Hold Up: 2026 Jeep Grand Wagoneer Has a Game-Changing REEV Engine, AND a Lower Price?

The rumours are true: the overhauled 2026 Jeep Grand Wagoneer has a brilliant and potentially game-changing new type of hybrid engine under the hood. But wait! That’s not all, because — in addition to dropping this amazing new tech into their flagship luxury SUV, — Jeep is also dramatically lowering prices across the board and simplifying the lineup. Now, it makes sense even if you don’t have a PhD in Jeep nomenclature.

The overhaul really couldn’t come soon enough for the Grand Wagoneer family, but, to the brand’s credit, Jeep recognized the error and made a quick pivot. (Nobody ever said launching a luxury flagship is easy!) Now, for 2026, there’s real value-for-money to be had at the top of the Jeep lineup. Anybody in the market for a palatial three-row SUV that’s as luxurious as it is capable off-road should take note and give the Grand Wagoneer another look.

Value for Money

We’ll get to this revolutionary hybrid engine in a moment, but first let’s all celebrate the fact Jeep’s palatial and luxurious Grand Wagoneer now starts at comfortably under six-figures. It starts at $87,995 for the 2026 Grand Wagoneer 4×4 and $91,495 for the limo-like LWB 4×4. The top-of-the-line Summit Obsidian trim now tops out at $119,995, which is a full $25,000 less than the equivalent 2024 model. At a time when everything else seems to be getting more expensive — yes, home reno costs, we’re looking at you — it’s nice to see Jeep bucking the trend.

Not only is Jeep bringing prices down to earth for the new 2026 Grand Wagoneer family, the brand is also upping its game when it comes to creature comforts, tech, design, and engines.

Wait, What’s a REEV?

The most interesting news is the brilliant new hybrid powertrain. Jeep is calling it North America’s first range-extended electric vehicle (REEV). Think of it as a plug-in hybrid, but on steroids, with hiking boots. (It’s a bit like the powertrain in the ahead-of-its-time Chevy Volt RIP.) Jeep’s system pairs a huge 92-kWh battery pack with a 3.6-litre V6 that functions as an onboard generator. The setup promises 647 horsepower, 620 lb-ft of torque, and a 0-100 km/h sprint somewhere around the 5.0 second mark, which is genuinely quick for a land-yacht like this.

It’s a technology that offers ultimate flexibility, essentially packing two powertrains into one vehicle, so you get the best of both worlds: electric driving plus ultra long-distance capability.

Driving around town, or even up to the cottage? The massive battery pack is good for something like 240 kilometres on a single charge, reportedly. (We’re still waiting for official figures, but that sounds reasonable or even conservative for a 92-kWh battery.)

But if you’re up at the cottage or in the middle of nowhere, with a flat battery and no charger in sight? No problem, because there’s a muscular 3.6-litre V6 engine that acts like a huge on-board generator, re-charging the battery on the go. So there’s no need to stress about finding public chargers, or planning road trips around them.

Total range? Using both gas and electric power, the Grand Wagoneer REEV will run for an estimated 800 kilometres.

It’s an intriguing middle path for families who want to feel slightly better about their carbon footprint but aren’t ready to commit to pure EV charging infrastructure. The REEV arrives later in the model year, so there’s time to consider whether you really need that much torque for the school run.

If you’re not sold on the REEV powertrain, no problem, Jeep is still offering its 3.0-litre Hurricane twin-turbo I6 engine, which churns out 420 horsepower and 468 lb-ft of torque. It also offers what Jeep claims is best-in-class available towing capability of up to 10,000 lbs.

Chrome? Out. Everything Else? In.

Design tweaks are relatively minor, apart from the glaring omission of chrome on the 2026 Grand Wagoneer. Previous models had so much of the shiny stuff you could get a sunburn from standing too close. Jeep frames the stealthy chrome-delete look as a sustainability initiative, but in reality it’s more of an acknowledgement that glitzy chrome trim has fallen out of fashion. (Yes, even on Canyonero-sized American luxury SUVs.) As a result, the 2026 models have a cleaner, more contemporary look with full-width LED lighting front and rear. The iconic seven-slot grille now features illuminated slots, because — hey — a Grand Wagoneer still has to have some shiny stuff.

Inside, things get progressively fancier as you climb the trim ladder. A larger heads-up display that offers, “twice the virtual image distance,” is a useful upgrade. The Summit Reserve introduces a new colour palette featuring Dark Ruby Red leather with quilted perforation, burnished copper stitching, and a suede headliner. It all feels very steak house, in a good way. We’re also happy to report the 23-speaker McIntosh audio system returns to blow your passengers away.

Production begins later this year at the Warren Truck Assembly Plant in Michigan, and we’ll have a full report soon on whether this steroidal REEV hybrid engine is as good in the real world as it is on paper.

The post Hold Up: 2026 Jeep Grand Wagoneer Has a Game-Changing REEV Engine, AND a Lower Price? appeared first on Sharp Magazine.