Jeep has been going big lately, whether you’re talking about adding a 3rd row to the Grand Cherokee or reviving the Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer as highly capable full-size 3-row utilities. Well, that obviously wasn’t enough. Now they’re going even bigger with this Grand Wagoneer L. So, let’s see how it shakes up America’s suburban lifestyle.

The Jeep Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer burst onto the scene last year, giving Jeep owners with growing families a whole new 3-row option to grow into. Now, Jeep delivers a stretched alternative, the 2023 Wagoneer L and Grand Wagoneer L.

Wagoneer is of course the reintroduced premium extension of the Jeep brand, and the Grand Wagoneer takes it to extremes with standard air suspension, cargo management rail system, full LED lighting, running boards, black accent roof; plus, unique hood, front fascia, grille, and fender flares. Not to mention a whole suite of interior niceties; a unique dash design, walnut and aluminum trim, leather aplenty, and even massaging seats.

But both Wagoneer Ls share an elongated 130-inch wheelbase, 7 more than the standard Wagoneer, and an overall length that’s a foot more. And while the added length certainly makes it look large and in charge, it doesn’t appear too ungainly with things out of proportion.

Designed to haul up to 8 people plus plenty of gear as comfortably as possible; both 2nd and 3rd row legroom stay the same. The benefit comes strictly in cargo space behind the 3rd row, which here in the Grand Wagoneer L grows from 28.4 cubic-ft. to 44.2. That climbs to 88.8 with the 3rd row folded, and to a max of 112.9. The Wagoneer L’s less bulky seats allow for an even greater max total of 130.9 cubic-ft. All seats folding with a push of a button, of course. Towing capacity stays the same at 10,000-lbs.

But doing the pulling is an all-new 3.0-liter twin-turbo inline-6 engine; designed to deliver more power, more torque, and better efficiency than the standard Wagoneer’s V8. Dubbed “Hurricane,” two versions are available. The Wagoneer L’s with 420-horsepower and 468 lb-ft. of torque; while this Grand Wagoneer L gets a high output version with 510-horsepower and 500 lb-ft. of torque.

So, even with a bigger vehicle, you’ll be getting better fuel economy than the Grand Wagoneer’s 6.4-liter V8, as the turbo-6 with 8-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel-drive, both standard, achieves Government Fuel Economy Ratings of 14-City, 19-Highway, and 16-Combined, all numbers one better. We managed to average a fine 18.9 miles-per-gallon of Premium.

Depending on which trim is selected, you’ll get either Quadra-Trac I, Quadra-Trac II, or Quadra-Drive II 4-wheel-drive. For our Series II tester, that means Quadra-Drive II along with Quadra-Lift Air Suspension and 22-inch polished aluminum wheels which we steered towards Mason Dixon Dragway…

…where it was clear, this engine delivers an impressive amount of torque, considering how easily it dealt with the well over 3-tons of weight here. The Grand Wagoneer L launches hard, hitting 60 in just 4.9-seconds. Smooth and consistent power delivery from there, with almost every run we did coming in at 13.5-seconds at 104 miles-per-hour.

There’s not much you can do about the close to 19-feet of length however, as it requires keeping inputs smooth; but we were able to get through our handling course carrying quite a bit of speed.

The interior is just as amazing as the regular Grand Wagoneer; with up to 75-inches of screen space and a McIntosh reference audio system pumping 1,375-watts of sound through 23-speakers. Front seats in Series II are 24-way adjustable with controls on the door just like Mercedes-Benz. If you opt for 2nd row captain’s chairs, a big center console houses a 10-inch comfort display screen for making adjustments, and of course other screens are available on the backs of the front seat headrests to keep you entertained and informed.

If all this space and luxury sound too good to be true; well, we can assure it’s real, but it will cost you, as the Grand Wagoneer L starts at a whopping $93,495. But, if you just need the space, and can get by with a lot less luxury and without 4-wheel-drive, you can get into a Wagoneer L for as little as $64,495.

In a few short years, Jeep has gone from having no 3-row offerings at all in their lineup, to having a multitude to choose from. The 2023 Grand Wagoneer L is an impressive luxurious beast of an SUV that takes the brand to even loftier heights.

Volvo is well on their way to making the transition to an all-electric brand, but their sister-brand Polestar is already there. Now, we’ve spent lots of time in their all-wheel drive, five-door Polestar 2, having tested it in 2021, and a year later when a two-wheel drive version arrived. But, EV updates are coming quickly. So, let us be your guide for all that’s new with the Polestar 2.

While we are driving more EVs than ever, we’ve also been spending a lot of time recently circling back to ones we’ve previously tested. As in this new era of electrified vehicles, significant updates are arriving quickly, with R&D investments increasing and retrofitting them easier than ever. This is often done through software updates that can even be accomplished over the air. For 2024, the Polestar 2 has indeed gotten some software updates, but some physical ones as well.

Clearly aimed directly at Tesla’s Model 3 when it arrived; the Polestar 2’s build quality was vastly better, but range definitely came up short. So, addressing that was priority No. 1; and for ’24 the Polestar can travel up to 20% farther than before while consuming 9% less energy, and when it comes time to charge it back up, it can do that 34% faster too.

Range in the Single Motor version increases from a max of 270 to 320 miles thanks to a larger 82-kWh battery pack, and that solitary motor now powers the rear wheels, not the front wheels. It’s also bigger, coming in at 220 kW compared to the previous 170 kW front-wheel drive version, going from 231 to 299 horsepower.

Dual Motors keep the same 78-kWh battery, but still sees a boost from 260 to 276 miles and takes advantage of the larger rear motor for a new combined 310-kW output with 421 horsepower. Our test car has the added Performance Pack, which uses an additional 35 kW to deliver 455 horsepower and 546 lb-ft of torque, though max range drops to just 247 miles.

The new battery in rear-drive 2s will also charge faster, now accepting up to 205 kW for an 80% charge in 20 minutes; max for dual-motors stays at 155 kW, which puts an 80% charge at 34 minutes. Using 32 kWh of electricity per 100 miles, the Dual Motor earns a good efficiency rating.

Unfortunately, extremely cold temperatures kept us from seeing that increased range, as we were only on pace for about 194 miles in our test.

The 2 has always been one of the most enjoyable EVs to drive, even more so now with that additional power coming from the rear motor. And especially when equipped with the Performance Pack as it not only includes more power, but adds 20-inch forged wheels, upgraded brakes, and adjustable Ohlins Dual Flow Valve performance dampers. It greatly improves handling prowess without affecting ride quality, and is easily worth the $5,500 charge if you at all enjoy driving.

Even on a 20-degree track day there was plenty of grip through our handling course. No understeer or oversteer, and lots of feedback through the wheel. There was a nice, strong launch off the line that properly planted us firmly in the seat, and rocketed us to 60 in 4.5 seconds. Power delivery stayed pretty intense up until about 80 mph when there was a definite tapering off. Still, it was a 13.4-second quarter-mile at 102 mph; smooth, quiet, and stable the whole way.

When this car debuted, its Google-based infotainment setup was a novelty, but since then, more and more manufacturers are just “Googling it” so it doesn’t seem out of place at all. The wireless phone charger is easy to access, and there’s a great Harmon/Kardon sound system and panoramic sunroof to enhance the in-cabin experience. Exteriors have also been enhanced with a smooth grille insert and new wheel choices.

Hatchback practicality means 14.3 cu-ft of easy to access cargo space with split-folding seatbacks for longer items and expanding the space to 38.7 cu-ft. Plus, there’s even a sizeable storage bin up front under the hood.

Single Motor Polestar 2 pricing now starts at $51,300, with Dual Motors starting at $56,700; topping out at $64,400.

For a car manufacturer that hasn’t even been around for a decade yet, Polestar has kept itself busy, totally transforming their latest model in just a few years, making the 2024 Polestar 2 even more appealing. They are certainly off to a good start, and with a host of Polestars just over the horizon, including some all-important utility vehicles, this star will be shining even brighter.