The Jeep Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer are the most important and a few of the costliest automobiles Jeep has ever produced. These massive and splendid automobiles got here with equally massive and splendid guarantees in each the gross sales and customer support departments — however the sub-brand experiment appears prefer it’s over. Jeep is bringing the Wagoneer identify again into the fold.
Via a put up on X, MotorWeek experiences that Jeep CEO Antonio Filosa says that when the Wagoneer S EV launches later this yr, Wagoneer will not be a Jeep sub-brand and can be folded again into the Jeep model. This signifies that going ahead, all Wagoneer fashions will put on Jeep badges.
So, what does this all imply for the work Jeep has completed to make Wagoneer right into a premium model? It’s complicated, as these items normally are.
When Jeep debuted the Wagoneer fashions, it promised that the large value tags could be justified by a particular buyer expertise. It was an enormous promoting characteristic, as the corporate was focusing on individuals who had by no means thought-about a Jeep earlier than; in any case, the Wagoneer line was meant to be cross-shopped with Cadillac Escalades, Mercedes GLSs, and Range Rovers. Knowing this, Jeep appeared to say that their vendor could be dedicated to offering an upscale shopping for expertise.
Dealers that offered Wagoneers have been “Wagoneer certified” dealerships. These sellers apparently had a devoted gross sales workers that might accompany the client each step of the way in which. We’re speaking white button-up shirt-wearing, tablet-holding those who Jeep calls “Wagoneer Ambassadors.”
These ambassadors needed to be licensed in Wagoneer gross sales coaching earlier than they may even attempt to promote one of many SUVs, and so they have been so integral to the gross sales course of that former Jeep CEO Christian Meunier stated it might “be almost impossible for a salesperson to sell that car without that training, and without the Wagoneer Ambassador certification.”
Along with this certification at each the vendor and salesperson stage got here a extra literal set of guarantees. Jeep rolled out 10 that Wagoneer-certified sellers would comply with, together with issues like offering complimentary WiFi and snacks together with the shopping for expertise:
Another key element of the shopping for expertise is Wagoneer Client Services. These are concierges who deal with sure issues that Wagoneer homeowners might have. Need to schedule an oil change in your Wagoneer? Get in contact with Client Services, and so they’ll schedule it for you with the dealership. Dealers have been additionally alleged to have devoted gross sales and automobile presentation areas particularly for the Wagoneer.
So, are all these premium options going to stick with the Wagoneer as soon as it wears a Jeep badge? It appears like that’ll be the case. Jeep’s Senior Vice President Bill Peffer informed Jalopnik that the transfer to rebrand Wagoneer as Jeep got here from suggestions from each clients and sellers.
“We’ve listened and look forward to making Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer vehicles more accessible and inclusive across Jeep Dealers while maintaining a premium experience customers anticipate, delivered by our certified Jeep Wagoneer Ambassadors,” Peffer stated.
So though Wagoneer fashions will put on the Jeep badge, Jeep nonetheless expects sellers to proceed to take a position and keep the premium expertise for Wagoneer clients — simply with out the status and exclusivity of it being its personal sub-brand.
But will sellers hear? Because it doesn’t appear as if the sellers have been ever actively taking part on this premium train within the first place.
Jeep knowledgeable me that clients can use the “find dealer” device on Jeep’s website, which features a Wagoneer Certified filter that you could choose to filter out the extra commonplace Jeep dealerships. Using this device, I used to be capable of finding 9 dealerships throughout Southern California which are listed as Wagoneer Certified.
But this actually meant nothing as soon as I bought involved with 4 of these sellers. I requested the primary vendor if it was Wagoneer Certified; the dealership merely responded with details about the Wagoneer lineup itself. The second vendor roughly did the identical factor.
The third vendor was essentially the most irritating. Upon asking whether or not or not they have been Wagoneer Certified, the salesperson’s reply was “I’m not sure what you mean.” After rephrasing the query, he then stated, “I’m not familiar with that program.”
The fourth vendor confirmed promise… at first. The salesman gave the impression to be tremendous excited to get me the data I used to be asking for.
“Oh, yeah, sure! Give me a few minutes, and I’ll get that information over to you,” he replied after I requested him whether or not the vendor was licensed or not. An hour later I bought the reply he was referring to: A walk-around video of one of many seven Wagoneers the dealership had on its lot. It’s secure to say that lots of the supposedly “Wagoneer Certified” sellers are unfamiliar with the Wagoneer perks.
While Jeep wish to keep this premium-ness with the Wagoneer though the fashions will now put on a Jeep badge, perhaps it’s for the perfect that it’s not a sub-brand anymore. Throw within the standard disconnect between what automakers need and what sellers really ship, and also you’ve bought one thing that’s probably not worthy of a premium model or shopping for expertise. Jeep deciding to go the sub-brand route with Wagoneer this late within the sport may not have ever actually been a good suggestion.
Source: jalopnik.com