Years ago, when word of a new Jeep Wagoneer first reached Allpar’s ears, we were told that it would replace the Dodge Durango, which is essentially a lengthened, street-tuned Grand Cherokee. That was before a surprisingly successful ad campaign starring Will Ferrell in his Ron Burgundy character.
When Durango sales rose, the thought of having the Durango and Wagoneer co-exist inevitably arose, but how would they differentiate the two?
According to long-time source redriderbob, the first step will be dropping the Dodge Durango Citadel, which is covered in luxury trim. Instead, the future Durango will be performance-focused, fitting the Dodge theme and raison d’être. There will be an entry-level Durango with two-row seating for five, to help absorb some Journey buyers when that crossover is replaced by a smaller, sportier rear drive version.
The Jeep Grand Wagoneer itself is likely to take on all the luxury trappings of the Citadel, but might retain the Grand Cherokee’s off-road-capable suspension design.
There is also speculation that the Wagoneer — since a company rep has talked about there being both a Wagoneer and a Grand Wagoneer — would be a higher-end, lengthened Jeep Cherokee. It could also be based on the forthcoming rear-drive Dodge Journey.
Read more at: http://www.allpar.com/news/2016/09/durango-vs-wagoneer-making-room-33314
