After four years on sale, the Jeep Grand Wagoneer is getting a glow-up.
The world of full-size luxury SUVs has long been dominated by two players: the Cadillac Escalade and the Lincoln Navigator. Then, after a nearly three-decade absence from the market, Jeep came roaring back into the fight with the Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer. Essentially, the “mainstream” Wagoneer and its Grand sibling are the same SUV, with the latter bringing more opulence to the table. While both got off to a bit of a slow start in terms of sales, Jeep is still fighting to gain a stronger foothold in the market. Enter the new 2026 Jeep Grand Wagoneer — the first significant update in the WS-generation’s four-year run.
Officially, all Jeep announced Thursday is that the updated Grand Wagoneer is coming, “refreshed with a new attitude”.
What exactly that means is open to interpretation, but the single photo the automaker provided offers a glimpse into how it will look. And on that front, the 2026 Grand Wagoneer (and presumably its Wagoneer counterpart) maintains its large, boxy shape. This isn’t a full overhaul, but instead Jeep’s design team is giving the flagship family SUV a more chiseled looking front end. Slimmer headlights initially catch your eye, then you move inward toward the Wagoneer S-like grille design that aims for a sleeker, modern look, if not as reverent to the Wagoneers of old with a distinctive seven-slotted grille.
The lower fascia has changed as well, with supplemental T-shaped running lights down low and a reshaped mesh design. Couple that with what look like at least 22-inch wheels, and this is still every bit an Escalade, Navigator, Infiniti QX80 and Lexus LX 600 competitor, at least on paper.
While we don’t have any more technical information at the moment, I would expect the 2026 Jeep Grand Wagoneer to carry over its current powertrain option: a 540-horsepower, high-output version of Stellantis’ 3.0-liter Hurricane twin-turbo inline-six.
The real question, though, is whether we’ll see the return of a V8 to the lineup, namely the 6.4-liter Hemi. It did initially launch with the Grand Wagoneer before being replaced by the Hurricane, and put out 471 horsepower and 455 lb-ft of torque. Sure, it’s weaker than the new Hurricane on paper, but folks have been clamoring for Stellantis to revive its V8 offerings. What’s more, Jeep’s leadership is strongly signalling the V8’s return to a wider range of models, and that could well include the Grand Cherokee and the Wagoneer/Grand Wagoneer.
Jeep did also mention its hybrid 4xe models in its official statement, and if you peek on the driver’s side fender, there appears to be a charging port. So, it looks like the PHEV lineup will expand into the Grand Wagoneer lineup with this update.
Outside the styling and potential powertrain updates, the 2026 Jeep Grand Wagoneer will likely get some interior tweaks when it launches later this year. I’d normally say Jeep will upgrade the SUV’s standard tech…but the Grand Wagoneer already comes loaded with technology and creature comforts, so it’s tough to imagine what they could add to the mix that isn’t already available.
Whatever happens, I would expect the 2026 Jeep Grand Wagoneer to cost more than it does right now — and it already isn’t cheap. In fact, the base (non-L) version starts at $87,540, while the top-end Series III Obsidian will set you back an eye-watering $112,135. It may not be a huge change, but new vehicles never get less expensive these days, do they?
The 2026 Jeep Wagoneer, the more “affordable” model if you can call it that (starting MSRP is right around $62,040 if you stick with the RWD model), may launch with similar styling changes to its more luxurious sibling. That remains to be seen since Jeep only announced some detail on the Grand Wagoneer today, but it’s a pretty good bet unless they deliberately maintain the old styling with the base Wagoneer to set the Grand Wagoneer further apart.
At any rate, we should have more details coming up in the next couple months. If you need a bit of a refresher, here’s one of our more recent experiences with the Grand Wagoneer:
