Jeep has begun teasing its upcoming Wagoneer S, the brands-first global all-electric car and an EV set to be incredibly quick in a straight line.
Although not Jeep’s first electric car – that title goes to the compact Avenger, sold in Europe – the Wagoneer S is the brand’s first global EV that’ll be sold in the US and beyond.
Due to arrive in the US in the fall of 2024, Jeep says the Wagoneer S will come with all-wheel-drive as standard – or 4xe in Jeep-speak – meaning it’ll have at least two electric motors. The company hasn’t revealed much else about the car, but says it’ll produce 600 horsepower and sprint to 60 mph in “around 3.5 seconds”.
That doesn’t just make it quick by modern SUV standards. A 3.5-second 60 mph sprint time makes it as quick as many supercars; just a generation ago, such performance would put the Jeep among the quickest cars on sale, of any size or type.
Jeep has revealed a teaser image of the Wagoneer S. It gives little away, other than how the car will retain Jeep’s iconic seven-bar front grille design, only this type bathed in blue light to emphasize the car’s electric powertrain. The company said of its new EV, “Driven by aerodynamic efficiency, its sleek exterior design is uniquely marked by a reimagined LED-lit class-exclusive seven-slot Jeep brand grille.”
The Wagonner is described as a premium all-electric SUV that will arrive in the US this fall and then, Jeep says, “in key markets around the world.”
Jeep added, “Offered exclusively as a BEV [battery electric vehicle], the Jeep Wagoneer S offers standard 4xe capability with all-terrain management, advanced Jeep brand-focused technology and impressive performance credentials,”
What I’m keen to see is how the Wagoneer S performs off-road. Almost any EV manufacturer can boast about impressive 0-60 mph times, but electric all-wheel-drive platforms also unlock new off-roading capabilities, since torque can be distributed to each wheel or axle with more precision than in an internal-combustion car. It’ll be interesting to see how heavily Jeep leans into this, and what the Wagoneer S will be capable of when it arrives later this year.