Jeep’s sub-brands of Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer have quickly established themselves in the three-row SUV realm, squandering the likes of the Cadillac Escalade and Lincoln Navigator with boxy and nostalgic proportions, spacious and amenity-driven interiors, and proper towing capacities. The lux-oriented Grand Wagoneer bookends their model lineup with eight-passenger capability and oodles of leather to match, but now there’s a long wheelbase model and a new engine to take this Jeep even further upstream.

The Grand Wagoneer L adds 30.5 centimetres of length to the vehicle or to be more specific, an 18 cm stretch in wheelbase and a 12 cm increase in rear overhang. Most of that goes behind the third row, so you have actual trunk space even when the seats are fully occupied. Luckily, that stretch doesn’t impact the looks and proportions of this land yacht. The elongated roofline balances out its visual footprint and it still appears unmistakably Jeep. There’s a clever injection of retro design too from the colour-tinted glass windows with chrome outlining, to the badge fonts and the iconic 7-slot grill. You won’t find a Jeep badge anywhere on the Grand Wagoneer, either, and that was intentional. Like the Ford Mustang Mach-E, which doesn’t harbour any blue ovals, Jeep wants to make this a premium sub-brand that reaches out to a more upscale kind of buyer. We think it’s working.

The cabin continues to impress us with its emphasis on American luxury. The front seats might as well be re-categorized as sofa chairs, with leather meeting wood accents and chrome trim, all married together with convincing hard plastics. The fit and finish are notably inferior to anything from BMW or Mercedes but the clean mix of colours, shapes, and digital real estate cleverly covers it up. The two-spoke steering wheel is beautifully crafted, featuring a cut-out bottom half similar to that of the new Genesis models. Small buttons flank the back, where paddle shifters would normally sit, to control the volume and audio tracks. However, like the signal and wiper stalks, they easily feel like the cheapest touchpoints of the Jeep.

The Grand Wagoneer features an array of digital screens, with four located in the front and three more in the rear. The driver’s instrument cluster is bright and clear, but the center two take the spotlight. Crisp, reactive to inputs, and lag-free, it’s a tech haven for the latest features and creature comforts. The bottom screen is mainly delegated to seat functions and massage but hides a storage cubby behind it accessed via a dedicated button. Here is where the wireless charging pad and HDMI port sit. It compliments the other clever storage areas such as the optional cooler box under the center armrest. 

The haptic buttons on the side of the main screen aren’t very responsive and take purposeful and strong jabs at the surface for them to register. And like Ferraris and Porsche Taycans, there’s a passenger-side display which is lower quality of course, but handles all the media functionality so they don’t have to fight for center screen rights. Too bad it doesn’t show a digital speedo but then again, nobody likes a backseat driver.

Jeep didn’t forget to add the latest tech either, and it’s decked out with the latest roster of equipment like a McIntosh 23-speaker system with a 1,375-watt amplifier and subwoofer, Night Vision with pedestrian and animal detection, and the ability to stream and download your favourite shows with Amazon Fire TV to the two 10.1-inch rear-seat entertainment screens.

The long-wheelbase Grand Wagoneer finally feels as cavernous as its rivals, with the third row no longer feeling like capital punishment for my six-foot figure, and long journeys with seven of our mates never felt so comfortable. This Jeep was made for road trips across the vast picturesque landscapes of North America. You will reach your destination feeling more refreshed than when you left, thanks to the massage seats, which are notably stronger than the ones in the new Range Rover and even the Escalade. The seating position is excellent and high enough that you feel like you are towering over the road.

The Grand Wagoneer now comes loaded with a 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged inline-six producing 510 horsepower and 500 lb-ft of torque through an 8-speed automatic. Base models still receive the naturally aspirated 6.4-litre V8, but note that despite its larger displacement and cylinder count, the unit only musters 471 hp and 455 lb-ft of torque, yielding a paltry fuel average of 18.0 L/100km. We achieved a steady 16.2 L/100 km with this new unit, which Jeep dubs the Hurricane engine. We love it when automakers give their power plants a cool name – think Ford Voodoo or Buick Fireball. 

Out on the open road, the inline-six feels gutsy and the powerband is surprisingly broad. It’s missing that V8 exhaust howl and the proportional relationship between pedal travel and forward thrust, but a few hours behind the wheel has us believing the V8 is now irrelevant. We wouldn’t say the new Hurricane engine is better, as it lacks character and charm, but it’s certainly not deficient in on-road performance or efficiency. However, if fuel consumption is your priority in this field, don’t forget that Cadillac offers its Escalade with a diesel engine, one that handed us a greener 12.2 L/100km. The Lincoln Navigator has also exiled their eight-cylinder war drums in favour of a twin-turbo V6 that averaged a similar 15.6 L/100km in short wheelbase trim. Of note, the Jeep’s new engine requires 91-octane premium fuel. 

Not only does the Grand Wagoneer L provide more cabin space but it also rides better on the street. The extra length adds stability at higher speeds, resulting in an incredibly grounded and cushy ride. It’s still more brittle and lax in the way it negotiates minor oscillations than say, a Range Rover or Mercedes GLS, but at high speeds it’s exceptionally similar. For such a substantial SUV, body roll is kept in check but it’s still like managing like a boat around corners. Such are the constraints of a durable, body-on-frame construction. Slow in and fast out is still the best approach, but maneuverability will always be this SUV’s weak point. Still, we didn’t find the Grand Wagoneer L to be any less difficult to park than its rivals thanks to an army of cameras and sensors. 

There’s proper style and substance with the Grand Wagoneer. The long-wheelbase variant adds a much-needed cabin extension, and the new engine, although smaller in displacement and character, is more powerful and efficient than the V8 it replaces. Add that on top of a charmingly American interior and it’s a win-win in our books. This is the most well-rounded and luxurious Jeep on sale today.

Specifications:
Model: 2023 Jeep Grand Wagoneer L Series III
Base Price: $136,443
Engine: 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged inline-six
Horsepower: 510 hp @ 5,700 rpm
Torque: 500 lb-ft @ 3,500 rpm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Engine & Drive Configuration: Front engine, 4WD
Observed Fuel Consumption (L/100km): 16.2
Tires: 285/45R22XL