According to our sources, the upcoming 2020 Jeep® Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer (WS) models have been delayed once again. FCA US has been stating that the historic Jeep nameplate would return since 2013; however, the vehicle has been pushed back repeatedly. This time, however, it might be for a very good reason.
FCA US confirmed on Jan. 8, 2017, that it would invest a total of $1 billion to retool and modernize the Warren Truck Assembly Plant to produce the all-new Jeep Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer, as well as the south plant of the Toledo Assembly Complex (Ohio) to build an all-new Jeep pickup truck. These actions were planned for completion by 2020. More than 2,000 jobs were expected to be added to support the production of these models. With the investment, the company stated that Warren Truck would also have the flexibility to produce the Ram Heavy Duty truck.
A year later, in January 2018, the company confirmed that it would relocate Ram Heavy Duty production from Saltillo, Mexico, to Warren in 2020 and invest an additional $1 billion in the plant. It was also announced that 2,500 new jobs would be created, beyond the jobs announced as part of the January 2017 statement, to support increased production volumes at the facility.
With the all-new 2019 Ram 1500 ramping up production at the Sterling Heights Assembly Plant (SHAP) following initial launch issues, the Ram brand has developed new ideas for its production portfolio. Ram recently announced that it would run a 2019 model year of the popular outgoing Ram 1500 (DS) series pickup under the “Ram 1500 Classic” nameplate. The DS platform trucks continue to sell strongly, and since the tooling for those vehicles has been paid off for some time, they can be produced more cost-effectively than the all-new Ram 1500 (DT) models. This means offering a value-based truck for customers while maximizing profits for FCA US. However, this does not imply a multi-year continuation of the vehicle, unlike the Dodge Grand Caravan, which runs alongside the much newer Chrysler Pacifica, or the continued production of the Dodge Journey.
It is no secret that Ram aims to surpass Chevrolet as the second-largest producer of pickups. Ram came close to achieving this last year, but production limitations during the launch of the new 2019 Ram 1500 (DT) prevented them from meeting demand. Now, with the one-year continuation of the Ram 1500 Classic (DS) at Warren Truck Assembly, the all-new 2019 Ram 1500 at SHAP, and Ram Heavy Duty and 1500 (DS) Regular Cab production at the Saltillo Truck Plant in Mexico, Ram will have enough capacity to surpass Chevrolet and General Motors as a whole (Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra combined).
This increased capacity means that the Jeep Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer, which are set to be built at Warren Truck and based on the Ram 1500 (DT) architecture, will be delayed by a model year. After production of the Ram 1500 Classic concludes, Warren Truck will undergo a revamp to prepare for the new models.
Although numerous 2020 Ram Heavy Duty prototypes have been spotted on public roads, they were expected to debut around the same time as the Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer. No Wagoneer or Grand Wagoneer prototypes have been seen at any FCA US facilities.
With the one-year delay, the Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer will now debut alongside the 2021 Dodge Durango. The 2021 Durango will return to a body-on-frame platform based on the new Ram 1500 (DT) architecture, a shift from its current unibody design. This change allows the Jefferson North Assembly Plant (home of the current Grand Cherokee and Durango) to focus on building the all-new 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee and an upcoming three-row E-segment Jeep SUV. (The Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer are F-segment SUVs.) The Durango will compete with nameplates like the Chevrolet Tahoe, Nissan Armada, and Ford Expedition, while the Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer will target more premium SUV offerings.
