Photo: Taylor Langhals (tay.tay_time) via Instagram
Jeep has taken a weird approach in how it handles the release of its all-new Wagoneer model, though, to be fair, thins have started to unfold slightly differently than we're used to in the automotive industry.
When it came to new models, we used to have two, maybe three stages of a vehicle: concept, pre-production, and production ready. These days, you get things like "preview concepts," which is apparently what Jeep showed us earlier last month when it released 58 pictures of the upcoming Wagoneer.
The SUV sure looks like the finished product, and we'd be very surprised if the vehicle that will end up on a lot of people's driveways will end up looking any different than this preview concept. However, the same can't be said about the SUV depicted in some of the very early sketches of the new Wagoneer, back when its designers were still looking for the best approach.
It's clear there was never a doubt over the model's muscularity, but the way they went about achieving it was left open. So open, in fact, that these two sketches even feature grilles that miss the iconic seven-slot design, the brand's way of remembering the fact that a Jeep was the first vehicle to drive on all seven continents.
Remove that element, and it's staggering to see just how easily you could re-brand these two without hearing any complaints. For instance, Make the top one the new Land Rover Discovery, and everyone would be quick to put the current fifth-gen flop behind them. The one on the bottom, on the other hand, due to that squared grille, looks like an off-road-ready model from Volvo that we'll never get.
What's perfectly clear is that they both look great and, since they got left behind, that means the final product is going to look at least just as good. Well, production models are rarely as bold as design sketches so they're always likely to be at a disadvantage when put next to each other, but at least the character can still be found in Jeep's pre-production concept.
The Jeep Wagoneer will make its full debut next year, with the Grand Wagoneer following one year later. Until then, we have the preview concept to keep us company and our imagination to fill in the blanks left by the manufacturer regarding the vehicles' powertrains and other details. Though we guess we can't complain since at least the exterior design has all but been revealed so early on.
The SUV sure looks like the finished product, and we'd be very surprised if the vehicle that will end up on a lot of people's driveways will end up looking any different than this preview concept. However, the same can't be said about the SUV depicted in some of the very early sketches of the new Wagoneer, back when its designers were still looking for the best approach.
It's clear there was never a doubt over the model's muscularity, but the way they went about achieving it was left open. So open, in fact, that these two sketches even feature grilles that miss the iconic seven-slot design, the brand's way of remembering the fact that a Jeep was the first vehicle to drive on all seven continents.
Remove that element, and it's staggering to see just how easily you could re-brand these two without hearing any complaints. For instance, Make the top one the new Land Rover Discovery, and everyone would be quick to put the current fifth-gen flop behind them. The one on the bottom, on the other hand, due to that squared grille, looks like an off-road-ready model from Volvo that we'll never get.
What's perfectly clear is that they both look great and, since they got left behind, that means the final product is going to look at least just as good. Well, production models are rarely as bold as design sketches so they're always likely to be at a disadvantage when put next to each other, but at least the character can still be found in Jeep's pre-production concept.
The Jeep Wagoneer will make its full debut next year, with the Grand Wagoneer following one year later. Until then, we have the preview concept to keep us company and our imagination to fill in the blanks left by the manufacturer regarding the vehicles' powertrains and other details. Though we guess we can't complain since at least the exterior design has all but been revealed so early on.
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