Jeep Wagoneer

Jeep Wagoneer at a glance

The Wagoneer family sits in our Jeep catalogue beside the Grand Cherokee, which the catalogue lists as the SJ's successor. The early cars belong to our classic cars section as well.

Generations

SJ Wagoneer (1962-1991). Kaiser Jeep introduced the Wagoneer in November 1962 as the successor to the Willys Jeep Station Wagon, after three years and about US$20 million of development. Industrial designer Brooks Stevens shaped it, and Willys engineers developed the body-on-frame chassis it shared with the Gladiator pickup. At launch there were two- and four-door wagons and a windowless two-door Panel Delivery; the two-door models ended after 1968. Ownership passed to American Motors in 1970 and to Chrysler in 1987. The upmarket Super Wagoneer of 1966-1969 (about 3,989 built) is regarded as a forerunner of the luxury SUV. In 1984 the Limited became the Grand Wagoneer, because the Wagoneer name moved to the new compact XJ. The last SJ left the Toledo line on 21 June 1991; Chrysler had announced its end on 27 February 1991, citing fuel economy and the cost of meeting new safety rules. SJ Wagoneers were also assembled in Iran, Egypt, Argentina and Mexico.

XJ Wagoneer (1983-1990). This was an upmarket version of the unibody Cherokee XJ, sold as Wagoneer and Wagoneer Limited with woodgrain trim. It was meant to replace the SJ, but strong demand kept the old car in production alongside it. The base version ended after 1987 and the Limited after 1990.

ZJ Grand Wagoneer (1993). For one model year, Jeep sold a top-of-the-range Grand Cherokee as the Grand Wagoneer, with a 5.2-litre Magnum V8, standard leather and woodgrain exterior panels. About 6,378 were built before it was dropped for 1994.

WS Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer (2021 onwards). After a concept on 3 September 2020, the production models were revealed on 11 March 2021, built at Warren Truck Assembly from the first half of 2021 and delivered to dealers from October 2021. At first they were marketed as "Wagoneer" without Jeep badges. The Wagoneer was the mainstream model, with rear-wheel drive and optional 4x4 and a 10.1-inch screen; the Grand Wagoneer was the luxury version with standard 4x4 and a 12-inch screen. Long-wheelbase L versions followed for the 2023 model year, and the Middle East launch came on 3 July 2023. With a facelift in late 2025, every model became a Grand Wagoneer with Jeep badges, and the plan for a separate Wagoneer brand was dropped.

Wagoneer S (2024 onwards). The electric Wagoneer S uses the STLA Large platform and is built in Toluca, Mexico. The first Launch Edition cars reached US dealers in January 2025, and a Limited version followed in 2025. Jeep originally said it would sell the Wagoneer S in Europe too, but in June 2026 it announced that the Wagoneer S and Recon would no longer come to Europe as planned.

Engines, transmissions and performance

The SJ figures are American gross ratings of the time and are not comparable with modern net figures. The SJ offered three- and four-speed manuals and GM and Chrysler automatics. Early SJs had either rear-wheel drive or part-time 4x4, with independent front suspension on rear-drive cars; Quadra-Trac full-time four-wheel drive arrived in 1973, and Selec-Trac shift-on-the-fly 4x4 became standard in 1983.

Every WS uses the eight-speed TorqueFlite 8HP75 automatic, with Quadra-Trac full-time 4x4 available. The Wagoneer S reaches 60 mph (97 km/h) in 3.4 seconds with the 447 kW set-up.

Dimensions, space and battery

At up to 5.76 m long and more than 3 tonnes, the WS Grand Wagoneer L is far larger than any SUV sold new in the EU. Before importing one, measure your garage with our garage fit tool.

Fuel economy, range and running costs

Poor fuel economy is part of the Wagoneer story: it was one of the reasons Chrysler gave for ending the SJ in 1991. For the WS models, the sources we used do not give official consumption figures, so we leave them out. The electric Wagoneer S has a 100.5 kWh gross and 93.9 kWh usable battery. Its EPA range is 435 km (270 miles) on Pirelli tyres or 488 km (303 miles) on Falken tyres for the Launch Edition. It charges at up to 11 kW on AC, and from 20 to 80% in 23 minutes on a DC fast charger.

Trims and equipment

The SJ moved steadily upmarket. The 1966 Super Wagoneer had a console-shifted automatic and a high level of equipment for a 4x4, and the Limited of 1978 and the Grand Wagoneer of the 1980s moved the car further upmarket, with woodgrain exterior trim. A 1985 handling package brought a revised front anti-roll bar, gas-filled dampers and lower-friction rear springs.

The WS launched with Series I, II and III trims for the Wagoneer plus a Carbide version, and Series I, II, III and Obsidian for the Grand Wagoneer. For 2026, the Grand Wagoneer range is Base, Limited Altitude, Upland (standard wheelbase only), Limited Reserve, Summit Obsidian and Summit Reserve. Equipment includes Uconnect 5, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a passenger-side touchscreen with a privacy coating, rear-seat screens and McIntosh audio systems with 19 or 23 speakers.

Safety

No Wagoneer has been tested by Euro NCAP. In the USA, the WS Wagoneer was named a 2024 IIHS Top Safety Pick, rated Good in the small overlap and original moderate overlap tests and in the updated side test, but Marginal in the updated moderate overlap test. The SJ predates modern crash testing. Our safety section covers cars that Euro NCAP has rated.

Reliability and known issues

For the WS, Wikipedia records quality-control concerns and an NHTSA investigation opened in late 2024 into reports of Grand Wagoneer engines switching off at low speed; no recall is reported in that source. Analysts also criticised the high prices, and more than 100,000 unsold vehicles were reported in December 2024. For the SJ, condition matters more than history: these cars are now between 35 and more than 60 years old, so look for corrosion and a documented restoration.

Rivals

In North America the WS competes with the Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban, the GMC Yukon, the Ford Expedition and the Lincoln Navigator. In Europe, the nearest Jeep is the Grand Cherokee.

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