Light instead of air
Jeep Wagoneer S: off-road legend on the wrong track
The Jeep brand is synonymous with tough off-roaders. But the new Wagoneer S doesn't want to know anything about off-road competence. The thoroughbred electrician has other qualities.
Until now, Jeep customers have only been able to enjoy pure electric driving pleasure in Europe. But with the Wagoneer S, the American cult brand is now launching the first battery-electric Jeep for the global market. The pioneering model for the traditional brand will be launched in North America this year. Europe will follow in fall 2025.
The Wagoneer S is based on the Stellantis STLA Large platform, which can draw on the full range of battery capacity and drive systems. Two electric motors are set to provide 600 hp and over 800 Newton meters, allowing a sprint from a standstill to 96 km/h in 3.4 seconds. The battery pack in the underbody with 100 kWh storage capacity promises a range of around 500 kilometers. The 400-volt system allows fast charging with direct current from 20 to 80 percent in 23 minutes.
Jeep does not provide any information on other drive variants or power levels. Although the STLA Large is a multi-energy platform, the Wagoneer S is announced as a purely electric model. As is usual with new model series, the large electric Jeep will "evolve" via OTA updates. This means not only innovations in the automated driving aids, but also explicit performance updates. So 600 hp is just a foretaste.
LEDs instead of radiator grille
The Wagoneer S is also a bold step visually. According to Vince Galante, Vice President of Exterior Design at Jeep, the most important requirement during the design process was: "It has to be iconic!" The most important Jeep symbol remains the radiator grille with seven slits, which in the case of the Wagoneer S are closed, as they no longer need to allow cooling air to pass through. This is why LED lighting in the Jeep face provides the classic depth.
It was also important to design the electric Jeep to be streamlined. The air resistance should have a remarkably low drag coefficient of 0.294 for SUVs. In addition to the closed radiator grille, door handles that are flush with the sheet metal and an unconventional-looking rear roof spoiler also help to achieve this. Otherwise, the Wagoneer S is an elegant appearance, albeit without chrome embellishments.
The almost 4.90-meter-long five-door model nevertheless offers a classy, spacious interior. However, rear-seat passengers over 1.80 meters tall come suspiciously close to the headliner, which is also due to a slightly lowered ceiling thanks to the panoramic glass roof. Behind the rear seat is a trunk with a capacity of 866 liters, which can be extended in the classic way.
The command center has four large-format displays under glass surfaces as well as a head-up display. The screens should add up to a total display diagonal of 45 inches. The monitor behind the steering wheel shows driving-related information. There are two touchscreens in the center console. The upper one is the display and user interface for the infotainment world. The lower one is used to set vehicle functions such as the air conditioning. There is also an entertainment touchscreen for the front passenger on the right-hand side of the dashboard.
In the case of the "Driver Display", Galante speaks of a "dramatically simplified" display mode. This may well be necessary, as a glance at the cockpit reveals an overload of information. The infotainment system is based on the Uconnect Generation 5, which allows wireless integration of Apple Carplay and Android Auto. Jeep also offers a McIntosh surround sound system with 19 speakers and 1200 watts.
As befits an upmarket Jeep, the Wagoneer S is equipped with all-wheel drive and Selec Terrain. The latter offers the driving modes Auto, Sport, Eco as well as Snow and Sand. Off-road driving is therefore not excluded. However, Jeep did not say a word about its off-road expertise at the presentation and instead referred to the electric Jeep Recon, which is set to make a name for itself as a warhorse for rough terrain from 2026. Jeep also remains silent on the price. (Mario Hommen/SPX)
This article has been automatically translated,
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