2021 Jeep Wagoneer Caught in the Wild

• The 2021 Jeep Wagoneer should ride on the Ram 1500’s truck platform
• Seating for up to eight passengers expected
• Pentastar 3.6L V6 and 5.7L HEMI V8 engines likely candidates for the Wagoneer

The much-anticipated 2021 Jeep Wagoneer is on its way, and has been caught testing on public roads in camouflage. The upcoming three-row SUV will be positioned above the Jeep Grand Cherokee in the brand’s North American lineup, and it will be its first three-row model since the Jeep Commander.

As we can see in the pictures, the Wagoneer will be quite big and square, fitting in with the more “urban” Jeep designs. Remember, the brand has two styling directions sold side by side—the blocky, trademark design as seen on the Renegade, the Wrangler and the Gladiator, as well as the more “urban” design as seen on the Compass, the Cherokee and the Grand Cherokee.

According to our sources, the Wagoneer should be a real truck, not a car-based crossover, and will borrow the Ram 1500’s architecture. So we’re talking about a full-size SUV, ready to take on the Ford Expedition, the Toyota Sequoia, the Nissan Armada as well as GM’s trio of Chevrolet Tahoe, Chevrolet Suburban and GMC Yukon utes. A more luxurious version, expected to be named the Jeep Grand Wagoneer, might also be introduced to give the Lincoln Navigator, the Infiniti QX80 and the Cadillac Escalade a run for their money.

It would make sense to offer the Ram 1500’s powertrain choices as well, such as the Pentastar 3.6-litre V6 and the 5.7-litre HEMI V8. Both could include the company’s eTorque 48-volt mild hybrid system that saves fuel and smoothes out the automatic stop/start system. A plug-in hybrid system is also a possibility, but Fiat Chrysler Automobiles has yet to show us one that would suit their bigger trucks and SUVs.

Obviously, the Wagoneer will flaunt the brand’s legendary off-road capabilities in addition to serving up on-road ride quality, as is the case with the Grand Cherokee. We don’t know yet what trim levels will be offered, but we’re expecting Laredo, Limited, Overland and Summit variants. Maybe a Trailhawk version. But no SRT or Trackhawk editions. FCA could prove us wrong.

The Wagoneer won’t be the only three-row SUV Jeep produces. The Chinese-market Jeep Grand Commander, which has been on sale since the spring of 2018, is actually a very different vehicle. It’s about the same size as the North American Grand Cherokee, but rides on a shorter wheelbase. It can be equipped with a turbocharged, 2.0-litre engine or a plug-in hybrid system.

The 2021 Jeep Wagoneer should have enough room inside for six-, seven- and eight-passenger seating. It will make its official debut sometime in 2020, and we’re thinking that could happen at either the New York Auto Show in April, or the Detroit Auto Show in June.