2024 Jeep Wagoneer S First Drive Review: Welcome to the New Age

Jeep is entering the EV market with this, the 2024 Wagoneer S.

After first seeing it last spring, it was clear the Wagoneer S would be the most road-biased SUV from the brand in years. Now, having spent the day getting to know it in and around the Carlsbad area, I can confirm: the Wagoneer S is a darned accomplished road warrior. The Wagoneer S has the entire two-row premium EV segment in its sights, but is aiming where everyone else is robbing this new model of an authentic Jeep feel?

If you told most folks this was simply a Grand Cherokee refresh, I don’t think they’d question it. That’s not an insult: Jeep has done a good job bringing its EV into the family without having it shout about its electrified nature. If you’re planning on bringing new buyers to the Jeep family, it’s should look the part, right?

That’s certainly the case with the front half of the Wagoneer S. A pair of thin headlights frame a reinterpretation of the seven-slot grille, since there’s no need for the traditional cooling needs of an ICE model. Jeep’s designers have succumbed to the full-width light-strip trend along the leading edge, but have used indirect lighting to highlight the recesses below. It’s a clever touch that feels more subtle and modern than lining the whole dang nose with lights. Ahem.

Move around the sides and there are other Jeep touches too, in the strong shoulder lines and trapezoidal wheel arches. It’s out back where things get weird—good weird, if you ask me. The Wagoneer S uses black trim to hide its sloping roofline, extending out into a massive rear wing. In a twist on typical designer-engineer relations, it was the latter that made this big boy a reality: for the smoothest drag coefficient (0.29) of any production Jeep, the wing was made three times larger than the original designer version. I dig the rally car vibes, but wonder about the lack of rear wiper.

The Wagoneer S arrives first with a dual-motor setup, giving it electronic all-wheel drive. The numbers are serious: a full 600 horsepower backed up by 617 pound-feet makes it possible to sprint to 60 mph (96 km/h) in just 3.4 seconds according to Jeep. Based on how it rips up highway on-ramps, that number is easy to match—although the Wagoneer S needs to be in Sport mode to achieve this. Mash the right pedal in Auto mode and there’s a noticeable two-step delivery, at anything from rolling starts to highway mergers. Sport eliminates that pause, though the trade-off is a touchy accelerator at low-speeds. Unlike its muscle car sibling, the Wagoneer S doesn’t have much in the way of audio theatrics. It simply whirs along.

A 100.5-kilowatt-hour battery pack resides under the floor. Jeep quotes a full range of 303 miles (488 kilometers) per charge on the Falken all-season tires found here. Based on our day behind the wheel that shouldn’t be hard to surpass either: we were averaging around 3.25 miles per kWh (or 19.1 kWh per 100 km), which equates to a nearly 10-percent improvement. That’s with the hilly setting and more full-throttle bursts than expected. Don’t forget: the Wagoneer S can still tow up to 3,400 pounds too.

Up in the hills outside of Carlsbad, the Wagoneer S corners and carves like no other Jeep before it. Despite being a BEV, the curb weight is kept in check: at 5,667 pounds (2,571 kilograms) it’s only around 300 pounds (136 kg) porkier than a Grand Cherokee 4xe. Yet the lil’ Wagoneer’s center of gravity is almost half a foot closer to the ground, resulting in a neutral and confident stance across the wriggling ribbons of tarmac. The large “squircle” steering wheel takes some getting used to, but it features sharp responses. If Sport mode does affect the weighting of the steering, it’s fractional at best.

Instead of the off-road pages you’ll find in a Wrangler’s touchscreen, the Jeep’s central display houses an electrified alternative. Here you can find the current usage info as well as historic data. There are also toggles for the regenerative braking as well as creep. The former’s maximum setting proves wholly predictable out here, with enough decel to comfortably roll up to the next stop sign. Creep settings are legit too: keep it on and the Wagoneer S will even roll backwards at hilly lights.

Jeep has cottoned onto the idea that narrow tires can make for more engaging handling. The modest 235-width all-seasons ensure that the Wagoneer S isn’t a completely one-dimensional, point-and-shoot affair. It is quite accomplished, but the nature of an EV this size is that from behind the wheel, the Jeep isn’t a much different experience at all.

Jeep has opted to skip an active suspension for Wagoneer S duty. That’s fine, as the default suspension setup covers all the bases well. Ground clearance is a surprisingly low 6.3 inches, but the S still has the suspension travel to soak up big bumps, and the damping to keep all but the biggest bumps from unsettling the cabin. The wheels help here too: it’s a little shocking to see an OEM top out at 20 inches for a new crossover, but the resulting tall(er) sidewall sands off the harsher edges of potholes and speed bumps.

Seat comfort is quite good, and not just because it’s almost a perfectly lateral move into the seat from outside. There’s good hip support and the cushion is a proper length. Heat and ventilation are included for both rows in the Launch Edition, while the front seats feature a satisfying massage function.

During the pre-drive presentation, Jeep’s interior design team talks up how important it was for the Wagoneer S to still feel like a Jeep inside. Job (well) done, then. The design of the cabin borrows plenty from the big, body-on-frame Wagoneers, with a wing-like main section housing a combination of physical and digital controls.

There’s a fun mix of practicality and style here in the Wagoneer S. Piano black is relegated to mostly non-touch points, while the rotary shifter gets an intricate metal casing. Recycled aluminum surrounds said shifter, with a coated ceramic pattern not only looking cool, but feeling it too. The climate control screen is very cool, sliding up and tucking away when all you need are the basic controls, unlocking a surprisingly large cubby. Sitting just aft of the shifter is a useful wireless charger slot. It’s grippy so phones stay in place, ventilated to keep them from overheating, and best of all, out of the driver’s view.

Second-row space is pretty good, though taller folks will find that stylish roofline a little close for comfort. Cargo space is 30.1 cubic feet with all the seats up, and 60 cubes with them down. A frunk offers an additional 3.0 cubic feet and, so we’re told, is exactly the right dimensions to transport a pair of Detroit style pizzas…

There is a full 45 inches of screen here in the Wagoneer S cabin. A 12.3-inch screen handles instrument cluster duty, with a same-size unit doing the infotainment thing. Sitting directly below that is the 10.25-inch climate control screen, a size of digital real estate the front passenger can enjoy directly in front of them. Don’t forget the head-up display either. It’s all reasonably easy to use, though the steering-mounted controls can require a lot of taps.

Jeep has introduced a turn signal camera feed with the Wagoneer S, working largely like the setup in various Hyundais. While helpful, the feed is blurry, and it takes up all of the center screen when it’s happening. Similarly, a warning about a stopped vehicle on the side of the road is helpful, but not when it covers everything else on screen.

Jeep’s highway driving assist is very natural, maintain an easy flow and allowing for quick bursts of drivers’ inputs without going haywire. The company also uses a touch sensor in the squircle instead of simpler yaw-based sensors. No more gentle wiggles to keep the system happy.

Other tech goodies include a strong, 19-speaker McIntosh sound system, a big roof-mounted satellite, and power tailgate.

The 2024 Jeep Wagoneer S is an impressive first go for the brand’s EV ambitions. It certainly feels more on-target than something like the Acura ZDX. While its buttoned-up driving experience doesn’t necessarily feel particularly Jeepish, the flip side is that it could then draw in potential buyers who wouldn’t have considered a Jeep before.

Become an AutoGuide insider. Get the latest from the automotive world first by subscribing to our newsletter here.