Jeep targets Tesla with $71,995 Wagoneer S, its 1st EV for US market

Jeep is promising that its first fully electric model sold in the United States will deliver a “lightning-quick 0-60 mph acceleration time of 3.4 seconds and range of more than 300 miles.”

The 600-horsepower 2024 Jeep Wagoneer S, unveiled Thursday in New York, is being pitched not only as the Stellantis brand's fastest 0-60 mph vehicle to date, even besting the V8-powered 2021 Grand Cherokee Trackhawk, but also as its answer to Tesla.

A recent Jeep promotional video puts a preproduction Wagoneer S on a racecourse in Rosamond, California, against a Tesla Model Y Performance variant, with the Wagoneer S ultimately pulling ahead before going off-roading against a Trackhawk.

Global Jeep brand CEO Antonio Filosa, in a news release, said “with new energy in the Jeep vehicle lineup, ranging from EV to V-8, customers have never had more freedom to choose their own adventure.”

With the 2024 Jeep Wagoneer S Launch Edition, that four-wheel-drive freedom will come with a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $71,995, including destination, according to the release, with promised availability in Jeep brand EV-certified dealerships this fall. The vehicle, which is to be built in Toluca, Mexico, will launch in the United States and Canada before being available elsewhere. The company also builds the Jeep Compass at the Toluca Assembly Plant.

The release said the vehicle qualifies for Inflation Reduction Act EV credits, which could amount to $7,500.

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Regarding the Tesla comparison, Kelley Blue Book puts the starting price for the 2024 Model Y Performance version at $52,490, not including the $1,390 destination charge, and a 0-60 time of 3.5 seconds. Tesla, on its website, lists the range for Performance at 279 miles (more for other versions).

The Wagoneer S, which will be built on the STLA Large vehicle platform, isn't the first fully electric Jeep, just the first to be sold in the United States. Jeep currently markets the subcompact Avenger in Europe.

EV Jeep could expand market

Sam Fiorani, vice president of global vehicle forecasting for AutoForecast Solutions, noted the reason for the Tesla comparison:

“With its dominant sales position, Tesla is the current benchmark for any new EV. Entering a market led by the Model Y requires the Jeep Wagoneer S to match or beat the Tesla model in all of the key aspects. Modern EVs are measured by range and acceleration, two qualities in which the Model Y highlights.”

Fiorani said many Jeep buyers want better fuel economy and aren’t afraid of recharging. The brand’s news media materials frequently tout the sales positioning for its current plug-in hybrid Wrangler and Grand Cherokee models.

“Adding a new crossover with an electrified drivetrain could open up new markets populated with Jeep intenders who didn’t appreciate 15 mpg trucks. While Stellantis is not prepared for a Model Y-sized success, they are on target for 50,000 units per year, making it as popular as the Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer combined. Adding in a hybrid drivetrain more than doubles that potential market for the Wagoneer S.”

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Here are some other details about the Wagoneer S from the unveiling announcement release:

• The Wagoneer S promises 617 pound-feet of immediate torque and a top speed of 124 mph.
• Electric drive modules independently power the front and rear wheels for instant torque response, and the front EDM is equipped with wheel disconnects to reduce energy draw when cruising and to help optimize range.
• It comes with 45 inches of usable screen space with an interactive front passenger screen, heated and ventilated front and rear seats and a 19-speaker, 1,200-watt McIntosh audio system.
• With recycled resources and materials integrated into the vehicle, seating, console, doors and instrument panel surfaces feature a nonleather synthetic material, and additional appointments include a premium microfiber suede headliner and carpets comprised of recycled pre- and post-consumer materials.
• With the Dynamic Range Mapping feature, once a destination is entered into the navigation, software algorithms calculate and visually display the range that can be traveled based on the vehicle’s state of charge.

Additionally, the Free Press asked whether the vehicle's driver-assist technology would include pedestrian detection or avoidance, something that was not referenced in materials provided ahead of the unveiling. The response from the company said the vehicle "delivers over 170 safety features," including several advanced technology features standard on the Launch Edition. The descriptions about what those features do, however, don't reference pedestrians.

Contact Eric D. Lawrence: elawrence@freepress.com. Become a subscriber. Submit a letter to the editor at freep.com/letters.