Jeep kicks down the doors of an electric vehicle event, finally detailing its first all-electric offering, the blazingly rapid and confusingly named 2024 Wagoneer S. Jeep’s first electric vehicle to reach dealers, it’s packed with impressive numbers: 600 horsepower, 617 pound-feet of torque, a 300-mile range, a 6,700-pound girth, a 0-60 time of 3.4 seconds, and a starting price of nearly $72,000.
Even though it’s an electric vehicle, Jeep still wants it Wagoneer S act like off-road Jeep. That’s why it will come standard all-wheel drive AND Jeep Selec-Terrain Transaction Management System with five riding modes including snow and sand, so you can get yours Wagoneer Grubby. It also has enough power to tow a 3,400-pound trailer, if you’re into that sort of thing.
The Wagoneer S keeps going Stellantis gigantic STLA platformso it also has all the typical electric vehicle elements you’d expect from a newfangled vehicle luxury electric crossover. Jeep says its 400-volt, 100-kWh battery can be charged from 20 to 80 percent in just 23 minutes when using DC rapid charging, and every Launch Edition truck will receive a free 48 amp Level 2 home charger or public top-up credit. Not bad.
Outside Wagoneer The S certainly looks like a Jeep, only sleeker. It still has the classic seven-slot grille that has been synonymous with Jeeps for decades, but it no longer serves the same function. Because there is no need for a grid on electric car, Jeep decided to employ it for accent lighting. After all, it’s a fashionable thing to do, and I think it looks pretty frosty – better than the glowing emblems, anyway. There are satin black and aluminum accents, and the wheels are just 20 inches.
The Wagoneer S uses flush-mount door handles and a more aerodynamic shape to improve performance, including sloping roofline with a behemoth rear spoiler positioned above the sloping rear window. Jeep claims the Wagoneer S has a pretty good drag coefficient of 0.29. All in all, it’s a really nice design that, while not revolutionary, brings the Jeep brand rather seamlessly into the electric age. I mean, it looks exactly like you think Jeep electric crossover would look like.
The interior is largely the same story. It looks like any other newfangled Jeep interior, with a lot of screens – four to be precise. There is one on the instrument cluster, two stacked in the center console and one in front of the passenger. Jeep says there are over 45 inches of screens in total, which doesn’t include the head-up display or rearview mirror camera. The two-spoke, flat-bottomed steering wheel is weirder than those on other Jeeps.
Apart from lots of piano black plastic, it looks like there’s quite a nice mix of materials and surfaces that make the interior Wagoneer I feel like it should it cost over $70,000. Jeep says so recycled materials are “consciously integrated” into the crossover’s interior, and the seats, console, doors and instrument panel surfaces are covered with non-leather synthetic material.
Jeep is also ditching the usual interior door latches – like many other electric vehicles, the Wagoneer S can handle that thumb door opening buttons. Additionally, like most more costly luxury SUVs, it will feature ambient lighting in a choice of 64 colors, making the five-passenger Wagoneer S available in any color you can think of.
Like other high-end Jeeps, the Wagoneer S comes with: McIntosh stereo system, and this app has 1200 watts, 19 speakers and a 12 inch subwoofer. He’s a powerful little guy. It will come standard with everything you would expect from a luxury vehicle, such as a surround-view camera, a suite of driver assistance systems, blind-spot monitoring, a panoramic sunroof, 12-way power seats, heated and ventilated seats in all four corners, and Jeep’s Uconnect infotainment system.
So the 2024 Wagoneer S looks like a pretty compelling package on paper. People love Jeep, so this seems like a natural next step for the brand. However, I have one problem with it: the name. I don’t understand why it’s called the Wagoneer S and it’s mainly because of the size. The truck is 192.4 inches long, which is actually 1.1 inches a shorter than the two-row Grand Cherokee. It’s a monstrous 22.3 inches shorter than the shortest Wagoneer. I do not understand this. The only thing I can think of is that Jeep feels “Wagoneerthe name carries more sauce than the name “Grand Cherokee.” Apparently the public chose this namebut I don’t believe it.
Regardless of the name, the Wagoneer S looks like a really solid contender for the world of electric midsize crossovers. We just have to hit the trails to see if this Jeep actually lives up to its name. Jeep says the 2024 Wagoneer S Launch Edition should arrive at U.S. and Canadian dealers this year, with prices starting at $71,995, including destination.
