Once again the day is nigh that the populace shall be blessed by the birth of a new Jeep Grand Wagoneer as FCA has finally released images of its new luxury SUV to be sold starting sometime next year. (Hopefully we will get one to check out for a week here at CC). Of course most of us fondly remember the Grand Wagoneer of yore and generally prefer to think that famed name was put to rest in 1991. Less fondly remembered, if at all, is that there was in fact another Grand Wagoneer since then, but it was only offered for one year, 1993. That’s what we have here, so let’s take a gander.
Of course the new (first ever!) Grand Cherokee was released back in 1992 as an early 1993 model and while available in several trims, the Grand Wagoneer was introduced as a separate model and as before was intended as the pinnacle of the Jeep lineup, except now it would be the most up to date and modern vehicle rather than the most antique one. It was only offered for 1993 and while Jeep seems to indicate it was sort of a tribute to the outgoing real deal, surely they would have kept it around if it had seen a significant amount of takers.
Befitting its position, it pretty much came fully loaded, with the 5.2liter “Magnum” V8 and QuadraTrac full-time 4WD system as standard and very few other available options. Naturally the sides were slathered in fake wood that in this one has a serious case of the peels on the raised plastic “surrounds”, curiously making it look even more similar (albeit unintentionally) to the look that graces the original Grand Wagoneer which also had lighter colored surrounds. As opposed to the Grand Cherokee, these did NOT have the plastic lower body moldings although this particular one seems to have had some sort of integrated running boards.
From the front the Grand Wagoneer looked the same as the Grand Cherokee. Looking back, the wood sides are kind of endearing but I think I recall at the time wondering what the hell they were thinking putting that crap on their most modern and forward-thinking model. Did they want to see the future or just be stuck in the past? Now, of course, I’d love me one of these as opposed to a regular 1993 Grand Cherokee, but still would rather have the original.
Magnum. Whether P.I. or a decadent Ice Cream treat slathered in chocolate or as a V8 engine, the name sounds good. This one’s had some people rooting around in it already, either before it got here or since, although it was very fresh. It’s amazing how many brand new air filters I see on junkyard cars, that seems to be the go-to if a car is starting to have trouble – Hey, let’s change the air filter, maybe that’ll fix it! Wishful thinking, although I suppose I don’t see all the cars where perhaps it DID work…Either way, this 5.2liter V8 put out a respectable 220hp at 4800rpm and 285 lb-ft of torque at 3600rpm.
It seems a trifle odd that the windows aren’t tinted on this one, looking up other examples seems to indicate that this was the norm whereas the GC seems to usually have tinted windows, nowadays especially it’s only the absolute base model SUVs that seem to have clear glass around the back half.
This one’s a local judging by the quite faded Colorado Springs Jeep/Eagle dealer sticker. The sticker price for this one (barring any options such as the running boards etc) would have started at $29,966 – which is equivalent to $53,731 today.
Someone took the spare, these came with a full size wheel attached to the left side of the cargo area and covered by that vinyl shroud that is now laying on the back carpet. That’s not a particularly large area in the first place, with a full size spare in there for the last 27 years it seems like that would get aggravating. No headrests for the back seat passengers, nothing like paying top dollar for the top of the line model and basic safety items aren’t available.
Rounding the corner shows off the special snowflake wheels and an extremely long mudflap as well as a very interesting feature that reveals an astounding level of attention to detail for Detroit…
The Jeep is silver, but the fuel filler lid is bronze to blend in with the wood trim. On the other side of it (the normally visible side when closed) there is a layer of wood-grain that goes to the edge but doesn’t wrap around the way it does into the body cavity itself. I presume this was painted this way so it would not stick out as a halo of color, very interesting and something I’ve never even thought about on other Di-Noc’d cars.
This has held up quite well, all things considered. Leather seats were standard as was more faux-wood trim, now on the inside. While full-time AWD, there was still a low-range that it could be shifted into. This beige interior was the only color offered while various exterior hues were of course available.
These seats sort of remind me of George Costanza’s puffy coat but they look hugely comfortable (as did George’s coat). The headrests look comfortable as well, I’ll bet that leather pushed a few buyers over the edge to sign the old four-square. It’s held up at least, I’ll give it that.
Someone took the audio system, early 90’s dashboard design was still pretty square, just like on the Explorer. It’d be a few more years until this all got kind of softer and organic looking in most domestic offerings.
208,213 miles. Quite respectable for the day, although the base 4.0 I-6 will often exceed that, I wonder what broke on this one. I’ll bet seeing that fuel gauge pegged at full was a rare sight with that 318 though with it rated at 12 City and 17 Highway with a 14 Average.
Built at Jefferson North in Detroit, MI, I can’t figure out when the Grand Wagoneer was first built, although all the sources seem to indicate it wasn’t available right at the beginning of ZJ production (which was April 1992), they all seem to say “starting in early 1993” along with when the V8 was first introduced as an option so I’m guessing this was a fairly early one of the bunch.
Plastic Chrome on Plastic Wood. Does it get any better? Don’t answer that. The wood grain doesn’t seem to line up from the fender to the door here which seems odd as well. It’s like that on all the panels, close but not quite. Oh well, from what I’ve seen there won’t even be woodgrain on the new one which is too bad (or maybe not?). Either way, Grand Wagoneer is arguably the most iconic name in American large SUV-dom and it’ll be good to see it back again, likely positioned as FCA’s flagship when it debuts for the 2022 model year. Until then, we can look at this, the most recent one and debate whether it or the upcoming one (below) is more worthy of the name…
Chrysler interiors of that era seemed to wear like iron, and the leather was particularly sumptuous and durable. My former mother-in-law’s ’89 New Yorker’s leather lined cabin was a very comfortable place to be, and at 10 years old and 170k miles it still looked and felt like a new car from the inside. Of course driving the thing was a whole different story.
The plush leather seats were moved to the top-line Grand Cherokee after the ZJ GW’s short run.
I don’t care for the exterior looks of the new one except for some nice details like the grille texture. The interior looks lovely though, and is kitted out enough to fetch a six-figure price when fully optioned. I’d pick this over an Escalade or the various BMWs or Benzes in this price and size range.
I don’t think that the old GW sold on its looks at the time, either.
They ought to bookend match the Di-Noc.
I dunno what Chrysler service is like in other places, but I do know in Atlanta it’s not of the level to support a car with the Jeep Grand Wagoneer’s price tag. The service experience is both incompetent and they’re always trying to sell you something you don’t need like brake fluid flushes and throttle body cleaning. I have a base model minivan, and I don’t think Honda, Toyota, or Kia are much better but once the vehicle i’m interested in crests $50K, I’m definitely paying for an upgraded service experience with one of the luxury manufacturers. There’s a world of difference in service experience with Lexus v. Toyota and so on down.
Our Jeep dealer went from being combined with RAM and Dodge and the rest to a completely standalone building and facility in a different part of town and the service and experience have improved measurably, this is apparently happening more and more around the country from what I understand. What used to be a dingy shop space has become just as nice as what our (also new) Mercedes dealer has while the price for service has remained the same from what I can tell. Yes, they still recommend excessive fluid servicing but the Mercedes dealer would do that as well, so… But in any case, at least our dealer has significantly upped his game, perhaps he realized that a lot of the clientele is different these days and his dealership seems like he can now support a six-figure sale.
What I see is a SUV with a case of the Broughams. When these cars were selling out, they were pimped in a way that would have made a Ford Elite envious. That thick pile carpeting? The leather tufted seats? The fake wood slathered around an over padded interior?
Worse, are those the wheels that also adorned Chrysler minivans? They look like it.
Thank you for showing us this vehicle from 1993 – its look hasn’t aged well. I can’t even begin to fathom how hideous the 2020 Armada and whatever passes for the Infiniti manatee-looking bloatmobile is going to look 30 years from now.
Iacocca.
Iacocca.
Iacocca.
Iacocca.
Iacocca.
Iacocca. Okeh, I made that one up. But only just barely.
Seeing that Iacocca retired from Chrysler as president, chairman and CEO at the end of 1992, this vehicle must have been his last hurrah!
Those wheels used to remind me of the late 70s Pontiac snowflakes, especially the ones with gold accents.
I never minded the styling of this generation other than it pales in comparison to the OG Brooks Stevens design, it looks much less dated than its rounded out 2000s era successor IMO The wood grain and Brougham interior touches should have never made it to aero design language(same for whale body B body wagons)
I believe these wheels (the ones on the GW, not the Firebird) are the same exact ones used on Adam’s Cherokee test car that he posted today, just nine years later. They do look similar to the ‘bird’s though too.
The fake wood look was falling out of favor fast by 1993, this was almost its’ last hurrah. I think this was the last new model introduced with woodgrain side paneling as a full factory feature, although a dwindling number of existing models continued to offer it until mid-decade.
The last holdouts were the GM A- and B-body wagons discontinued after 1996 while Chrysler dropped the Di-Noc with the minivans’ round-body redesign the same year. Since then there’ve been aftermarket ones and the occasional self-consciously retro revival effort, of which I think the PT Cruiser had the most success with.
The XJ pulled off the woody look better somehow, I vaguely remember seeing wood laden ZJ Grand Cherokees on rare occasion as a kid but they all had that dealer created look of those Brougham puffy landau tops applied to MN12 Cougars in the 90s, just these old sheer look era holdovers that was to appease people who weren’t quite ready for aero but had no choice in new cars.
For all the plushy interior goods that instrument cluster is a really stark sight. It’s nice that it has a full array of gauges but that euro inspired flat black plastic minimalism is a theme I don’t miss. Even Gremlins had nicer looking gauges.
I attended an expensive private school for fifth grade. One of my friends said his mom got a new Wagoneer. It was similar to this (his had stacked headlights). I was very disappointed.
That would have been the XJ-based Wagoneer sold (I think) through the 1990 model year.
As XR7Matt noted above, the XJ’s smaller and even boxier and more rectilinear body was somewhat better suited for the plastiwood treatment.
Also bore MUCH more of a resemblance to the FSJ Grand Wagoneers.