(WWJ) -- The new Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer are like nothing that Jeep has ever built before, despite the familiar product names.
We'll focus more on the Grand Wagoneer, as that's what I spent most of the time in, during two days in New York City and some of its richest suburbs.
Basic difference: Wagoneer competes with Tahoe/Yukon/Expedition, while the Grand Wagoneer competes with Escalade/Navigator.
"The vehicle is not so ostentatious," says Dwayne Jackson, who's chief designer for Jeep interiors. "It plays into building upon the strengths of the Jeep name."
The Grand Wagoneer is a uniquely Jeep-take on the concept of luxury SUV. That's why Jeep brought reporters, including me, to New York for a first drive that took us up Manhattan's West Side, through the Bronx and into some of the wealthiest suburbs in the country.
Also, New York has some of the nation's top SUV buyers, and is Jeep's best market.
The interior of the Grand Wagoneer is awash in rich leather, premium woods, and lot's of screens -- seven total, including an optional screen in front of the passenger. You can truly be co-pilot, working the navigation system, or you can veg out watching videos. The screen is arranged so the driver can't see it.
There's high-end audio, media streaming, and even an app that helps young passengers learn that you aren't "there yet" without having to ask their parents.
The vehicle can also comfortably seat seven or eight people.
And it wouldn't be a Jeep event without an off-road course. It was limited, but we did crawl up a rock-strewn hill, go for an aggressive tilt, and handle some nasty ruts. Not a Wrangler, but much more than I was expecting.
I can't see somebody who pays up to six figures for a vehicle taking it on a rock-strewn course. But, the essential "Jeepness" of the Wagoneer demands that it has capabilities that many competitors don't -- and that should give people confidence in bad weather. It can also tow up to 10,000 pounds.
"We've really tried to bring back American Premium," says marketing manager Rachel Fellrath. "We're reinventing the original."
The original Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer had a 29-year run, and lays claim to being the first luxury SUV.
It was more like a four-wheel drive station wagon, but it made an impact that resonates today.
"People are restoring them, different shops are," says analyst Karl Brauer of iseecars.com. "They've gone all through the roof in terms of value."
Jeep has seen tremendous growth in recent years, and entering a new segment can only mean more growth.
"Jeep has finally entered this segment really 20 years after it kinda took off," says Brauer. "They say if you're the latest to the party, you need to be the best dressed. It feels like they've nailed this one in terms of luxury and driving dynamics."
The roads we traversed were quite narrow, from windy two lanes in the country, to narrow older freeways in the city. The acceleration was instant, the handling nimble, the cabin quiet.
This didn't feel like a large, lumbering SUV. It's handling was more mid-crossover. Very impressive.
Impressions: The Jeep Grand Wagoneer holds its own with the Navigator and Escalade, and is far better than anything that size that I've driven from an import. While I didn't spend as much time in the Wagoneer, it felt like a solid competitor in the big utility segment.
It would be too much to say that they blew away the competition. Still, I don't think anybody would regret their choice. Get up to this high-priced stratosphere where all of the competitors are very nice -- and the Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer fit in well.
Add in a new Grand Cherokee, the 3-row Grand Cherokee L, and several new Wrangler variants, and we're likely to see a lot more growth ahead for the Jeep brand.
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