Upcoming Jeep Wagoneer Could Spawn a New Ram SUV

Jeep Wagoneer is a large SUV based on the Ram 1500 chassis, so a second large SUV would make sense.

Jeep announced this morning on the official Facebook page that the all-new Grand Wagoneer will make its formal debut online on March 11. The modern Wagoneer lineup was introduced last year as the Grand Wagoneer Concept, which is clearly positioned to stand out as the top large luxury SUV from an American automaker. However, in addition to the Grand Wagoneer that we will meet on March 11, there will also be a Wagoneer without the “grand”. It is unclear whether the Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer will differ in size, luxury level or both, but it looks as though Jeep will soon have a pair of large, range-topping SUVs with the classic body-on-frame design.

While the 2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer is based on the existing Ram 1500 “DT” platform, the company surely spent a whole lot of money to design and engineer the SUV-specific version of the chassis platform. We expect that the Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer will sell well, based on the concept vehicle, but to help disperse the costs of developing the SUV-specific version of the Ram DT chassis, the Ram brand could introduce a large, body-on-frame SUV of its own. Ideally, it could be the return of the classic Ramcharger, just without the Dodge branding.

Long-awaited 2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer

Right now, we don’t have any details on the production-spec 2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer, but the Trail Rated brand issued a handful of images of a preproduction model that has some key differences from the concept that was introduced last year. The Jeep social media post claims that it is preproduction, but the exterior styling shown in the image above could very well preview the production model.

The good news is that the preproduction Jeep Grand Wagoneer looks a great deal like the concept on the outside while featuring premium luxury bits on the inside. As the company’s first body-on-frame SUV in years, it will be a welcomed addition to the lineup for those prospective buyers who want a proper competitor for the likes of the Cadillac Escalade. The new Grand Wagoneer is likely to be perfect for someone who wants a big, plush SUV and while we are sure to see some crazy owners converting them into very expensive off-road machines, the reality is that most of these new Jeeps will only be driven on paved roads.

For those who want a vehicle with this new SUV body-on-frame platform, but with more serious off-road mettle, that is where the new Ram or even a Dodge SUV would fit perfectly.

Return of the Ramcharger

Back in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, the Dodge Ramcharger was a full-sized, body-on-frame SUV that was similar in its mechanical function to the Ram D150 pickups of the era. Having owned a Ramcharger for 10 years, I can safely say that they are true utility vehicles that put most modern SUVs to shame when it comes to ruggedness. It rode like a truck because it pretty much was a truck, whereas most of today’s SUVs are based on unibody platforms, so they ride like big sedans. These vehicles wouldn’t really provide the proper basis for a new Ramcharger, but with the Wagoneer platform, the architecture is available.

Imagine if Ram took the basic bones of the new Jeep Grand Wagoneer and started with an exterior design that looks a great deal like a new Ram 1500, except with more seats and a rear cargo area rather than a truck bed. Like the Grand Wagoneer, the premium trim levels could come with all sorts of premium gadgets, but in its base form, it would be a hearty off-road-ready SUV with a smaller price tag than the related Jeep models.

Add Hemi power and you have a big Ram Trucks SUV that will outperform the competition with a less luxurious price tag than the new Wagoneer lineup. To take this dream a step further, imagine a TRX version of this Ramcharger. It would embarrass Ford’s new Bronco in every possible way – much worse than how the Ram 1500 TRX stomps the V6-powered F-150 Raptor.

We are only dreaming here, but with FCA-now-Stellantis spending the development money on the SUV-specific version of the Ram DT chassis platform, it seems unlikely that the company wouldn’t try to use in on more vehicles. When they begin considering other possible body-on-frame, full-sized SUVs, nothing makes more sense than a new Ramcharger.

Photos: Stellantis 

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Patrick Rall

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com

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