Body-on-Frame Jeep Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer Could Be in Direct Competition with GM Vehicles
Last year, there was talk of the next-generation Jeep Grand Wagoneer costing up to $140,000, which would put it in the same price stratosphere as Land Rover’s Range Rover Autobiography.
The site stated, “For dealers, the altered Jeep strategy is expected to mean less expensive Wagoneers and Grand Wagoneers.” It went on to add, “If they are priced lower, that will put the new big Jeeps in competition with GM’s popular truck-based SUVs, such as the Chevrolet Tahoe.”
Should that be the case, it would make sense for the Wagoneer to be priced competitively with the Chevy and the Grand Wagoneer to be priced to match up against the GMC Yukon Denali or perhaps the Cadillac Escalade.
Putting the new Wagoneer/Grand Wagoneer somewhere in that neighborhood should leave enough room between them and the next Grand Cherokee (depending on trim levels). Plus, it seems a lot more likely that someone would feel comfortable shelling out that kind of money for a loaded Grand Wagoneer in a dedicated Jeep dealership than they would’ve when the Grand Wagoneer was supposed to top out at $140,000, roughly the starting price of a Mercedes-AMG G63. On top of that, body-on-frame construction will give the new Jeeps a spiritual and hardware connection to not only the old Wagoneer, but the Wrangler.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
