Jeep enlisted Amazon’s help to take in-car entertainment to the next level. It announced the upcoming Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer will inaugurate Fire TV for Auto technology that will let passengers watch their favorite shows.
Although neither SUV has been revealed, we saw the Grand Wagoneer as a close-to-production concept in 2020. It revives a decades-old nameplate and honors its heritage by packing more premium features than any Jeep before it, but there’s absolutely nothing retro about it. Four screens face the front passengers: one replaces the instrument cluster, two are embedded in the center stack, and the fourth is positioned on the right side of the dashboard.
It’s these screens that will transform the SUVs into a living room on wheels. Fire TV for Auto will give users the option of synching their Amazon account via the Uconnect5 infotainment software to bring the entertainment they watch on their television into the cabin. Passengers will be able to watch their favorite shows and movies while traveling at 75 mph on the freeway, or while they’re stuck in rush-hour traffic downtown. And, because the account will be synced, they’ll have the ability to pause a show in their house and pick up where they left off in the car.
Jeep explained only the front and rear-seat passengers will be able to view content while the SUV is moving, and a privacy filter allegedly ensures the driver isn’t tempted to stay entertained, too. However, motorists will be able to stream shows on the main infotainment screen if the transmission is in park. Connectivity is useless in areas with no network connection, so users will be encouraged to download content at home (when they’re connected to Wi-Fi, for example) to ensure it can be viewed in the middle of the Nevada desert without interruptions or roaming charges.