The Jeep Grand Wagoneer has been the automotive equivalent of a unicorn as the model was slated to arrive in 2014, then 2018 and now sometime before the end 2022. That’s nearly a decade after the model was originally announced, but it could be well worth the wait.

Road and Track came across an internal document from transmission supplier ZF which shows a handful of pre-production and production models using the company’s eight-speed automatic transmission. Among the models listed as using the gearbox was the Jeep Grand Wagoneer.

That’s by interesting by itself, but the document also mentions a Grand Wagoneer Trackhawk. If that name rings a bell, it should because Jeep unveiled the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk at the 2017 New York Auto Show. The model features a supercharged 6.2-liter V8 engine that produces 707 hp (527 kW / 716 PS) and 645 lb-ft (874 Nm) of torque. It is connected to an eight-speed automatic transmission which enables the model to rocket from 0-60 mph (96 km/h) in 3.5 seconds before hitting a top speed of 180 mph (289 km/h).

 

 

Getting back to the Grand Wagoneer, the document says the Trackhawk will have a 6.2-liter V8 engine with 719 hp (536 kW / 729 PS). If that figure is correct, the model would be slightly more powerful than the 2019 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat which uses an upgraded engine that now develops 717 hp (534 kW / 727 PS) and 656 lb-ft (888 Nm) of torque.

The document apparently traces the model back to 2017, but a spokesperson denied all knowledge about a Hellcat-powered Grand Wagoneer when contacted by the magazine. That’s not too surprising, considering the standard model hasn’t been introduced, but it raises a number of questions.

If you take things at face value, it could mean Jeep was testing a Grand Wagoneer Trackhawk last year and is now purposely denying it. The document could also be wrong altogether or could have mistakenly referred to an updated version of the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk as the Grand Wagoneer Trackhawk.

Regardless, FCA’s Capital Markets day presentation did confirm the model will be offered with a plug-in hybrid powertrain. The Grand Wagoneer is also slated to feature semi-autonomous driving technology and high-tech connectivity features.