The Jeep Wagoneer is coming back—a legendary name from the brand's back catalog, previously used on the ancestors of today's mainstream SUVs. It will complement the more luxurious Grand Wagoneer to create a family of three-row, truck-based SUVs for the Jeep brand, both of which target domestic and import stalwarts. We've already seen the Grand Wagoneer concept, and we expect the regular Wagoneer to emerge as a slightly more mainstream take on the concept's broad strokes.

Where Does the Wagoneer Fit in Jeep's SUV Lineup?

That's the big question among observers, and a key clue is hiding in plain sight right on the Grand Wagoneer concept: a lack of Jeep badging. Like the new Ford Bronco "family," Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer will serve as a subbrand under the broader Jeep umbrella. Both will sit atop the Grand Cherokee in the lineup, and both will use the same Ram 1500-based platform and three-row layout.

How Will Jeep Differentiate the Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer?

Since we haven't seen the production version of either the Grand Wagoneer or the regular Wagoneer, and only a concept version of the former, we don't know for sure. But we can certainly fill in the blanks based on what Jeep has inferred. We've referred to the Wagoneer as the "mainstream" version of the two, oriented at the non-luxury versions of large three-row domestic SUVs such as the Chevrolet Tahoe, Ford Expedition, and the GMC Yukon.

Think of the Grand Wagoneer as more of a "Denali" version, aimed at the more premium derivatives of those aforementioned vehicles: the Cadillac Escalade, Yukon Denali, and Lincoln Navigator. Pricing, equipment, and materials should reflect this market positioning—but it's not clear yet how the differences will be communicated in terms of interior and exterior styling.

Is the Wagoneer Smaller Than the Grand Wagoneer?

Interestingly enough, size doesn't have anything to do with it. Both the Grand Wagoneer and the regular Wagoneer will be offered in short- and long-wheelbase forms. It's our understanding that the short-wheelbase versions will be offered first. We expect the wheelbase differences to be similar to the Ford Expedition and its larger Max variant—the Jeep's longer wheelbase won't affect seating capacity but will provide some more cargo room behind the third row.