Electrical Vehicle Review: The Jeep Wagoneer S boasts noteworthy performance yet falls short in providing a satisfying ride experience.
The automotive world is abuzz with the arrival of the Wagoneer S, Jeep's first fully battery-powered SUV. This midsize, two-row vehicle made its debut in 2024, but it's the 2025 model that marks its first full model year in the stock market today.
The Wagoneer S is designed to appeal to buyers shopping in the popular midsize, luxury sport utility market. It boasts impressive specifications, with the Limited trim offering 500 hp and 524 ft lbs of torque, while the Launch edition ups the ante with 600 hp and 617 ft lbs of torque. Both trim levels are equipped with dual-motor all-wheel drive and a 94 kWh battery.
The Launch edition of the Wagoneer S comes with a host of premium features. These include massaging front seats, cooling and heating in all four outboard positions, a sueded headliner, a power-adjustable steering column, and menacingly blacked-out 20-inch wheels and trim bits. The Launch edition also boasts a 19-speaker, 1,200-watt stereo from McIntosh.
However, the Wagoneer S's price point of $67,790 (in Limited trim) and $73,195 (in Launch trim), as tested, has raised eyebrows. Given its category, some find it difficult to recommend the Wagoneer S at its current price in the stock market today.
The Wagoneer S is not without its issues. Despite its impressive speed—it can cover zero to 60 mph in 4.0 seconds (in Limited trim) and 3.4 seconds (in Launch trim), with a top speed of 128 mph—it lacks refinement in the ride category. Its suspension does not absorb bumps and choppy pavement well, and its brakes can be challenging to modulate.
Despite these challenges, Jeep is optimistic about the Wagoneer S. As one of the few successes in the North American market for Stellantis, Jeep is attempting to capitalize on its relative strength in the electrified market with this first fully battery-powered vehicle. The development of the electrically powered Wagoneer S involves Stellantis, the parent company of Jeep, which is advancing electric vehicle technology, including innovative battery systems. This is likely a significant contributing factor to the Wagoneer S's impressive performance.
The Wagoneer S maintains many of Jeep's signature design cues, making it immediately recognisable as a Jeep SUV. Its lower stance and more sharply sloping rear window contribute to improved aerodynamics. The vehicle also offers a variety of drive settings (Eco, Sport, Sand, Snow) to adjust the SUV's performance to different driving conditions.
Jeep's plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV), such as the Wrangler 4xe and Grand Cherokee 4xe, have consistently occupied America's top sales positions for PHEVs over the past several years. With the Wagoneer S, Jeep is hoping to continue this success in the fully battery-powered market.
Despite the initial problems with its electronics, which resulted in recalls, the Wagoneer S is in production since 2024. As it enters its first full model year, it remains to be seen how these issues will be addressed and whether the Wagoneer S can carve out a space for itself in the competitive midsize, luxury sport utility market in the stock market today.
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