REVIEW: 2022 Grand Wagoneer Series II Obsidian

This week, I have for you a very large and very luxurious SUV, the Grand Wagoneer Obsidian.  The Obsidian designation is for the completely blacked out interior.

This is the Series II, which is right in the middle of the trim lineup.  I had the Level III package last year, and it had mass amounts of wood inside, versus this one which is all black.

Performance

Pop the big hood and you’ll find a naturally-aspirated 6.4-liter HEMI V8, putting out 471-horses and 455-pound feet of torque.  It is mated to an 8-speed automatic and it will tow 10,000 pounds.

Make no mistake, although beautiful and luxurious, this is still a Jeep product, even though it doesn’t say Jeep anywhere on it. It has exceptional 4X4 off-road capability. 

Interior

Moving to the interior, it is an electronic Disney World.  There are 7 different screens that total over 75” and 12 million pixels. 

The interior is adorned with aluminum and gloss black material, which looks great, but be prepared to do a lot of fingerprint wiping.  The 20-way heated, cooled, and massaging front seats are inviting and incredibly comfortable.

When you hit the start button, a 12” digital gauge cluster can be configured from the steering wheel.

The center stack is beautiful and has a round shift dial and this is also where you choose your drive modes and ride height.  Just above that is a screen for the front seat massage and lumbar supports.  A push of a button opens the screen for your wireless charger, USB, USC, and power supplies.

The center glove box has a terrific refrigerator built-in, that really works well. A room temperature water bottle will get icy cold in under 5 minutes.

Moving higher up the center you find the incredible Uconnect 5 12” screen that operates everything including Navigation, the 23-speaker McIntosh sound system, Bluetooth, comfort settings, vehicle settings, and a host of apps.  There is wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and Alexa will respond to you.

One app which is great for families is Fam Cam which puts up a view of the 2^nd and 3^rd row seats on the center screen at the same time, but you can choose one or the other for a closer view.   

In front of the front seat passenger, there is yet another screen that can view the car's camera footage (including the Fam Cam), use the car's mobile phone connectivity to read and send texts, view a preview of the dual rear screens to see what is being watched, and view a mirrored display of whatever's playing on one of the 2^nd row screens.  The driver cannot see this screen for safety purposes.  In fact, from the driver’s seat, you can’t even tell if it is on.

Moving to the second-row captain chairs, which are heated and cooled and they slide and recline, there is a huge center console with storage and more USB ports.

On the rear seat console is another 10.25” screen to control rear climate, and on the front seat headrests are two more screens, (#6 and 7 for those counting). When paired with the onboard Wi-Fi subscription, you can access Amazon Fire TV and stream from other popular apps.   The screens can also access the navigation system and climate controls. There are two TV remotes that have push-to-talk Alexa access. 

Getting to the massive third row seat is easy with a power slide button on top of the 2^nd row captain chairs.     3^rd row occupants can open a fixed moon roof above them, and their seats recline.  Two full-sized adults would be very comfortable in the 3^rd row.

Utility

Cargo area is best-in-class with 27-cubic feet behind the 3^rd row seat.   3^rd row and 2^nd row seats can be folded down with the push of a button.  The seats form a completely flat load floor and they go up and down very quickly.

Standard Features 

The standard features and options list is endless. Most notable is the panoramic moonroof, the digital rearview mirror/camera, night vision on the dash, a head-up display with traffic sign recognition, and very wide deployable running boards that come down when the key gets close to the vehicle.

Safety

It is loaded with safety features including blind-spot monitoring, parking sensors, park assist, surround view cameras, full speed emergency braking, lane keeping assist and more.

Ride and Drive

The Grand Wagoneer rides fantastic due to air suspension, acceleration is great, the exhaust sound is wonderful, and it handles surprisingly well for a 6400-pound SUV.  Most of all, it’s really quiet in the cabin.

Fuel economy is not good at 13 in town, 18 on the highway, but that is all you could expect for this size SUV.

Verdict

MSRP is $112,475, in line with other luxury SUVs like the Cadillac Escalade, but there are many things I prefer in this one to any other luxury SUVs I’ve reviewed.  Just FYI, there is an extended version of this available, too.

1. 1. What I Liked Most: Electronics and driving characteristics.
   2. What I would change: It is a little pricey, but there are incentives to help.
   3. MSRP: Base price:  $97,995/Total with options:  $112,475.
   4. Fuel Economy: 13 city/18 Highway/15 overall.
   5. Odometer reading when tested: 8,100 miles.
   6. Weight:  6,400 pounds.
   7. Spare Tire:  Full-sized spare.
   8. Length-Width-Height: 214.7” long/83.6” wide/75.6” high.
   9. Fuel Tank Capacity:  26.5 gallons with the fuel filler on the driver’s side.
   10. Official Color:  Bright White.
   11. Towing Capacity:  10,000 pounds.
   12. 2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer Obsidian in a few words: Simply an amazing large SUV that makes you smile every time you drive it.  If you are a tech geek, this is the one for you! 
   13. Warranty: 3-year/36,000 mile bumper-to-bumper, 5-year/60,000 mile power train with roadside assistance.
   14. Final Assembly Location: Warren, MI.
   15. Manufacturer's website:  Jeep