Jeep hopes aftermarket tuners will view the new Wagoneer’s rugged body-on-frame construction and powerful V8 engine as a blank canvas. Jeep is encouraging third-party companies to modify the SUV, and it plans to work with a handful of partners to build Wagoneer-based concepts for the 2021 edition of the SEMA show, among other events.
“I think on the Wagoneer, maybe a little less on the Grand Wagoneer, we’ll see overlanders, we’ll see all kinds of lift kits and tires and outdoorsy stuff,” predicted Jeep boss Christian Meunier in an interview with Muscle Car & Trucks.
Both models are related to the Ram 1500 under the sheetmetal, so tuners won’t be starting from scratch. Jeep is positioning the Wagoneer as the biggest SUV in its range, and it’s putting the Grand Wagoneer at the very top of its model hierarchy as an alternative to upmarket models like the Cadillac Escalade and the Lincoln Navigator.
“I think people are going to go nuts with it, and we want them to go nuts. It’s part of the culture,” Meunier said. He added that his team is considering giving some tuners early access to the SUV so that they can get a head start. He didn’t reveal precisely what he has in mind, but it’s not difficult to imagine a Wagoneer (pictured) with 35-inch off-road tires, a two-plus-inch suspension lift kit, a roof-mounted tent, and a rear-mounted spare tire, for example.
Of course, Jeep could give Wagoneer owners the option of customizing their SUV without forking over money to a third-party company. It’s safe to bet buyers will have a long list of Mopar accessories to choose from, and the firm announced it will open an in-house customization facility near the Toledo, Ohio, factory that builds the Wrangler.
The next SEMA show is scheduled to open its doors on November 2, 2021, so we’ll need to be patient to find out what Jeep and its partners are preparing. Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer sales will start in late 2021, too.
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