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YARMOUTH PORT, Mass. – Sleek, quick and smooth are terms not often associated with Jeep vehicles but all are appropriate for the new Jeep Wagoneer S, the first battery-electric vehicle (BEV) offered by the iconic sport-utility producer.
Jeep has offered electrified SUVs for several years with plug-in-hybrid (PHEV) versions of its Wrangler Unlimited and Grand Cherokee, but this is the first all-electric and it comes in an all-new-from-the-ground-up package.
The five-door configuration is sleek, more ground-hugging, hunkered-down than previous Jeeps with 6.4 inches of ground clearance (8.5/7.3 inches at the front/rear axles), 64.8 inches of height and a drag coefficient of 0.29. At 192 inches long it is within the smaller portion of the mid-size SUV segment.
These factors, along with dual-motor all-wheel-drive (AWD) rated at 600 horsepower, contribute to the SUV’s quickness and approximate 300 miles of range.
New BEV platform at the core
The Wagoneer S, which we drove in Launch Edition trim, is built upon what the company is calling its new BEV-native STLA- Large Platform. In this case it is a 400-volt system capable of utilizing DC fast charging. The battery pack is a 400 volt, 100.5kWh, 131 Ah- 131Ah-cell lithium-ion, nickel manganese cobalt one. The entire electronics package, low- and high-voltage components, are sealed and waterproof.
The system is capable of 5-80 percent charged in 28 minutes when using a DC fast charger with an estimated 100 miles of range in 10 minutes at a public fast DC charger.
I did not need a public fast charger during my time behind the wheel, relying on over-night replenishment of the battery with my Level 2 Autel MaxiCharger AC Wallbox Home unit plugged into a 240-Volt NEMA 14-50 outlet. Jeep claims 5-80 percent in 6.8 hours with such a charger; I just know, I plugged it in at the end of the day and the next morning, 100-percent charged.
And according to the on-screen information within the Wagoneer S, this meant up to 318 miles of running, but the actual mileage is most likely below 300, which is an excellent result for a vehicle with the Wagoneer S’s capabilities and more than enough for several days of around-town motoring without worrying about plugging into a charger.
The two permanent-magnet synchronous AC motors are each capable of producing up 335 horsepower and 310 pounds-feet of torque with the overall combined figures 600 hp and 617 lbs.-ft.
And the Wagoneer S Launch Edition acts like a 600-horsepower performance car, able (according to Car and Driver testing as well as Jeep’s figures) reach 60 miles per hour from rest in a supercar 3.4 seconds. I cannot vouch for the stopwatch number but accelerating onto the Mid Cape Highway was fast and EV quiet. And, as is true of most EVs, with immediate reaction to depressing the accelerator. Jeep claims a top speed of 124 mph which Car and Driver echoed.
Platform dynamics
Driving the Wagoneer S Launch Edition was fun. It might not be a sports car, but it felt solid and reassuring regardless of the roads or surfaces I attacked. The instant-on acceleration received excellent support from the platform which included MacPherson-type struts with steel springs up front and integral-link independent setup with steel springs in the rear.
The electric power rack-and-pinion steering is 2.54 turns lock-to-lock quick with an overall ratio of 15:1 and a 40.0 turning diameter.
Bringing the Wagoneer S to a halt is primarily the job of the power-assisted hydraulic disc-brake system with regenerative braking aiding (as well as helping to recharge the battery). One-pedal driving is available by enabling MAX regenerative braking and disabling the CREEP mode, very doable but inconvenient due to having to reactivate, through the central touchscreen, each time the vehicle is restarted.
The hydraulic brake system features anti-lock (ABS) and four-wheel vented rotors. The fronts are 13.9×1.1 inches; the rears 13.9×0.87. Dual-piston floating calipers are featured up front, with single-piston floating ones in the rear. Total brake swept area is 196 square inches in the front and 162.1 in the rear.
The new Wagoneer S Launch Edition rides on 235/50R20XL Falken all-season tires mounted to gloss-black 20×8.5-inch aluminum wheels.
Long list of ADAS
The Jeep Wagoneer S Launch Edition is a fully equipped SUV which today means it comes with a comprehensive group of advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS). These include active driving assist; 360-degree surround-view camera; active lane management; adaptive cruise control; autonomous parking assist; blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-path detection; electronic stability control (includes vehicle stability management system, electronic roll mitigation, all-speed traction control, brake assist and four-channel antilock brake system, Rain Brake Support); full-speed forward-collision warning and advanced brake assist; intersection collision assist; front and rear part-assist system; ParkSense automated parking system; parallel/perpendicular park assist; traffic-sign recognition, and trailer-sway control.
Premium appointments inside
I said the Wagoneer S Launch Edition was fully equipped and the interior appointments reinforce this comment.
The comfortable seats are power adjustable with heat, ventilation, massage capability and two-person memory for both front-seat passengers. The 60/40 folding second row has heat and ventilation for the outboard passengers.
Screens are the dominant feature within the Wagoneer S Launch Edition. First, there is the customizable 12.3-inch cluster display behind the steering wheel. Above is the 10-inch customizable head-up display in the windshield (though difficult to virtually invisible while wearing polarized sunglasses).
A 10.25-inch screen facing the front passenger lets this person adjust media settings, navigation input (adding/subtracting stops; finding interesting places along the route) and even connecting their phone (via cable) for interactive operation.
Another 10.25-inch screen, which can be a cover for the bin at the front of the console or retract up, out of the way, into the dash, shows various seat settings and controls for the digital, automatic two-zone climate control system.
The final 12.3-inch touchscreen sits in the upper, center of the dash as the primary control for the Uconnect multimedia system with standard navigation and vehicle settings. Wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto; SiriusXM satellite radio and a McIntosh MX 1200 entertainment system (with 19 speakers, 12-inch subwoofer and 1,200-Watts of amplification power) among its features.
The price of uniqueness
Jeep introduced the Wagoneer S in late 2024 with a single model – the Launch Edition like I sampled. Fully equipped it sold for $71,995. Considering its level of equipment; performance capabilities and electrical architecture, a very competitive price in the mid-size SUV segment. And a very unique piece of automotive machinery marking Jeep’s foray into fully electric.
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