Jeep Retires the Wagoneer Name, but Not Its Giant Sense of Luxury
Jeep is reshaping its flagship strategy once again. The mighty Wagoneer—the SUV that marked the brand’s grand return to the world of full-size luxury—will soon disappear from the lineup. But don’t be fooled: the vehicle itself isn’t going anywhere. It’s simply getting a new name and a sharper identity.
In what the company calls a “clarification move,” Jeep will drop the Wagoneer badge while keeping the model alive under the more recognizable Grand Wagoneer nameplate. It’s a marketing clean-up rather than a funeral, meant to eliminate confusion between two nearly identical SUVs that differed mainly in trim and price.
When the Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer launched in 2022, the intent was to separate luxury levels within the same body style. In practice, customers assumed that “Grand” meant a larger model—when in fact, both SUVs shared the same dimensions. The overlap became a branding headache, prompting Jeep to consolidate under a single, stronger identity.
Jeep insists that this consolidation won’t mean less luxury—quite the opposite. The Grand Wagoneer family will expand to include slightly more accessible variants while maintaining the opulence and presence that define the name. The goal is to simplify choices without diluting the sense of grandeur.
A major facelift is scheduled for the 2026 model year, bringing refreshed styling, more advanced tech, and a broadened powertrain range. Although a hybrid V6 setup was initially considered, both Jeep and its sibling brand Ram are now reportedly re-evaluating the return of V8 engines to satisfy traditionalists and the U.S. market’s clear appetite for big-displacement performance.
Currently, both Wagoneer models use a turbocharged inline-six that replaced the V8 in 2023, but growing demand for more classic muscle could see the return of an eight-cylinder option. A similar shift is expected with the Gladiator, whose hybrid program has been shelved in favor of a 6.4-liter V8 producing 477 horsepower—the same powerplant already found in the Wrangler.
For Jeep, this isn’t a retreat from the luxury SUV game but a realignment. The Grand Wagoneer will stand alone as a single, unmistakable name for American indulgence on wheels—proof that sometimes, less confusion can mean more prestige.
