Jeep Wagoneer S Electric challenges the Cadillac Lyriq & Lexus RZ

Jeep has lined-up four pure-electric vehicles, and among them is the ‘Jeep Wagoneer S,’ a luxury model that competes with the likes of Tesla Model Y, Lexus RZ and Genesis Electrified GV70.

Dimensions & positioning

The Jeep Wagoneer S Electric is not a full-size model and is unrelated to the body-on-frame Jeep Wagoneer and Jeep Grand Wagoneer. We are looking at a mid-size SUV slightly smaller than the Grand Cherokee. Underpinned by the STLA Large platform, it measures 192.4 in. in length, 74.8 in. in width, and 64.8 in. in height. It has a 113.0-inch wheelbase and offers 6.4 in. of ground clearance.

Design & Features

As a Jeep, the Wagoneer S is boxier than most European and Japanese luxury SUVs on the market and has the look of an authentic SUV.

The front of the vehicle has a forward-leaning appearance. It features slim and aggressive headlamps, a faux seven-slot grille that has been illuminated, a sloping hood with a power bulge, a functional lower air intake, and vertical side air inlets. The A-shaped lower grille has horizontal inserts and a radar for the vehicle’s advanced driver assistance systems in the central area at the bottom

A clean bodyline accentuates the windswept profile. As the roof slopes down, it forms a sporty yet classy “hovering wing,” which is supported by two soaring D-pillars. In the typical manner for Jeeps, the doors are plain, but they have flush-fitting handles that help reduce drag on the road. Onlookers would identify the model as a Jeep from a distance by its trapezoidal wheel arches. In addition to the special roof spoiler and the notably raked back glass, a full-width tail lamp communicates sophistication at the rear.

Interior

The Jeep Wagoneer S feels like a proper SUV even on the inside, featuring a sizeable dashboard, a wide center console, rich colors, and generous metallic inserts. Thankfully, Jeep designers didn’t resort to the ho-hum minimalist approach that is trending in EVs globally. American customers will appreciate this conventional and practical interior, which gives a proper SUV vibe and focuses strongly on ergonomics, for example, with traditional switches, buttons, and other physical controls.

Jeep designers didn’t forget the modernists, though. The two-spoke steering wheel and 64-color ambient lighting system highlight the sleek and upmarket character of the Wagoneer S. The former features wine red stitching, emphasizing performance, and the same appears on the dashboard, too.

Tech-savvy customers are in for a treat, with a cluster of four screens dominating the dashboard. There’s a 12.3-inch instrument cluster behind the steering wheel, a 12.3-inch navigation touchscreen in the upper part of the center, a 10.25-inch comfort touchscreen in the lower part of the center, and a segment-exclusive, 10.25-inch front passenger touchscreen. Electronic door latches, a 10-inch head-up display, and a segment-exclusive 19-speaker, 1,200-watt McIntosh audio system are also among the highlights here.

The Jeep Wagoneer S features 12-way electrically adjustable driver and front passenger seats with 4-way power lumbar support, massage, memory, heating, and ventilation. The rear seats also feature heating and ventilation functions.

The Jeep Wagoneer S has a total passenger volume of 99.5 cu. ft. It offers 30.6 cu. ft. of cargo space, which customers can expand to 130.1 cu. ft. by folding the rear seats. Additionally, it has a small frunk with 3.0 cu. ft. of extra storage space.

Specifications

STLA Large is developed by Stellantis for electric vehicles that primarily target the U.S. market. Electric-first platforms aren’t as space-efficient as dedicated EV platforms, but they’re better than modified ICE platforms. The STLA Large platform would be more advanced than what a heavily modified version of the Grand Cherokee’s Giorgio platform could have been.

Jeep has so far revealed the specifications of only a top-end ‘Launch Edition’ trim of the Wagoneer S. The company employs two motors that together generate 600 horsepower and 617 lb.-ft. of torque in this trim, allowing the electric SUV to hit 0 to 60 mph in just 3.4 seconds. The Wagoneer S maxes out at 124 mph, which makes it slower than Tesla’s Model Y, which touches 135 mph even in the base configuration and achieves 155 mph in the top-end configuration.

Jeep uses a 100.5 kWh NMC battery pack that operates at 400 volts in the Wagoneer S. The company says it’ll do a range of 300+ miles, and states the following charging times:

Charger	Charging Level	Charging Time
Level 1 AC	5-80%	52 hours
Level 2 AC	5-80%	6.8 hours
Level 3 DC	5-80%	28 minutes
Level 3 DC	20-80%	23 minutes

Price & Release Date

The Jeep Wagoneer S retails at USD 71,995 (incl. USD 1,795 destination fee) in the only currently available Launch Edition trim. Jeep has started accepting reservations with a deposit of USD 100 and will commence deliveries in fall 2024. The company says the model is eligible for Clean Vehicle Tax Credits. Production will take place at a yet-to-be-disclosed location in North America.

Australia (RHD version)

Jeep has confirmed the Wagoneer S for the Australian market, as per a September 19, 2022, report by WhichCar. While the American brand is yet to reveal a specific release date for the all-electric SUV in the land Down Under, we surmise that Jeep is likely to launch it in select right-hand-drive markets a year after its U.S. arrival.

TopElectricSUV says

The Jeep Wagoneer S is a distinctive electric SUV, featuring an authentic SUV character but with modern and high-tech design elements, a sumptuous and highly digital but still convenient interior, and superb performance. Since it’s a Jeep, we expect it to fare much better off the road than its rivals, making it the perfect choice for outdoorsy customers.

Jeep Wagoneer S Electric FAQs

Featured Image Source: Stellantis