2024 Jeep Wagoneer S First Look: Jeep's First EV Goes 300 Miles, Has Massive Wing

• The Jeep Wagoneer S is here and it's headed straight for the Tesla Model Y.
• Launch Editions are fully loaded with tech and have 600 horsepower and an estimated 300-mile range.
• Pricing is set at $71,995, with lower-priced models to come in the future.

Meet the brand-new 2024 Jeep Wagoneer S, the automaker's first global electric vehicle and a domestic shot across the bow at the Tesla Model Y and Cadillac Optiq. Not only does it have to prove that parent company Stellantis can do EVs right, but it also needs to justify why it's very, very late to the EV game. That means it's got quite a lot of ground to cover.

First things first, it looks like a Jeep. In person, the Wagoneer S has the look and feel of a Grand Cherokee from 2055. It maintains the Jeep signature seven-slot grille up front, narrow headlights that are pushed to the top corners of the hood line, and thin taillights merged into a full-width lightbar at the back. The Wagoneer S features more intricate surfacing and isn't as slab-sided as the brand's internal combustion engine offerings. And then there's that massive rear wing — its only job is to minimize the amount of air disturbed as the car moves along to help boost range.

Wagoneer S range and power figures

The Wagoneer S is built on the 400-volt STLA Large platform, one of several platforms that will underpin Jeep EVs (a smaller version of the platform is the basis for the overseas-only Jeep Avenger 4xe). Despite sharing a name with a full-size SUV, this isn't a huge vehicle — it's much closer to your typical two-row crossover. The Wagoneer S' 113-inch wheelbase puts it right in line with the Tesla Model Y and is within a few inches of the current Jeep Grand Cherokee in both wheelbase and overall length.

The first models to roll out will be top-spec Launch Editions. It uses a 100.5-kWh battery pack that feeds two electric motors (one in the front, one rear-mounted) for all-wheel drive. The motors make 600 horsepower and 617 lb-ft of torque and, according to Jeep, should scoot the Wagoneer S from 0 to 60 mph in 3.4 seconds (with rollout subtracted, per drag racing conventions). Another speed that matters is charging, and while Jeep doesn't quote a peak charge rate for the Wagoneer S, it did say that it should be able to go from 20% to 80% in 23 minutes on a DC fast charger.

A plethora of drive modes will help put the power down. Auto, Sport, Eco, Snow and Sand are part of Jeep's trick traction management system that optimizes throttle response and stability control intervention for a variety of surfaces. Approach, breakover and departure angles are 19.2 degrees, 14.0 degrees and 23.4 degrees, respectively — put another way, the Wagoneer S likely won't be rock crawling anytime soon. It might be silly to quote these angles for a near three-ton luxury EV crossover, but Jeep itself has already shown the Wagoneer S racing around on the dirt.

A Wagoneer-worthy interior and lots of tech

Inside is where things get a little more Wagoneer-ey. It has a very similar layout to the brand's largest SUV. There's a configurable 12.3-inch driver display that serves as the instrument cluster and two central displays (the top controls most of the car's primary functions and its settings, while the lower is mostly dedicated to HVAC controls). Jeep says the center 12.3-inch screen has been optimized to provide sharper clarity and to make maps and images from the car's array of cameras more easily visible. There is also a 10.25-inch screen for the passenger that can be used to watch movies or control the Wagoneer's multimedia functions.

That's a total of 45 inches of virtual display but not one physical control for the HVAC. You still get a physical volume knob, the rotary-style controller for your gear selector, and an up/down toggle for the drive mode — but beyond that this interior is largely buttonless. Being Jeep's first EV means the Wagoneer S has to be a tech showcase for the brand, and the lack of physical controls is meant to convey this.

The tech angle also means the Wagoneer S comes with many of the modern features you'd expect of an EV SUV. Jeep is continuing its exclusive partnership with McIntosh to provide high-end audio systems for its flagship cars. While we didn't love one of its systems in a Wagoneer L we recently tested, the long-wheelbase Wagoneer variant has a cacophonous space with a lot of opportunities for sound to reverberate in nasty ways. The low noise floor and dense insulation of an EV mean the McIntosh has the opportunity to shine in the Wagoneer S, but we'll have to wait until we drive it to find out for sure.

Other tech duds include a robust suite of safety features. Blind-spot warning, lane keeping assistance, front and rear cross-traffic alert, speed sign recognition, and an abundance of other driver assistance features are all standard on the 2024 Launch Edition. The Wagoneer S also gets Jeep's Active Driving Assist tech, a hands-free driving assistant that works up to 90 mph and only asks you to keep your eyes on the road as long as it's active.

The Wagoneer S will make its way to dealerships this fall as a 2024 model year vehicle — even though most cars will have changed over to 2025 by then. Launch Editions are fully loaded and have a starting price of $71,995, including destination charges. It's also worth noting that the Wagoneer S will qualify for the full $7,500 tax incentive whether you lease or buy.

Edmunds says

Jeep is very late to the EV game. So is the Wagoneer S good enough to flummox the competition? We'll have to wait to drive it and find out.