The Jeep Wagoneer is leaving production after just three years since the announcement, but it’s a pure formality: the SUV will continue to be available under the familiar name “Grand Wagoneer”, Mopar Insiders reports.
The company decided to bring back the Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer nameplates three years ago. The executives reasoned that both badges could be used to denote different trim levels, while the SUVs themselves share the platform, the tech and are the same size.
In reality, it turned out that buyers would often mistake the “Grand Wagoneer” for the larger car of the two and the regular “Wagoneer” for a crossover version. Neither is correct, as the two have more in common than apart.
Starting with the next model year, the Wagoneer nameplate will be scrapped and the cars will be rebadged as entry-level Grand Wagoneer trims.
The 2026 Grand Wagoneer lineup has already been partly announced. It brings along revised and more hi-tech looks for the exterior and cabin, as well as more powertrain choices. Earlier reports claimed that Jeep wanted to make a 3.6-liter V6 plug-in hybrid version available, but the company has since shifted its focus towards bringing back more powerful, bigger-displacement V8 engines. In all likelihood, the new Wagoneer lineup will offer a V8 in addition to, or even instead of, the less popular I6.
