When the “Desert Rated” badge and the Mojave trim level first appeared earlier this year on the Jeep Gladiator, it was certainly a very welcome surprise. The Mojave was the answer to the demands of Jeep buyers that wanted something that could handle desert terrain and still be a proper Jeep. Jeep execs revealed that the Mojave range could grow, and on the heels of a separate report that suggests the Wrangler SUV could get the treatment, it appears that the upcoming Wagoneer is also in line too.
According to the report which was revealed by Motor Trend, it appears that some brand execs want a Desert Rated version of the Wagoneer to join the final model lineup. While the report in question appears to indicate that only the regular Wagoneer will get this treatment, it’s no secret that a larger Grand Wagoneer in the works too, and the fact that both of them will use the same Ram 1500 derived platform could help remove some of the financial costs of adding such a model. The larger Grand Wagoneer is also the subject of separate rumors that suggest a Trackhawk version is in the cards. This performance variant would give the bigger Jeep an entry to compete with rivals from AMG, M, and even Jaguar’s SVR sub-performance brand. We could also see how adding a Mojave variant could help sweeten the deal for hardcore Jeep fans which in turn could help bring even more of a projected win fall to the company in terms of profits.
The addition of these models would also fit with Jeep’s core values, and reinforce the brand’s recent attempts at adding more ruggedness and heritage to their offerings. Like other automakers that have been forced to alter their plans due to the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak, Jeep has been forced to push production of the upcoming Grand Wagoneer and the next generation Grand Cherokee by several months, though it is currently unknown if it will impact when these models will make their respective debuts. In addition, the pandemic could also force Jeep to walk back on some of their plans for producing green models. Jeep revealed that it had a goal of becoming the “world’s greenest, most sustainable SUV company” by offering a vast array of EV, and PHEV entries. The company got things rolling prior to the current global climate by rolling out the Renegade and Compass PHEVs as well as the Wrangler plug-in with all three debuting the “4xe” moniker. There’s more models rumored to be coming, but it will be interesting to see what ultimately happens to this timeline after the dust subsides.
Carl Malek has been an automotive journalist for over 10 years. First starting out as a freelance photographer before making the transition to writing during college, his work has appeared on numerous automotive forums as well as websites such as Autoshopper.com.
Carl is also a big fan of British vehicles with the bulk of his devotion going to the Morgan Motor Company as well as offerings from Lotus, MG, and Caterham. When he is not writing about automobiles, Carl enjoys spending time with his family and friends in the Metro Detroit area, as well as spending time with his adorable pets.