The Jeep Wagoneer family is expanding yet again, and the newest sibling is markedly different from the full-size Wagoneer, Grand Wagoneer, and the longer-wheelbase L versions of both SUVs: It is a size smaller and fully electric (and really quick).
Code-named Wagoneer S, the new SUV will be a premium midsize SUV designed to compete with the Land Rover Range Rover Sport when it is available in North America in 2024. It’s roughly the size of today’s two-row Grand Cherokee, but with a swoopy look and a reimagined roof that plunges beneath the rear wing. It is premium and reinvents the LED-lit grille to pierce the wind with it, making art of the brand DNA, says Stellantis chief design officer Ralph Gilles.
It will be no slouch. The S is for speed, Gilles says. With 600 horsepower, the SUV will have an estimated 0-60-mph time of 3.5 seconds and about 400 miles of range. “That’s Trackhawk territory for speed,” head of Jeep Brand North America Jim Morrison says. “It’s gonna be a blast to drive.”
The Wagoneer S will use the STLA Large platform and presumably dual motors (one front, one rear) for all-wheel-drive capability and stability with all that torque pulsating through. The new premium SUV also will have great 4WD capability as standard equipment, with all-terrain management, but will not be Rubicon trail-rated like most other Jeeps, Morrison says.
The Wagoneer S is slightly smaller and more compact than today’s Jeep Grand Cherokee, but the two SUVs’ interiors are a bit similar, Gilles says. They have the same legroom. Because the battery and floor of the EV are flat, designers were able to make the most of the interior and create a good D-segment package, he says.
Author: Alisa Priddle
Source: MotorTrend.com