What was Jeep's first full-size SUV, introduced in 1963?

Jeep’s first full-size SUV, introduced for 1963, was the Jeep Wagoneer.

Kaiser Jeep introduced the Wagoneer in November 1962 for the 1963 model year as the successor to the Willys Jeep Station Wagon. It used a truck-based platform shared with the Jeep Gladiator pickup, but its station-wagon body and more comfortable interior gave it a considerably more carlike character than earlier utility Jeeps.

The Wagoneer was designed under industrial designer Brooks Stevens. It offered features that were unusual in a four-wheel-drive vehicle at the time, including an automatic transmission, power steering, factory radio, and optional air conditioning. Rear-wheel drive was initially available, while four-wheel-drive versions became the model’s enduring identity.

The vehicle helped establish the template for the modern SUV by combining useful cargo space, passenger comfort, and off-road capability. It is sometimes confused with the Cherokee because the Cherokee began as a two-door derivative of the Wagoneer line for 1974. The Wagoneer’s original SJ generation remained in production through the 1991 model year, and the name returned for a new full-size Jeep launched for the 2022 model year.