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The 2023 model year brings some exciting changes that makes them even better.

There is often a debate among car enthusiasts as to which one actually kicked off the luxury SUV class. For a lot of people, it's the Range Rover, which came along in 1970, and has since cemented itself as the go-to four-wheeled transportation for just about every celebrity and rich person. For a select few, the first time that the words "luxury" and "SUV" could truly pair up was with the original Jeep Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer.

The Wagoneer nameplate first appeared in the 1960s, so technically, it did indeed invent the segment. Ever since it went out of production in the early '90s, everyone begged Jeep for a new Wagoneer, or even a tribute band full-size Jeep. Jeep responded accordingly, and the Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer are now back. For 2023, there are some exciting changes.

After the concept car in 2020, Jeep introduced the Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer for the 2022 model year. Since they have so many similarities, we are counting them as one, and we'll be referring to them as the Wagoneer twins. Although Jeep played around with the idea of a full-size SUV a little in the 2000s, it never really worked out. But now, they're not just ready to tackle the full-size SUV market as a whole, but they're also looking to mix it with the luxury full-sizers, like the meticulously designed Range Rover, the Lincoln Navigator, and the Cadillac Escalade, the latter of which has less cargo space than the L Wagoneer twins.

The styling of the Wagoneer twins has been quite the topic of controversy, but you can't argue that it resembles the original one a fair bit, and it does at least capture the spirit and Jeep's vision of a full-size luxury SUV; unapologetically big, brash, and boxy. Many consumers are flocking to cars that fit at least two of those descriptions, so the Wagoneer twins do make sense in that regard. For 2023, Jeep is offering extended "L" versions of both, which increases the overall length and wheelbase, for improved interior and cargo room.

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Even without the L version, the twins are suitably massive, as befits their size classification. While they are mostly the same, the main thing separating the Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer is the luxury factor, the Grand Wagoneer being the more luxurious of the two. The Grand Wagoneer also gets its own unique trim level, Obsidian, whereas the Wagoneer gets the option of the Carbide package, which blacks out certain trim pieces on the outside, along with the inclusion of black alloy wheels. Both the Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer share the Series I, Series II, and Series III trim levels between them, however.

Consumers are definitely spoiled for choice when it comes to the powertrains and drivetrains on the Wagoneer twins. The regular Wagoneer's base powertrain is a 5.7-liter HEMI V8, which now includes mild hybrid tech, as well as various other fuel-saving technologies. It develops a healthy 392 hp and 404 lb-ft of torque. The standard powertrain on the Grand Wagoneer is a 6.4-liter HEMI V8 with 471 hp and 455 lb-ft of torque. Those are also healthy numbers, but with less than healthy fuel economy figures. The biggest news about the Wagoneer twins for 2023 has to be the debut of Stellantis' Hurricane engine.

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The Wagoneer twins are the first to get this new 3.0-liter, twin-turbo six-cylinder unit. In the regular Wagoneer, it develops 420 hp and 468 lb-ft of torque, whereas in the Grand Wagoneer, it develops 510 hp and 500 lb-ft of torque. All while being almost half the size and having two fewer cylinders, which should mean drastic improvements in fuel economy. Whichever engine you go for, they all send power to the wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission. These two being Jeeps, of course, there's plenty of choice for the 4WD system as well. Quadra-Trac I, Quadra-Trac II, and Quadra-Drive II are all on the menu, and you can also get active low range modes for the gearbox, configurable air suspension, Jeep's Selec-Terrain system, and an electronic limited-slip differential.

A lot of people find it hard to believe that the Wagoneer twins really are Jeeps when they first look at the interior. The interior quality really is a huge improvement from pretty much all prior models, with a clear purpose and a much bigger focus on luxury. If you want the most luxurious of the two, the Grand Wagoneer is the one to have, though that's not to say the Wagoneer isn't luxurious.

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Optional equipment includes a rear seat entertainment system with built-in Amazon Fire TV, an audiophile-spec McIntosh sound system, a full display for the passenger, and second row captain's chairs. All the usual safety tech is standard, including adaptive cruise control, auto emergency braking, lane departure warning with lane keep assist and so on. There's also an optional 360-degree camera system and park assist. Both the Wagoneer twins get three rows of seats, and they can seat up to eight passengers. The cargo area boasts 42.1 cu-ft of cargo space behind the third row on the Wagoneer, and 44.2 cubic-feet behind the third row on the Grand Wagoneer. With the third row folded, the Wagoneer has 85.8 cubic-feet of space, whereas the Grand Wagoneer gets 88.8 cubic-feet, which are truly massive numbers.

Jeep hasn't announced pricing specifically for the L models just yet, but we'd expect them to be around $2,000-$3,000 higher than the regular versions. For comparison's sake, the 2022 Wagoneer starts at $58,995, whereas the 2022 Grand Wagoneer starts at $88,640. Once again, due to the increased length and wheelbase, we expect the L models to drive these prices up by a few grand. If you can live with the idea of a $100,000 Jeep, and you're in the market for a truly luxurious full-size SUV with pretty much all the space in the world, the Wagoneer twins could be right up your alley.

Marko has been part of the HotCars team since July 2020. He started out writing for various sites on a variety of topics. He prefers weird, unusual cars to luxobarges and sports cars.