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First Drive: Jeep Wagoneer S Is Ready to Capture 4XE Buyers with a Need for Speed
Jeep has been turning out some popular plug-in hybrids lately, including 4XE versions of the Grand Cherokee and Wrangler, the latter taking the crown as America’s most popular plug-in hybrid. What they didn’t have, until now, is a full-fledged EV for US. buyers. After showing it off almost a year ago, the 2024 Wagoneer S is finally here and Jeep invited us to drive some just as they’re making their first customer deliveries.

The 2024 J Wagoneer S does a solid job of looking like a Jeep SUV from the outside despite its goal to cheat the wind and bring aerodynamic efficiency to a brand known for blocky designs, large wheel openings, and considerable ground clearance. That wasn’t an easy feat.

Of course, Jeep’s iconic seven-slot grille is present, but in this application, Jeep designers have changed its function. While a grille traditionally serves to let the vehicle “breathe”, an electric vehicle doesn’t need nearly as much cooling airflow, so the Wagoneer S grille was sculpted as a lighting element that represents the vehicle’s forward vision. Jeep designer Vince Galante explained, “If you look up underneath. . . there’s actually LEDs that shine light down on the grille, so you’ll have a seven slots signature during the day. You also have a seven-slot signature at night. And the way that we like to think about it is that the grille went from breathing to seeing.”

The other striking styling feature of the Wagoneer S is the huge rear wing. Serving to mount the rear-facing camera and also to give the silhouette the illusion of being more squared-off, the R-wing as it’s dubbed helps keep the air flowing over the sloping rear glass. The result is a slippery 0.29 coefficient of drag, a record low for Jeep and a big contributor to the Wagoneer S traveling more than 300 miles per charge of its 100kWh battery pack.
Specs: 2024 Jeep Wagoneer S Launch Edition
- Price: 71,995 (including destination)
- Powertrain: Twin-motor electric all-wheel-drive
- Output: 600 hp, 617 lb-ft of torque
- Layout: Four-door, 5-passenger sport utility
- Weight: 5,667 lbs
- EPA Fuel Economy:99MPGe (claimed)
- Competitors: Cadillac Lyriq,Tesla Model Y, Genesis GV60, and Mercedes-Benz EQE
We traveled to Carlsbad, California, to drive the Wagoneer on Interstate highways and headed inland to try the new EV on hilly two-lane roads. We spent most of our time inside a Wagoneer S that used the Radar Red interior option, which we loved. The interior relies on four screens: a 12.3-inch cluster for the drive, a 12.3-inch radio, a 10.25-inch lower comfort display for the HVAC and seating controls, and a 10.25-inch passenger display. Just about everything in the Wagoneer S Launch Edition is upholstered, and all of the materials are vegan, with synthetic suede for the pillars and headliner, and carpet made from recycled material. Even the aluminum, like the embossed panels on the doors and the unique, faceted rotary shift knob, is recycled.





Our initial impression of the interior is that we wanted more bold colors like this in the market. The seats, covered in synthetic leather, felt premium. The front buckets offered a bit of lateral support, but were clearly shaped for long-distance, daily driver comfort. They’ve got massagers, not race car bolsters, and that was the right call. Each Launch Edition comes with heated and ventilated front and rear seats and a 19-speaker, 1,200-watt McIntosh audio system. Our only complaint about the interior was the passenger screen. The front seat passenger can use the screen to view the many cameras that surround the Wagoneer S or to help with navigation. There’s also an HDMI input so the screen, which can’t be viewed by the driver, can display external media from a gaming system. In bright sunlight, the screen could have been brighter and the camera views didn’t seem too helpful unless they were being used for off-road spotting, which we weren’t planning to do on the Launch Edition’s decidedly road-oriented rubber.
Although Jeep teased a Trailhawk version of the Wagoneer S, all our driving was on pavement, where the AWD EV powertrain shines. With its batteries distributed along the belly and matching drive units at each axle, Jeep managed to get the Wagoneer S to have a nearly perfect 50/50 weight distribution front and rear. That helps keep things balanced and planted so that its 600 hp can rocket the Wagoneer S away from stoplights and out of corners. Jeep claims the Wagoneer S can zip from 0-60 in 3.4 seconds, a tenth of a second quicker than the Hellcat-powered Grand Cherokee Trackhawk. While a supercharger builds boost quickly, it can’t match electrons when it comes to delivering torque in an instant. The Wagoneer S is down on peak power compared to the Trackhawk and has a nearly 400-pound disadvantage, but the electric ponies are always there.

We got used to the throttle response of the Wagoneer S right away, as the throttle programming was intuitive and offered smooth power off the line. The default setting is for the Wagoneer S to respond much like an internal combustion vehicle, with gentle coasting when the throttle is released. We selected the optional high regeneration setting and appreciated the programming of that as well. Regen braking comes on progressively, without upsetting the balance of the Jeep or jarring the passengers. An additional selection in the EV menu allows the driver to toggle on a function that mimics an automatic transmission’s slow creep forward when off the brake and throttle. Turn that off and add the high regen braking mode, and you’ve got one-pedal driving. It’s a great solution to customizing the driving experience.
The Launch Edition came fully loaded with an MSRP (including destination) of $71,995, so we expect the 2025 models to offer some lower trim options with MSRPs in the $60,000 range, possibly lower. With the Wagoneer S Launch Edition, Jeep has now got a capable entry into the luxury mid-size EV niche, and we’re looking forward to seeing where Jeep takes EVs in the future.


2024 Jeep Wagoneer S Launch Edition
Highs: The interior design is bold and offers great textures. With 600hp at the ready, it’s quick and nimble for its size and brings the stylish, luxurious ride we’d expect from a Wagoneer.
Lows: No viable option for a roof rack for extra cargo. We’d pass on the passenger screen.
Summary: Jeep’s first EV effort is packed with features and performance and seems ready to welcome Grand Cherokee 4XE buyers into their first all-electric vehicle.






I’ll give them credit for not asking $80k-$90k for this thing. Still I don’t trust Stellantis quality at this point.