I’ve often heard everything is bigger in Texas. Shortly after touching down in Austin, Jeep provided gleaming proof in the form of the colossal new 2026 Jeep Grand Wagoneer.
The Grand Wagoneer, if you’re wondering, is Jeep’s foray into the luxurious three-row SUV arena. Starting at just under six figures, it fights in the same league as the Land Rover Defender and GMC Yukon.
Got seven friends? They’ll all fit inside the grandest Grand Wagoneer. Got a 20-foot boat to haul? The Jeep will tow it, with a maximum hauling capacity of 10,000 lbs. In fact, over the course of this road trip through Austin, it became apparent there’s very little the new Grand Wagoneer won’t do.
But first, a quick refresher for those unfamiliar with Jeep’s flagship. The Grand Wagoneer last saw life in 1991, was discontinued, and then — in grand fashion — resurrected as a 2023 model to take a bite out of the competition. Over the past 12 months, it was the best-selling Jeep in Texas because, well, Texas.
Despite that sales success, Jeep still decided to give the Grand Wagoneer some choice upgrades for 2026. For example, there’s now the iconic “Jeep” badging on the exterior, the front end received the good ol’ “nip and tuck” treatment with sharper design lines, an illuminated seven-slot grille, raised headlamps and a light bar that also appears on the rear. New exterior colours and all-new wheel designs round out the exterior updates. Inside, you’ll find a larger head-up display and a new colour option.
Cosmetics aside, the most impactful change comes via dollars and sense. The suggested retail price for 2026 has been chopped down to $91,790, which is nearly $20,000 less than it was in 2025.
Setting out in the new Grand Wagoneer just after high noon on our road trip — armed not with six-shooters but wireless Apple CarPlay, coffee and curiosity — I saddled up from Two Wishes Ranch in neighbouring Lockhart.
Me of average height and weight easily pulled myself into the driver’s seat and was greeted with screens galore but yet not overwhelming. The short drive along Texas backroads was surprisingly smooth, with the majority of road imperfections soaked up by the supple suspension. Merging onto the highway came with a subtle exhaust burble and brisk acceleration courtesy of the 3.0-litre twin-turbo straight-six Hurricane engine.
Deliciously referred to as the “Barbecue Capital of Texas,” Lockhart features “BBQ Row,” home to four historic, multi-generational restaurants, complete with family in-fighting over the decades. Jane, a lovely local, recommended I opt for Smitty’s.
“One slice of brisket and one sausage please,” was answered with “Yes sir, anything else sir?” Those Texas manners always make me smile.
I received my food, plastic knife and napkins (they prefer using fingers over forks) and moved to the air conditioned dining hall and boy oh boy, I can taste why they’re adorned with awards, greasy fingers and all.
Back in the Grand Wagoneer, the audio snob in me cranked up the available 19-speaker McIntosh audio system. It symphonically filled the cabin and if strong sound quality is a need, this system delivers in droves.
As I headed north on the 135, the ride felt smooth and composed, with minimal road noise creeping in. It’s impressive, given it’s Texas-sized weight of nearly 6,500 pounds, that there’s ample passing power available on demand. It felt effortless, thanks to the engine’s 420 horsepower and whopping 468 lb-ft of torque. The Hurricane engine is the right fit for this luxury behemoth.
Half an hour later, I arrived in Austin to casually cosplay as a cowboy at the famous Allens Boots on South Congress. Thousands of cowboy boots greeted me, along with two taxidermy racoons, which made me miss Toronto. I learned I’m a size 10 EE, thanks to my wide feet and I picked out a modest pair of black leather boots. I huffed, puffed and wrestled my feet into them, forgetting that the CTRL-Z portion would be tougher. I added a cream cowboy hat for good measure.
Disjointed pulling, twisting, sliding and heaving finally freed my feet and served up some chuckles from onlookers, who must’ve known it was my first time in boots. Everyone should engage in this Texas rite of passage.
On the way out, I took the two-minute drive to the gorgeous “Greetings from Austin, Capitol of Texas” mural before the Jeep and I snaked our way to the next stop in rush hour traffic; more BBQ. En route, we passed the Texas Memorial Stadium and its 100,119 seating capacity. It’s the ninth largest stadium in the world; how very Texas.
Austin’s afternoon traffic allowed me to use only three of the eight gears in the Grand Wagoneer and at lower speeds, the gear changes are still smooth. I toyed with the available massaging seats and flicked through the high-resolution infotainment system, that’s pleasantly quick to respond to inputs. The soft yet supportive seat kept me comfortable as I crawled through each intersection.
Dinner was at la Barbecue, a Michelin-starred joint that alone was worth the Austin experience. Owner Ali Clem’s passion for BBQ delivers truly spectacular, juicy brisket that’s savoury, smoked and uses locally sourced beef.
As a musician, checking out Austin’s unofficial-yet-gutsy “Live Music Capital of the World” claim was my final task. On the famed Rainey Street is Bungalow, home to groovy live music, indoor and outdoor seating and a laid-back vibe. On a warm Wednesday spring night, an acoustic guitar paired with a soulful voice echoed from the patio and spilled onto the street.
Structurally and functionally, there was nothing wrong with the Grand Wagoneer’s reintroduction in 2023. For 2026, it’s still a premium offering from Jeep, decked out with upscale materials, plenty of technology and a plush ride feel and scores of capability.
The colossal price drop strengthens the value proposition here and Jeep could’ve simply skipped the other updates and we’d have been happy. It’s just icing on the cake.
While I can’t say definitely whether or not everything is bigger in Texas; I am sure that Austin is bursting with BBQ, brisket, boots and blues. I’ll give a tip of my new cowboy hat to the Grand Wagoneer, whose cavernous cabin — I’ll hazard a guess — could hold at least some of the roughly 783 lbs of BBQ brisket I ate during our trip around Austin. That’ll do Jeep, that’ll do.
