Jeep Wagoneer S First Drive: All the Jeep Love, Electrified

It was honestly a surprise to hear that Jeep’s 4xe plug-in hybrid models were quickly became the best-selling plug-in hybrids on the market. More than Toyota. or Hyundai. Or BMW. Clearly, Jeep fans love not stopping at the gas station as much as everyone else. Now, Jeep fans can forgo the gas station all together in the Jeep Wagoneer S, priced at about $72,000, the first all-electric SUV from Jeep. 

The Jeep Wagoneer S delivers a powerful powertrain that generates 600 HP, that goes 300 miles on a charge and that can recharge quickly, replenishing 80% of the charge in 23 minutes at a DC fast charger (or, more conveniently and cheaply overnight at a level 2 home charger). It has 3,400 lbs. of tow capacity and drive modes for all the road challenges, including eco, snow, sand and sport. 

Not that long ago Jeep brought back the Wagoneer brand, the heritage off-roader that many considered the first luxury SUV, a full-size, fully off-road capable SUV built from the frame of a truck but with the cabin of a car. It became the darling of families with beach houses and ski chalets, for accommodating kids, gear and the dog without breaking a sweat. The Wagoneer name was mothballed in favor of other Jeep models until 2021 when it was reintroduced as a competitor to Chevrolet and Cadillac’s full size SUVs. 

In it’s newest iteration it was a stand-alone brand though its secret weapon was its Jeep underpinnings. But it was a Wagoneer. Until 2024 when the company decided to just put it all out there: Wagoneer is really, at its heart and soul, a Jeep. So now it wears the Jeep brand. And its newest model is the Jeep Wagoneer S electric SUV.

I was sort of surprised to find out that the first drive of the Jeep Wagoneer S didn’t include any off-roading, even though this SUV is capable; it has all wheel drive and plenty of ground clearance. They’re leaving that thrill for the future with the Trailhawk edition which will carry all the off-road necessities like all-terrain tires, a higher ground clearance and skid plates. 

Postponing that thrill let us focus on the other capability of the Jeep Wagoneer S: Torque. 617 pound-feet of torque added to the 600 HP of the electric powertrain. That’s an astounding amount of power for a Jeep, or for any SUV for that matter, more than double the power of the Jeep Grand Cherokee, which is similarly sized. 

We took the Jeep Wagoneer S out for a day of driving through the hills east of San Diego, through valley roads and over hills to test its mettle. Once I slowed and waited for traffic to clear so I could floor the accelerator I was hooked. I had to do it again and again. I had to apologize to my drive partner Alison Rahm (who, as it happens, is the chief engineer of the Jeep Wagoneer S) for all the tossing-back-in-the seat. She didn’t seem to mind. 

Later in the day when I was driving solo I had to do it again. First I tried it in auto, the default mode. And then again in sport mode, where the system bolts ahead a bit more quickly. Honestly, either was fine. And fun.

Here’s an important thing I learned this week: Not everyone loves one-pedal driving. I’m not one of them; I love it. But I was surprised to find that Alison doesn’t like it; she likes the control of ‘normal’ driving. Nor does my colleague Liv Leigh, who owns a couple of EVs herself. One pedal driving feels unnatural to her. 

I, however, fall on the other end of the spectrum. I love being able to control the car’s speed, even coming to a full stop using only the accelerator. The Jeep Wagoneer S has what I would call ‘near’ one-pedal driving; it won’t come to a complete stop if you’re traveling at a high speed, though it will if you’re driving at lower speeds, say 30 MPH or less. 

The setting for one-pedal driving is on the multimedia system under vehicle-> electric vehicle-> driving-> regeneration level. From there, toggle to Max regeneration for one-pedal driving ( hope they make this a quick access button somewhere else on the car, but that’s just me).

To make it even more effective, turn off ‘creep’ mode and over on the left of the steering wheel, tap the “Hold” button just above the parking brake so once you come to a stop you remain at a stop (until you hit the accelerator). I love that feature, too. 

Walking around the Jeep Wagoneer S you’d be hard-pressed to think this is anything but a classic Jeep. You might think the Grand Cherokee badge is missing, or that you’ve seen/owned/driven this one before. It’s that purely ‘Jeep’ in its design, and that’s the point. Sort of like adding chopped spinach to brownies; you’d never know its in there unless you asked because the brownies are perfect, classic-tasting brownies. 

But look closely and you’ll notice the new grille. It’s the classic fluted “Sarge Grille” with vertical slots that are actually light bars that give it a distinct look at night. 

The next thing you’ll notice is the rear wing over the liftgate. It’s enormous, it’s open and it lacks a windshield wiper. The mission was to create an aerodynamically sloped rear window with a wing to aid in wind flow. The result is a wing that extends the roofline while letting air flow over the back window. 

There’s no windshield wiper because it’s not necessary. Not only will water flow over the glass like it does on a sedan, but the video rear view mirror allows a full view behind the Jeep even if the window is blocked. 

Once in the driver’s seat you’re treated to a truly modern view of the road. A flat topped- and-bottomed steering wheel greets you, a two-spoke design intended to block less of your view of the road and of the head up display. The result is a wide, open view of the road. The driver’s display, multimedia system and other controls are set low on the dashboard to further create visibility. Buttons on the left side of the steering wheel allow the view to be customized; you can even fill the driver’s display with a map if you’d like.

The center screen spans 15” and underneath is a “comfort screen” which holds climate controls, massage seat controls and can be tapped to retract and reveal a storage compartment with USB ports.

The center screen is nearly mirrored by a passenger’s screen on the far right of the dash— a screen that the driver can’t see to reduce distraction. During my test drive I stopped by to get Liv’s opinion of the Jeep Wagoneer S. She immediately started to play with the passenger screen, pulling up navigation directions and sending it to my screens. Pretty soon I had navigation to Starbucks in my head up display and the driver’s display. That was pretty cool. 

The system on the center screen is the same UConnect 5 system found in other Jeeps on the road, but it’s been retooled for both the Jeep Wagoneer S and for electric driving. The main toolbar is now on the left side of the screen, and there are multiple levels of menus. It’s a lot to learn and may take some trial and error. The key, I learned, is to continue to look for new menus—follow the arrows, navigation tabs and scroll bars.

Or, just ask Jeep for what you want. Once you turn on the voice assistance, that is. On the left tool bar click Vehicle, then at the top, the Settings tab, then on the right menu, scroll down to voice and you’ll find the option to turn on the Wake Word (Hey Jeep!). With that on you can operate most functions by just asking.

This is probably the best news from Jeep: They agree, Jeeps shouldn’t cost so much. So for 2025 and beyond, part of the mission is to keep prices low. The Jeep Wagoneer S launch edition, priced at $72,000, is the top of the line with a panoramic sunroof, dual motor all wheel drive, leatherette seating, three screens and luxuries like a premium McIntosh sound system, head up display and a video rear view mirror. 

In fact, comparing it to the Jeep Grand Cherokee, the 4xe Summit edition with all the same features is $2K more and features Nappa leather but has about 175 less HP; the gas-powered V6 Summit edition is $7K less, but has half the HP.

Like the original Wagoneer, the electric S is built for families and their gear. The rear seats are wide and comfortable and should accommodate kids car seats just fine; I measured 31″ between the driver’s seat and the rear seat back; plenty of room for a rear facing car seat. The cargo area has lots of room—30 cubic feet, with more space under the cargo floor. And there’s a frunk in the front with 3 cubic feet of space.

In the near future, the Jeep Wagoneer S will offer additional trims with a range of prices and features. Which is sort of the way the full Jeep lineup shakes out—models that are smaller, larger, more rugged or more luxurious. But they’re all Jeep, and like all of them, a delight on the road and behind the wheel.