What’s The Best Big SUV? Grand Wagoneer L Makes Its Case
Sometimes, you just need space. And for those times, Jeep would like to offer the 2024 Grand Wagoneer L, the largest and most over-the-top luxurious SUV — by far — the brand has ever unleashed upon the road. (Cue the Canyonero song, for those who enjoy a good Simspons reference.)
With its new twin-turbo Hurricane engine and acres of cabin space, the Grand Wagoneer L makes a strong case for itself as the best full-size luxury SUV, full-stop. We recently drove this beast, and found a few things we love about the 2024 Grand Wagoneer L.
The Grand Wagoneer Is, and Isn’t, a Jeep
2024 Grand Wagoneer
2024 Grand Wagoneer
2024 Grand Wagoneer
2024 Grand Wagoneer
2024 Grand Wagoneer
2024 Grand Wagoneer
2024 Grand Wagoneer
We should correct the record right off the bat and clarify the Grand Wagoneer is not technically a Jeep. It’s known simply the Grand Wagoneer or Grand Wagoneer L. However, you will find this machine sold at Jeep dealers, and it was developed in-house by the same experienced team of engineers who made the Wrangler the GOAT of four-by-fours. So, rest assured: this thing is tough. Unlike most other luxury SUVs, the Grand Wagoneer never feels fragile or delicate when the road gets rough and the pavement turns to gravel.
The Hurricane Engine Is Impressive
The all-new 3.0-litre twin-turbo straight-six Hurricane engine makes a great first impression. Skeptics might feel they need a V8 in a machine like this, and — until we tried the Hurricane — we might have agreed with them. The high-output motor in the Grand Wagoneer L lives up to its Hurricane name. With 510 horsepower and 500 lb-ft of torque, there’s enough muscle to get the L from a standstill to 100 km/h in around five seconds. The low-down torque is even more prodigious than on the old Hemi V8s. The twin-turbo system is so well tuned that lag is negligible. (Any delay in acceleration when you put your foot down is caused more by the eight-speed automatic transmission than by the engine itself.) The motor never huffs and puffs; it never feels overly stressed. As a driver, it’s like you’re just riding this tidal-wave of torque. Don’t forget: those six-cylinders are hauling roughly 3,000 kilograms of metal.
2024 Grand Wagoneer
2024 Grand Wagoneer
2024 Grand Wagoneer
2024 Grand Wagoneer
2024 Grand Wagoneer
The level of refinement, the lack of vibration, and the overall smoothness of the engine’s power delivery means this motor deserves to rank among the best. Who needs a Hemi? There’s no contest: Hurricane straight-six all the way.
A Different Sort of Luxury
The company calls it “the epitome of American comfort and craftsmanship.” The Grand Wagoneer is meant to go head-to-head against more established rivals like the Escalade and Navigator, and perhaps even the full-fat Range Rover. But what is “American comfort and craftsmanship,” exactly? For starters, it costs $134,818 with the price rising to nearly $150,000 for the top-spec Series III trim. The cabin is bathed your choice of materials; we love the two-tone black and quilted “Palermo” leather, contrasting piping, and lustrous wood veneer with inlaid metal “GRAND WAGONEER” lettering. The 24-way power seats offer heating, cooling and massaging and if you can’t get comfortable in these thrones, then we can’t help you.
2024 Grand Wagoneer
2024 Grand Wagoneer
2024 Grand Wagoneer
2024 Grand Wagoneer
2024 Grand Wagoneer
2024 Grand Wagoneer
Seriously, the days when you had to buy German to get cutting-edge technology are over. This SUV has more screen real-estate than most living rooms. Tick the right option boxes and there is 190.5-cm (75-inches) of total screen surface, split between the driver, passenger and rear seats. The passenger screen is especially useful, allowing the front occupant to act as a co-pilot, helping input navigation destinations and route options. Amazon Fire TV and more USB outlets than we cared to count should keep rear-seat occupants busy on longer journeys too. The ultimate family road-trip mobile? Quite possibly.
Let’s Talk About Size
Like we said, sometimes you need space. And when you do, there’s nothing else on the road that offers more space than the Grand Wagoneer L, at least not this side of a tour bus. There are seven or eight seats, and even the third row is reasonably comfortable for adults. The elongated “L” model offers the sort of roominess that really needs to be experienced to truly understand, but we’ll offer up some numbers anyway. The L is 5.76-metres long, 30.5-cm longer than the non-L, with an extra 18-cm between the wheels for a total wheelbase of 330 cm. Jeep (rightly) boasts about best-in-class passenger volume (5,077 litres) and best-in-class second-row legroom (108.5 cm).
2024 Grand Wagoneer
2024 Grand Wagoneer
2024 Grand Wagoneer
2024 Grand Wagoneer
Despite that, it handles surprisingly well for such a large machine. We don’t know how the Quadra-Lift air suspension manages that, but it does, so colour us impressed.
So, ask yourself: do you need one of the largest SUVs money can buy? If, after careful consideration, you answered ‘yes’ to that question — and you demand to be surrounded by acres of wood, leather, and screens — then the 2024 Grand Wagoneer L is the SUV for you
