Jeep is a brand that trades heavily on the classics. People love the Wrangler, they love the Grand Cherokee, and the rest of the lineup does okay, most of the time. At the same time, the company isn’t eager to make the same mistake as Harley-Davidson, being keenly aware it can’t live in the past forever. With a keen eye on the future comes the Jeep Wagoneer S, the brand’s very first all-electric SUV.
This isn’t some years-off announcement or a conceptual dream. The Wagoneer S is very real, and it’s coming to America this fall, which almost demands a special-edition Pumpkin Spice color option. It will later make its way to various markets around the world. It’s set to make good use of its electric powertrain, too, which offers an impressive 600 horsepower. That will rocket the Wagoneer S from zero to 60 mph in just 3.5 seconds, in case you and the family want to drag race a Ferrari Enzo on the morning school run (please don’t).
Jeep notes the design of the Wagoneer S is optimized for aerodynamic efficiency. Given the importance of range to EV buyers, this makes sense—any drag cut from the vehicle will bump the EPA range figures on the window sticker. It’s also optimized for looking cool, though, with a “class-exclusive” backlit grille in the usual seven-slot Jeep design. Sure, you could buy another brand’s SUV and put your own LEDs in, but is it going to look as good? Perhaps not.
Naturally, as a model wearing the Jeep badge, it’s built with consideration of off-road use. As a larger model, it’s not going to skip and jump like a Wrangler. Indeed, most will probably spend the majority of their lives on sealed surfaces. Regardless, Jeep knows how to build a vehicle to tackle the trails, and this model will feature the usual drive modes for different terrains and the like.
With some digital tricks, we can get a better look at the Wagoneer S as it looks today. We can see the flat and square visage of the hood and fenders, punctuated by a power bulge that is probably not actually necessary for a vehicle powered by electricity. There also appears to be a black roof as a part of a two-tone design, though that could be an artifact of the lighting in this photo. Jeep also seems to have fitted the vehicle with red seats for a bit of flair, which is nice. Other than that, it’s interesting to see how Jeep’s trademark seven slot grille has been reimagined for an EV which doesn’t really need a traditional radiator grille setup.
Much like its siblings in the Stellantis stable, Jeep isn’t denying the electric wave that’s currently crashing over the auto industry. It’s doing its part to help Stellantis become a “carbon net zero corporation” by 2038. It’s also just smart business to have an entry in the electric SUV space, as well as something to sell in jurisdictions that plan to ban fossil fuel vehicle sales in the next decade or so.
It feels like a lot of automakers are rushing in to the big electric SUV space. It’s perhaps no surprise, given that costly EVs are easier to sell at luxury price points. Plus, bigger platforms are easier to stuff with batteries. At the same time, Jeep hasn’t exactly been having the easiest time selling the Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer of late. It may be that it finds more success as an EV than it has as a traditional ICE-powered luxury SUV.
It will be interesting to see how Jeep’s first EV measures up, both against its traditionally-powered models and its rivals. We’ll get more details closer to the launch later this year. For now, we’re just eager to see what it looks like when an electric Jeep launches hard at maximum attack. One imagines it’s something like watching a small apartment building flying down the road with a gentle whoosh and just a hint of tire squeal. Should be fun.
Image credits: Jeep
I’m of the opinion that the first all electric civilian Jeep (The DJ-5E was the first electric Jeep to my knowledge and it was build for the Post Office) was the Jeep Magneto and the first generation of the concept should have been the first mass produced electric civilian Jeep. Yes I know the range and weight were horrible, but it should have been fairly cheap and been able to use 99% of relevant Jeep mods.
Dear god, that is one smug looking car. The “face” it makes gives me the impression it’s constantly going “gnihihi” because it knows something you don’t.
Think I would’ve called it the Power Wagoneer.
“Jeep notes the design of the Wagoneer S is optimized for aerodynamic efficiency”
I mean, a thrown brick will just sail through the air, Right?
The F-4 Phantom proved that.
“Hey, should we, ya know, work on the aerodynamics of this thing?”
“Nah, give it some curved wingtips and some rockets! Good enough for McNamara!”
I get why it can’t be a Cherokee, but sticking the Wagoneer name on it seems like handicapping it out of the gate given the lukewarm response to the two existing Wagoneer models. Jeep seems to be attempting to turn Wagoneer into its equivalent of Range Rovet as a brand within a brand, but customers don’t seem to be buying it
I am trying to figure out how they should have positioned the Waggy line. Perhaps a full sized Cherokee to go against the Suburban, Wagoneer to go against the Yukon XL and the Grand Wagoneer to go against the Escalade but with more of a Yukon Denali ruggedness?
I have owned a ton of Jeeps over the years but somehow the new Wagoneer is just not as desirable as the GM full sizers. Maybe because they have been in continuous production so long and they are known to be pretty reliable.
Maybe in a couple years, I can get a cheap 5 year old Grand Wagoneer and immediately regret it.
Remember that story about the tesla roadsters found in a container after 10 years?
Judging by wagoneer sales, this will mirror that situation but dealer lots in place of containers.
The most amazing part about that roadster story is that none of the batteries self-immolated in that time
“At the same time, the company isn’t eager to make the same mistake as Harley-Davidson, being keenly aware it can’t live in the past forever.”
That’s not the problem, after all Royal Enfield is doing just fine. It’s the baditude that’s got to go.
And Royal Enfield also kind of wipes the floor with Harley in terms of global sales volume and market share (920,000 units sold per year, vs Harley-Davidson’s 178,000), making them the 9th largest manufacturer of two wheeled motor vehicles in the world, pretty sure Harley doesn’t rank in the top 20.
I think part of the “past” he’s referring to is the willingness of Baby Boomers to spend ridiculous amounts of money on mediocre death machines as fashion accessories. At least Royal Enfield’s stuck-in-the-past death machines are dirt cheap.
At least Royal Enfield’s stuck-in-the-past death machines are dirt cheap.
Cheap is good (obviously). Keeping it real without going South Park S13E12 is even better.
I like the smooth styling, much better than the regular Wagoneer. But I bet it costs an arm, leg and kidney and weighs a metric shit-ton. Good job Stellantis at catching the end of the overpriced bloated EV SUV wave.
With Stellantis we will be lucky if it ends up weighing less than 3 metric shit-tons.
You think this is the end of that wave?
Prepare to be sickened, it’s only just begun. Because after the early adopters pay far too much for these status rollers, they’ll do so all over again every time technology bumps the range and number of charge cycles higher. And again after every significant improvement in the charging network. And again after every real, noticeable improvement in self-driving technology. And again just because.
No, my friend, you’ve only seen high tide. The tsunami is yet to come.
I actually hope that is true because it will drive the technology. I would much rather have silly rich people paying for development than the taxpayers.
They say it is off-road, but c’mon, it will only see speed bumps at Costco or Cabela’s.
Jeep: No one is buying the Wagoneer
Also Jeep: Let’s swap out the ICE for the less-familiar BEV powertrain and increase the price
And then say “no one is buying electric vehicles” without a hint of irony or self-awareness.
This is how Stellantis is going to achieve carbon neutrality by 2038. They’re going to flop harder than a soccer player 20 feet from the guy he’s trying to draw a penalty on.
Can’t emit carbon if your company doesn’t exist.
The galaxy brain play!
Me: Jeep Wagoneers
Jeep: No, it’s Wagoneer S
Me: Wagoneers’s
Jeep: Wagoneer————->S
Me: Jeep Wagonsnears
Jeep:
Me:
(had to get creative with the meme formats here)
Jeep: Wagoneer S
Me: Swagoneer
Does it look pretty good? Yeah, I’d say so. The 7 slit grille is iconic and while I’m pretty exhausted with cars being absolutely covered in assorted LED tomfoolery (looking at YOU, Volkswagen), I think this is a rare example of it working. It’s a way to keep arguably the most iconic element of Jeep’s design language alive and for that reason I am okay with it.
…do we need another $60,000+, 3-5 ton EV crossover? Absolutely not. This may be the single most oversaturated space in the entire market this side of midsized SUVs. No one wants this stuff, and for good reason. People can’t afford these cars and this is arguably the most range dependent class of vehicles on the road because they’re usually used for hauling families and sometimes towing.
Swing and a miss. Kia just introduced the overpriced tech monstrosity EV9 and they’re already being discounted because no one is buying them. I get that corporate greed knows no bounds and MAKE EVERYTHING EXPENSIVE is still the dominant mindset even as the market reaches its tipping point, but they should let EVs do what they do well and focus these resources into hybridizing the big haulers.
There are almost no full sized SUV hybrids from regular brands outside of Toyota. It’s a shame, because that’s what this class is begging for. No one wants to risk hauling their 3 kids and dog in something with 250 miles of range that’ll become 180 as soon as all their stuff is in it. Everyone wants to load them up in something that’ll get 30+ MPG and travel 400 miles straight.
BEV all the small commuter cars. That’s where it makes perfect sense. Stuff like this is just such a ridiculous waste of resources….
Absolutely. Please BEV all the small commuter cars. Hell I’ll even take a PHEV. But what I would actually prefer is a hybrid Kona with less plastic cladding.
The Kona is a great city car.
Source: I own one and live in the city
The Niro EV I’ve got isn’t bad. Yes I wish it looked more like the small station wagon it technically is, instead of a crossover, but I’ll take what I can get.
I like the look of the Niro EV and the Kona EV. The damn plastic cladding on the regular Kona is what I don’t like. They are both on the short list of future cars though. I’m hoping by the time I’m ready for another car the range and charge times have gotten better all around. I actually prefer the Niro EV because it has the cleaner front end.
The extra space in the Niro is nothing to sneeze at, although in the newest generation they are more similar than before. My wife and I have camped in the back of ours which wouldn’t be possible in the Kona.
I wish they had figured out how to make a Mini Cooper SE with a reasonable amount of range, I would have one right now!
As an EV owner I’m not a big range anxiety guy, but from personal experience 200 miles of actual range at 80% charge is a sweet spot for a vehicle that is a normal daily driver and not just a dedicated commuter. At that range, you can do a reasonable day trip without charging, and still have some juice to run errands in the morning before leaving without getting stressed. A little less would probably be fine, but some of those smaller EVs like the Mini, i3, e-Golf etc only had 100-150 miles of range from 100%. Still fine as a dedicated commuter, but if you have to make a 60 mile trip one-way, you’ll have to charge(and it will be a long charge to 80% at their slow rates) which can be a logistic challenge for those kind of shorter trips. When I’m driving 3 or more hours one way, even an hour of stopping doesn’t feel so bad. But on a 2 hour round trip, if you can’t charge at your destination that 30 minutes of charging is super annoying.
The new Fiat 500E has more range than a Mini EV, and the euro mags say it’s pretty good.
I still don’t think 150 is enough to cut it in a primary vehicle- and for a town runabout I’d rather just get a super cheap used EV. For the price, the Volvo EX30 seems like a much more compelling vehicle. As it is, I’m gonna go the DT route and get an old i3 as a second car. Can’t be beat for $4k after incentives.
I think their range is closer to 200 miles though. But yeah, i3 are cheap and an amazing deal.
I thought they had said the “S” name was just a placeholder. I remember at one point they were soliciting alternate suggestions from the public.
Puts the S and Wag in SWAG
“as a model wearing the Jeep badge”
Will it though?
I mean, it’s like saying a Ram isn’t a dodge, or that the Mustang Mach E is a Mustang.
At this point it’s like talking to someone who is senile. I hear it, just nod and smile. Even if it makes no sense at all. Except they paid someone money (probably a “team”) to come up with it.
Isn’t the Jeep Avenger their first fully electric model?
Is that coming here?
Unfortunately no. The Avenger BEV is Europe and other parts of the world. We in the U.S. don’t buy small cars. I would though. Or a Vinfast VF3.
Where’s here?
The United States, where this website is based, where Jeep is based, where the majority of readers live, and indeed where the majority of English speakers live.
It’s a website on the internet. Y’know… the world-wide web. And not all of us are in the United States, or even North America.
Not all, but a considerable majority. Which is why it’s a pretty safe assumption that “here” means the United States.
It is the world wide web, but it’s also an article in English. This limits the audience to the ~400m English speakers in the world, 3/4 of whom live in the US.
I prefer not to make assumptions, no matter how safe they might appear.
Does not matter when a declarative like the first. It should say the first Jeep BEV for the US. The article doesn’t even mention the Avenger.
Indeed. And, for what it’s worth, here’s one of Jeep’s own ads calling the Avenger “the first ever 100% electric Jeep SUV”.
https://youtu.be/EAPT_lm3bY0?si=494Vi8bbR_Gm72my
Isn’t the Avenger one of top selling EV SUVs in Europe?
I can’t comment on that – I don’t recall seeing any on the road as yet but I live in a fairly rural part of Ireland, where EV infrastructure is extremely neglected.
Sorry, the US, I meant.
I wasn’t aware it wasn’t being sold in the US, but Jeep were using it as a tagline in their ads