell out 5 – 6 figures on a Jeep. That’s good, for classy and significant causes.

What Jeep may have finished was make all short-wheelbase fashions the Wagoneer, and all long-wheelbase fashions the Grand Wagoneer. The corporate may have reused the Summit branding from the Grand Cherokee for its top-tier three-row, turning it right into a badge like GMC’s Denali. This might even make the Wagoneer lineup roughly align with the Yukon in value, and everyone knows the Yukon Denali is the old-money favourite anyway.

Then, for the Wagoneer S, it may have really shared one (1) styling cue with its larger siblings. Actually any beauty characteristic. I really feel like that’s not asking a ton, right here, however it could carry the S in step with the remainder of the Wagoneer household — making it earn that identify. Then, you’re in a Bronco/Bronco Sport state of affairs, however with the Wagoneer S-for-sport standing out extra than the infant Bronco by advantage of its electrical powertrain.

Stellantis had all of the instruments, it may have made a wonderfully sensical and practical model out of Wagoneer. As an alternative, for causes unknowable, it simply determined to not. I weep, for what may have been.