The 2024 Jeep Wagoneer S is a hugely important vehicle for the carmaker, marking its entry into the BEV space in the U.S. and positioned as a rival to the Tesla Model Y. Jeep unveiled the new model back in May, but testing and development of it is continuing, and a team of engineers recently headed to New Zealand to torture test the SUV. According to Jeep chief executive Antonio Filosa, the dynamics and performance of the Wagoneer S are being perfected in the icy and snowy conditions of New Zealand. Dancing and drifting on the snow, the EV certainly looks impressive. Filosa notes the Selec-Terrain traction management system includes a Snow mode, and testing the new model in conditions like this will be essential to ensure it performs well in North American winters, too.
Found beneath the sleek skin of the
Wagoneer S is a 100 kWh battery that drives a pair of electric motors combining
to produce 600 hp and 837 Nm of torque. Despite the SUV tipping the
scales at a portly 2,570 kg, Jeep says it needs just 3.4 seconds to
hit 96 km/h, which makes it quicker than the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk.
Of course, the Wagoneer S misses out on the intoxicating V8 burble of the
Trackhawk.
Jeep says the EV can be recharged from
20-80% in 23 minutes through a DC fast charger and should be good for more than 482 km of range on a single charge, an impressive figure given the
performance on offer. Aiding in the range is the fact the Wagoneer S has the
lowest drag coefficient of any Jeep ever at just 0.29, the same as the Tesla
Model 3. While Jeep’s first foray into the world of BEVs appears impressive, it
won’t be cheap, with prices starting at US$ 71,995.
