Jeep has sold a small electric car in Europe for a few years now, the Avenger, and now it’s bringing out its first EV for the U.S. market. At a Thursday event in New York, Jeep just revealed the Wagoneer S, a 600-horsepower, $71,995 luxury SUV.
The Wagoneer S is the second vehicle on Stellantis’ STLA-Large platform, after the new Dodge Charger. It uses a 100.5-kWh battery pack which Jeep says will provide a range of over 300 miles. Jeep doesn’t provide a charging rate in kilowatts, but since we know the Charger can charge at up to 350 kW, it should be one of the fastest-charging electric SUVs out there. Jeep does say the Wagoneer S can go from 20 to 80 percent charge in 23 minutes on the most powerful DC fast chargers.
The Wagoneer S is a very different looking SUV than the boxy, full-size Wagoneer, and it’s quite a bit smaller at just 192.4 inches in length to the gas Wagoneer’s 214.7. In fact, the Wagoneer S is a little smaller than the short-wheelbase Grand Cherokee. This is the most sleek-looking Jeep yet, with a pinched greenhouse and a narrowly raked D-Pillar that have echos of various Range Rover models. The shape helps get the drag coefficient down to 0.29, which isn’t going to trouble the Tesla Model Y’s 0.23, but is lower than any Jeep before it. The trademark Jeep seven-slot grille remains, but the Wagoneer S’s reduced cooling requirements relegate it to purely ornamental status. It’s also now lit up, so you can tell what it is at night.
Inside, it’s a tech-fest, like both the Grand Cherokee and Wagoneer models. Jeep proudly touts “45 inches of usable screen space,” divided between gauge cluster, main infotainment display, climate control display, and passenger display. The Launch Edition also gets a standard 19-speaker McIntosh sound system. But, nothing in here should seem radical to current Jeep SUV buyers, with the exception of Wrangler owners, perhaps.
As standard, the Wagoneer S Launch Edition gets a dual-motor powertrain for all-wheel drive, but there’s a disconnect for the front motor to boost efficiency. Output is 600 hp and 617 pound-feet of torque, and Jeep says the Wagoneer S will run from 0-60 mph in an astonishing 3.4 seconds. That makes it quicker than even the old 707-hp Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk.
Interestingly, Jeep didn’t spend much time in its press release talking about the Wagoneer S’s off-road credentials, and in the spec sheet, there’s no info on approach, breakover, departure angles and the like. The company is likely saving that data for a production version of the off-road-ready Wagoneer S Trailhawk concept, introduced alongside the standard car.
The Wagoneer S gets drive modes for Snow and Sand, though there’s no adjustable air suspension as available on the Grand Cherokee and Wagoneer. You do get all the latest safety systems standard, and Jeep includes a home level-2 charger as well.
We’re assuming Jeep will flesh out the Wagoneer S lineup in the coming months, lowering the barrier of entry from the near-$72,000 it’s at now. And strangely enough, the Wagoneer S could get gas power in the future, as the STLA-Large platform is designed for both drivetrain types. In any case, the Wagoneer S Launch Edition will arrive at U.S. dealers this fall.
