What It Was Like Driving The 2024 Jeep Wagoneer S, Stellantis’ First ‘Normal’ Electric Car

Just as a new administration in Washington D.C. is compromising the burgeoning market for battery electric vehicles (BEVs) in the U.S., Stellantis is launching its first such vehicles specifically designed for this market. Sure there have been two generations of the Fiat 500e, but those are cars really more tailored to European urban tastes and needs. We already drove the Dodge Charger Daytona (a car that I found decent, but that is clearly causing an identity crisis for Dodge) last month, and now we’ve had the opportunity to spend a day at the wheel of the Jeep Wagoneer S; here’s what it was like driving this rather normal EV that definitely won’t be anywhere near as controversial as its e-muscle car sibling. 

The Wagoneer S is one of three BEVs launching in 2025 based on the STLA Large architecture along with the aforementioned Charger and the Recon that is coming later this summer. Jeep revealed the original images of the Wagoneer S and Recon back in 2022 but didn’t show them publicly in physical form until spring 2024. 

You may have noticed in the headline that although it is now January 2025, and deliveries have just started in the past week, the vehicles we drove were in fact 2024 models. The Wagoneer S was originally slated to begin deliveries in mid-2024, and the vehicle was certified as a 2024 model.

However, late in the validation process, Stellantis found some issues that delayed those deliveries by many months. They haven’t discussed what those issues were that needed to be resolved, although it’s likely that software was at least part of the problem.

Since the government paperwork was already submitted and approved as model year 2024, the Launch Editions of which there are about 3,600 retain that model year designation. At the time of writing, Stellantis has already begun production of 2025 models that will be arriving at dealerships once deliveries of the launch editions are nearing completion. 

Why ”Wagoneer’ For A Small-Ish SUV? 

Unlike the existing, gargantuan Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer, the S is a much more reasonably sized vehicle, measuring in at 1-inch shorter and narrower than the 2-row Grand Cherokee and 6-inches lower, with a maximum height of just 64.8-inches. Its wheelbase of 113-inches is eight-inches less than the Charger and its overall length is actually 14.2–inches less than the Dodge sedan. 

The choice to go with the Wagoneer name on this first electric Jeep is indicative of what the brand sees as its premium positioning. Thus its primary competitors in terms of size and performance would probably be the Audi Q6 e-tron, Porsche Macan Electric, Cadillac Lyriq-V, Ford Mach-E GT and of course the Tesla Model Y. Apart from the Cadillac, which is a few inches longer, the others are all about 4 to 6 inches shorter. Arguably, the Ford and Tesla aren’t actually all that premium, so that potentially puts the Wagoneer S into a rather lofty crowd. The question is, does it belong there?

Under The floor

As discussed above, the Wagoneer S shares the STLA Large architecture with several other models including the Dodge Charger Daytona and the upcoming Jeep Recon. The Charger and Wagoneer share the same 100.5-kWh battery pack of which 93.9-kWh is available; this gives the Jeep an EPA estimated range of 303-miles. 

The Launch Edition Jeep shares the same 250-kW electric drive modules (EDMs) from the Charger Scat Pack, that feature integrated reduction gears and final drives with an 11:1 ratio. For the Jeep, they are limited to 600-hp and 617 lb-ft of torque, which is down a bit from the 630-hp and 670 lb-ft on the Dodge. The Jeep also doesn’t get a boost button like the Charger to unleash the full power, it’s just there all the time. 

Nonetheless, this is the quickest accelerating production Jeep ever with a 0-60 time of 3.4-seconds. That’s 0.1 seconds quicker than the late Hellcat-powered Grand Cherokee Trackhawk as well as Model Y Performance, but those numbers are close enough as to be inconsequential. What the Jeep doesn’t get is a Fratzonic chambered exhaust and frankly, that is just fine. While the sound of the Trackhawk was fun, as a daily driver, it can also get old [Ed Note: It never got old to me. -DT] and the customers looking at a premium SUV probably aren’t going to care much about the sound. 

While Jeep marketing mentions that this is the quickest vehicle it’s built to date, the Launch Edition isn’t explicitly promoted as a performance model. That’s likely something we’ll see in the future. Thus, this version is tuned more to compete with the likes of the Cadillac Lyriq or an Audi Q6 e-tron. Instead of the performance tires used on the Scat Pack Dodge, the Jeep gets slimmer 235/50R20, low rolling resistance Falken all-season tires on black painted alloy wheels. 

The rear integral link suspension layout is common to both the Jeep and Dodge, but the front end is completely different. The Charger has a front multi-link setup with variable ratio steering. The Jeep gets McPherson struts and a fixed 15:1 ratio rack and pinion steering setup. All four corners are supported by conventional steel coil springs and passive dampers.

The strut layout is less optimal for handling, but leaves more transverse room in the front end that isn’t necessarily being used today. This is a multi-energy architecture and with the uncertainty about market adoption of EVs as well as the impact of policy changes in Washington, Jeep is leaving its options open for future variants of the Wagoneer S. With the shorter wheelbase and length compared to the Charger, it seems unlikely that we’ll see the 3.0-liter Hurricane six-cylinder under this hood. 

But the struts give a hint that we may see something like Stellantis’ 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder mounted sideways either as a plug-in hybrid or driving a generator like the upcoming Ramcharger and full-size Wagoneer. Jeep is launching a new midsize replacement for the Cherokee this summer that will have an all-new hybrid system and that could be the starting point for a PHEV Wagoneer S. 

How Does It Drive?

We drove the Wagoneer S from Carlsbad, California east into the mountains and then back southwest to our lunch stop in La Jolla. As with all modern EVs, the low center of gravity from the under-floor battery and the 50/50 front to rear weight distribution help with driving dynamics. But physics is a cruel taskmaster, and there are limits to what you can do when you have to manage 5,667 pounds of curb weight. 

On the twisty mountain roads, the Jeep feels stable and sorted at speed thanks to well-executed key elements outside of mass. But compared to the Dodge, the all-season tires mean it doesn’t feel quite as responsive and the lateral limits are lower. Again, Newton’s laws of motion are the ultimate arbiter of performance. 

I’m not actually complaining about the Jeep’s behavior, it’s actually quite good overall for a nearly three-ton machine on low rolling resistance all season tires. It does what you want, the limits are just a bit lower than a muscle car on wider, summer performance tires, which should surprise no one.  Most drivers in the market for a modern, premium midsize SUV that doesn’t have an M, AMG, RS or Performance in the nameplate will probably be very satisfied with what they get from this initial variant of the Wagoneer S. 

One of my primary complaints about the Charger Daytona dynamic behavior was a general lack of steering feedback. Strangely enough, the Jeep actually seems to feel better in this regard. While it doesn’t have the legendary feel of old hydraulically boosted BMWs it’s better than Dodge, and most potential customers probably won’t even be aware of how it feels.  

Once you pass the apex of a curve and squeeze the right pedal, it gets up and goes – quickly! But vehicles need to stop too! We didn’t exactly thrash the Wagoneer S, but if we did, the brakes would probably be a lot less happy than in the Dodge. There are 13.9-inch vented rotors at both axles with the fronts clamped by dual piston floating calipers and the rears using single piston calipers. None of the fancy Brembo hardware for luxury SUV buyers. Fortunately, in max regen, the motors are doing most of the work, anyway. 

It’s Not An Off-Roader

Ride quality was good, but not necessarily what I would call plush on some rougher pavement. When you’ve got nearly three tons to support on a non-active suspension, there are limits. This was the first Jeep drive program I’ve done that didn’t include any sort of official off-road component. The closest we got to off-roading was parking at the edge of Cardiff Beach for some photos. At 6.4-inches, the Wagoneer S has about 0.8-inches more clearance than a Mustang Mach-E and 0.6-inches less than a Cadillac Lyriq so rock crawling is out of the question until the Trailhawk arrives. 

A Decent-Daily Driver, But Not A Tow Rig

As a daily driver, the Wagoneer S is an excellent example of the premium SUV breed. It has 30.6 cubic feet of storage behind the back seats that grows to 61 cubic feet with the seats folded. There’s also 3 cubic feet under the hood to store a charging cable and some additional smaller items. It’s a reasonable size so that parking isn’t an anxiety-inducing proposition. 

For those that want to tow, the Wagoneer S is probably not your best option. Towing capacity is limited to 3,400-lbs, and since it is an EV, it will take a hit on range. However, that range hit isn’t likely to be as severe as what people have experienced with electric trucks since any trailer you can pull is going to be smaller and won’t have the aerodynamic drag of a giant camper or horse trailer.

For now, the Wagoneer S is still equipped with a CCS charging port and Jeep won’t give detailed timing on when they start installing the new J3400 port. The 400V architecture doesn’t charge as fast as the 800V Hyundai Motor Group EVs, but at 28 minutes from 5-80%, it’s about on par with the charge time for a Tesla Model Y. 

Exterior Design:

For its first effort at a global BEV, the Jeep design team aimed for a sleeker design that still has the signature brand visual DNA. Since BEVs don’t require the same level of front end cooling as an internal combustion engine, that poses a challenge for designers. Some, like those at BMW and Audi, simply leave essentially the same front end used on combustion models with the grille area mostly blanked off. Others like Hyundai and Kia have gotten more creative. 

Jeep designers wanted to integrate a form of the classic seven-slot grille. The Wagoneer S gets a sculpted, wider and shorter “grille” with eight vertical bars that slope back from the top leading edge, forming seven cavities with LED lighting under the top edge to evoke the slots. The effect is modern and classic at the same time in a very different way from the light patterns like those used by Cadillac.

One of the major focus areas for Jeep was to optimize aerodynamics to help maximize the driving range.  As with the grille, there was a desire to retain the wagon profile of its namesakes, but reduce the drag of air flowing off the back end. Jeep designers took something of the opposite approach used by the creators of the Ford Mustang Mach-E. The Mach-E has an extended roofline finished in black in contrast to the body-colored side, creating the visual impression of a fastback while retaining extra headroom in the rear seat. 

Overall, I’m a fan of this design, preferring it to what Jeep has done with some of its other recent work including the big Wagoneers and latest Grand Cherokee. It’s got enough Jeep DNA mixed in a modern looking SUV and there’s nothing about it that looks clumsy or not well thought out.

The Rear Seat Is Nice, But Room Isn’t Amazing

The Wagoneer S has effectively a fastback roofline with a high wing and end plates that visually extend the roofline while providing a slick air path.  The effect is attractive and clean, but like a number of other EV utilities, there is no rear wiper which may prove problematic in some winter climates. As usual, the designers claim the airflow over the rear glass will keep it clear, although other newer vehicles that lack a wiper definitely struggle with clearing snow.

That combination of the lower roofline than the Grand Cherokee and the slope also means that rear seat headroom is more constrained and those over six-feet tall might find the space a bit tighter than expected. I’m five-foot-ten-inches and long in the torso and my head just cleared the headliner behind the panoramic glass roof. Rear passengers in the Launch Edition also get heated and cooled seats, vents, 2 USB-C ports and a 120V AC outlet. A third-row is definitely out of the question for the Wagoneer S. 

The Rear Wing Is Stiff

One of the challenges of this rear wing setup was to make it as rigid as possible. From an aerodynamic standpoint, the design team didn’t want to add a central support. However, the camera for the digital rear view mirror is mounted in the rear edge of wing and it was important to make sure that it didn’t vibrate at speed which required a lot of work on the structure. During our drive, I didn’t notice any motion in the digital mirror.

The working area of the cabin is very much in keeping with what we’ve come to expect from vehicles carrying the Wagoneer badge, regardless of size. The S is a somewhat more modern and sleek take on the concept from the big SUVs, but it definitely has a more premium look and feel than competitors like the Tesla Model Y and Mach-E. 

Interior Design: Nice, But With Some Bugs

The horizontal wing theme of the big Wagoneer is here in the form of aluminum trim that stretches all the way across below the main panel and curves up at the ends. As with the exterior, everything inside is less vertical and lower in profile. The 12.3-inch central touchscreen has a wider aspect ratio than the equivalent on the large Wagoneer and a similar sized display is used for the instrument cluster. 

The launch edition also comes standard with the 10.2 inch passenger display which has a filter that prevents it from being visible to the driver. While sitting in the passenger seat, I tried out the display which allows the passenger to manage the navigation system and audio as well as watch videos from a device plugged in via HDMI. In bright sunlight, I found the display to be somewhat dim which is probably an artifact of the filtering and I probably wouldn’t use it much or opt for it if it weren’t standard. 

Below that aluminum trim panel and the center screen is another 10.2-inch touchscreen that can retracted up below the main panel leaving just a thin band of the bottom edge exposed to provide access to climate controls. In this position, there is access to a fairly large storage bin with two USB-C ports. When the lower screen is extended, it provides access to extra controls for the front seats including the massage functions that I found to be very soothing for my back. 

Moving back from the bin along the center console is a rotary dial shifter, start/stop button, cup holders and a rocker switch for drive modes which include, auto, eco, sport, sand and snow. There are also buttons for auto hold and hill descent control. Behind that you’ll find a wireless charging slot that will hold a phone firmly in place so that it actually charges. 

It ‘Creeps’ Differently Than Many EVs

The auto hold button turns out to be more important than I expected. Generally, this function keeps the brakes applied when the vehicle comes to a stop to keep it from rolling even without the brake pedal being applied. Once the accelerator is pressed, it automatically releases. On most EVs with one-pedal driving capability through regenerative braking, once the vehicle stops, the system generally provides this function automatically. However, I found that when I stopped at a red light on a slope without using the brake, when I released the accelerator, the Wagoneer started rolling backward. Once I pressed the auto hold, it behaved the way other EVs do. 

Stellantis has chosen to provide drivers with multiple options for regenerative braking on both the Wagoneer S and the Charger Daytona. In the EV page in the settings, the driver can select between min and max regen with the former mimicking the light engine braking behavior of a combustion vehicle with an automatic transmission while max allows mostly one-pedal driving. In addition to the rate of regen braking, the driver can also select creep on or off. With creep on, the max regen won’t bring the car to a full stop, it will continue rolling at a couple of mph. With creep toggled off, the car will stop without touching the brake pedal, but then it will still roll if auto hold isn’t toggled on. 

These are all reasonably valid design choices that allow drivers to opt for a feeling that they are familiar with on combustion vehicles or go for a more purely EV optimized experience. The problem is different automakers have so far not come to a consensus on the full extent of what that one-pedal EV experience should be. Combustion vehicles with automatic transmissions all behave roughly the same. If you only drive one electric vehicle, you will no doubt get accustomed to whatever the manufacturer provides. 

However, if you have a heterogeneous, multi-vehicle household, remembering or misremembering how each car behaves could be problematic from a safety perspective. The industry should probably come together and develop a standard for how these modes behave so they are consistent across models and brands. None of this is a deal breaker for the Wagoneer S, drivers just need to be aware of how their particular vehicle choice will behave and use the car accordingly. 

There Were Some Software/User Interface Issues

One positive aspect of the interior is that like Dodge, the Jeep designers have kept manually operated vents on the dash and not followed the stupid trend of putting this in the touchscreen. Please see Jason Torchinsky’s excellent explainer on why Tesla, Rivian, Lincoln, Porsche and probably others soon are all 100% wrong on this issue. I would have preferred that Jeep also retain physical controls for the temperature, fan speed and defrosters as well, but they didn’t. At least those are always present and don’t require digging through the menus. 

In addition to the main screens spread across the dashboard, the Launch Edition also gets a 10-inch heads-up-display as standard. The HUD settings allow the driver to select from several different layouts and combinations of information. The simple layout that just provides the speed and turn signal repeaters was fine. But when toggling to any of the other modes such as “advanced” that shows navigation prompts and information about the lane keeping assist among other things, we found that everything was displayed way too small and only used a portion of the available real estate. We spoke with the designers and engineers about this and they acknowledged the problem and said it would be addressed with a software update. 

We also found one other glitch which was for the instrument cluster mode that is supposed to display the navigation map directly in front of the driver. When we tried this, it just provided a message that maps were loading, please wait, but the maps never loaded. We were told that these maps are loading dynamically over the data connection, and when we were driving in the mountains east of Carlsbad, cell connectivity was poor to non-existent. However, once we got back to the coast where the data signal was strong, it still never loaded the maps, so Stellantis engineers are taking a look at what happened. 

Another feature that some drivers will like while others will find annoying is Jeep’s implementation of blindspot camera displays. Hyundai and Kia have been doing this for several years and Rivian and others are now doing it. When the turn signal is engaged, the camera on that side is displayed in the instrument cluster so you can see more than what might be visible from the mirrors. 

Unfortunately, Jeep opted to implement this in the way that Honda used to do with its lane watch system. The camera view is overlaid on the center infotainment screen using the entire display. If you’re driving in an unfamiliar area, temporarily losing your map to this display can be quite annoying. If the map display in the cluster had worked, it would be less of an issue, but having the camera view on the center screen is genuinely less useful than on the cluster. Fortunately, there is a setting to just turn this off which we did as soon as we found the setting. Hopefully Jeep will reconsider and move this display to the cluster in a future update. 

Speaking of updates, the STLA Large platform doesn’t yet incorporate the new STLA Brain electronic architecture which will allow for OTA updates of all systems. For now, infotainment and some other functions can be updated, but STLA Brain is still a couple of years away. 

The Infotainment System Is Otherwise Decent

Other than that, the cluster and center displays are crisp, clear and bright and use full-array, local dimming backlights that provide improved contrast and readability. We got a chance to experience some of the alerts available to drivers. A couple of years ago, Stellantis started incorporating alerts from Haas Alerts.

Haas has a transponder system that can be installed in emergency vehicles like fire trucks, ambulances, police vehicles, road construction and tow trucks. Location, direction and speed data is transmitted to the cloud and distributed to vehicles. Waze was the first to display Haas alerts followed by Stellantis. While driving up the coast through Encinitas, we got an alert of an upcoming construction zone with workers. We also got alerts about the presence of speed cameras, although I believe those came from a different source than Haas. 

One interior detail that the Wagoneer S shares with the Charger is the steering wheel with its flattened top and bottom. The goal of the designers wasn’t to create a yoke like experience and overall, the wheel is similar in size to conventional round wheels rather than the smaller size of the Cybertruck yoke. Instead, the sides of the wheel which are round have a larger radius than you would expect of a wheel this size. 

This opens a wider aperture to provide an unobstructed view of the instrument cluster. At the same time, the flattened top and bottom ensure that the overall size isn’t too large to be able to comfortably turn the wheel without hitting the driver’s lap. Since you shouldn’t be holding the top of the steering wheel anyway when there is an airbag present (an expanding airbag will do bad things to your arms if holding the top portion of the wheel) this actually isn’t a problem. The transitions from circular to flatter are pretty smooth and you become accustomed to the shape quickly. 

The Launch Edition comes standard with a 1,200-watt, 19-speaker McIntosh audio system that includes an app that displays level meters on the center screen with traditional McIntosh blue lighting. As in other Jeeps with the system, it sounds really good with a variety of different music, with one particular exception. The Spotify playlist that Jeep curated included Come Together by the Beatles. When that song was played, there was something about the base frequency that triggered a rattle in the door. Switching to any other song and the rattle disappeared and going back to Come Together it was there. 

It turns out there was a piece of noise reduction fabric in the bottom of the door that came loose on some pre-production cars and there just happened to be a particular frequency in that song that caused a resonance. It’s an easy fix when restored, the noise goes away. 

Small Humps In The Back Seat

The various STLA platforms are designed as multi-energy architectures so they can support everything from internal combustion to hybrid to battery to extended range EV. Stellantis isn’t the first to do this, notably BMW has several such platforms in its lineup. In order to make all of this economically viable, it makes sense to use a single common floor pan for the EVs and ICE cars. That means the pan needs a center tunnel to accommodate a driveshaft. 

In the BMWs, this tunnel is quite prominent and makes the center rear seating position much less useful. Stellantis engineers worked hard to minimize this tunnel. Thus, while the floor is not completely flat like a pure EV, the tunnel height is surprisingly modest and non-intrusive. So while the rear headroom is somewhat limited as previously mentioned, there is plenty of legroom and the rear seat height is at a comfortable level. 

As a sustainable platform, Jeep chose to forego both animal hides on the inside and chrome plating on the outside. The grey trim rails around the greenhouse are finished in a darker grey matte coating and all Launch Editions get a gloss black roof. Inside the coverings on the seats and other surfaces look and feel good and various aluminum trim pieces are finished in some interesting textures. 

In keeping with the sustainable theme of an EV, no animal hides are used, instead the seats and headliner are covered in synthetic leather and suede-like finishes. For the Launch Edition, the black interior has contrasting red stitching and piping or customers can choose a “radar red” interior with white contrast stitching. They look and feel premium across the board. The only real flaw in the cabin materials is the piano black bezel around all of the front screens. When the screens are off, it looks like a single contiguous surface, but dust and fingerprints are sure to collect here. 

While many current EVs have panoramic glass roofs, most are fixed in place and don’t open at all. The front half of roof glass on the Wagoneer S both tilts up as a vent and slides back for open air driving. 

How Much?

The Launch Edition has a starting price of $71,995 including delivery and the only options are $595 for several of the colors, $1,000 for the red interior and $995 for the tow package. Thus a maxed out Launch Edition will cost $74,585. That’s not cheap, but it’s similar to a Cadillac Lyriq-V and the Audi SQ6 e-tron. At the upcoming Chicago Auto Show, Jeep will be announcing pricing for the 2025 models that will include additional trim levels. Jeep wouldn’t give us details just yet on those trims or prices, but we expect a base price somewhere around $60,000, again similar to the starting price of the Lyriq. 

At some point, we may well see even lower cost variants such as a rear wheel drive model that could get into the mid-50s or lower. Jeep has really pivoted on pricing in recent months, realizing it got way too expensive and it wants to keep its new products at an attractive price point for customers.

Jeep NA head Bob Broderdorf recognizes the uncertainty that is coming with the new administration and is ready to fight to stay price competitive in a crowded market. At the same time we will likely see a more expensive variant in the form of a production Trailhawk based on last year’s concept. There could even be a more powerful Banshee variant like that coming to the Charger Daytona.

One thing is for sure though. Unlike the very controversial Charger Daytona, the potential customer base for the Wagoneer S is likely to be much more amenable to electrification and we don’t expect the controversy heard around the Dodge. This will probably be a much easier sell for Jeep dealers.

Overall, I think Stellantis has done an admirable job on the Wagoneer S, and if I was in the market for a premium SUV with any kind of propulsion system, this would be on my consideration list. From the first time we saw renders of it a couple of years ago until I drove it last year, I’ve loved the look and so far this seems like a better executed vehicle than the Charger for its target audience. I would probably choose this over a similarly equipped Grand Cherokee unless I needed towing capability despite the fact that the Launch Edition is a bit more expensive and it’s definitely a better value than the plug-in hybrid 4Xe. Once additional, more affordable trims arrive in the coming months, I expect that decision to become even easier in favor of the Wagoneer S.