Since we first learned of the existence of a smaller, electric Jeep SUV, it has gone by the codename Wagoneer S—for “speed” given its 600 horsepower and estimated 0-60 mph time of 3.5 seconds. The good news: “We have a name now,” Jeep Brand CEO Christian Meunier tells MotorTrend in an interview.
We could learn the name in June when we might also see the production version of the coupe-like electric SUV that is slightly smaller than a Jeep Grand Cherokee. That makes it the baby of the Wagoneer family and the first all-electric model for the premium sub-brand.
It has not been an easy process. Jeep officials had a list of potential names, a mix of new and legacy names that the team studied and debated. But in case there was a better suggestion floating around out there, they decided to open it up to the public for ideas of what to call the new global vehicle.
Name the Electric Jeep Wagoneer S Contest
The competition attracted 80,000 submissions from around the world, Meunier says. In the end, they were not as creative as the team would have liked. And many had to be eliminated for legal reasons. “It is hard to find a name that is clear around the world to use,” he says.
In the end, “We landed on a name that we already had, that was confirmed by many people among the 80,000, and we made a call, and we will announce it in June, potentially,” Meunier says.
“It is a very simple name.” The brand chief won’t say if it is a new name, or the revival of a name used in the past. What he will say is that the one chosen was already on the automaker’s short list.
What We Know About the Jeep Wagoneer S
The new Wagoneer will be one of the first Stellantis vehicles to use the automaker’s STLA Large platform that will also underpin electric Dodge muscle cars and an electric Chrysler crossover. The platform will feature an expected range of about 400 miles.
The production version of the Wagoneer S, which is a D-segment or midsize SUV, bears “very little” similarity to its Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer big brothers that are full-size F-segment vehicles, says Ralph Gilles, Stellantis chief design officer for the Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, Maserati and Fiat (Latin America) brands. While the full-size Wagoneers are imposing three-row SUVs with massive profiles, the S is a swoopy, two-row SUV with a reimagined roof that plunges beneath the rear wing.
“I think there is an iconic light signature that we are working on. The rest of it is about the presence of the vehicle, the cleanliness of the design. I’m really trying to establish the Wagoneer line as clean, premium, not chaotic. Something that is easy on the eyes, timeless,” Gilles tells MotorTrend. “The interior is as gorgeous as the big brother.”
Jeep Recon Electric Off-Roader Coming Too
The other pending electric Jeep from the STLA Large platform is the Jeep Recon, a more rugged SUV. The two are coming along together in the development cycle and appeal to a different customers base. Both augment products already in the portfolio, Gilles says. The two new Jeeps, which will be shown publicly soon, won’t differ greatly from the concepts we have already seen. They have received a thumbs up from dealers who got a sneak peak in March.
Next month we also expect to learn the timing for opening up reservations for the Wagoneer and Recon. Both vehicles will be available next year, one in the first half, the other later in the year. We will soon learn the order of their arrival. Both will be built in North America, but officials have not announced where.
The boxier Recon is also different from the Wrangler, which will eventually be offered as a full battery-electric vehicle. While the Recon uses STLA Large which is capable but more urban, an electric Wrangler will use STLA Frame for the greatest off-road capability to keep its status as king of the mountain and brand icon.
Recon will still be a good off-roader and Trail Rated, Gilles, says, but is like a younger brother to the Wrangler, less mature and experienced.
Electric Jeep Wrangler Still Years Away
Neither Meunier nor Gilles will provide timing on a pure electric Wrangler, but it will not be for a while. Will there be a manual transmission with an electric Wrangler, as teased by the Jeep Magneto concepts? Stay tuned, says Meunier who says it will be fun to drive but he is not about to reveal details yet. But he hinted that there are more Magneto concepts to come, which could provide more clues to an eventual Wrangler EV.
One reason there is no rush: Stellantis has invested in 4xe plug-in hybrid technology which is proving successful. In the first quarter, 38 percent of Wrangler sales in the U.S. were for the 4xe, and Meunier thinks it will exceed 50 percent in the second half of the year. “There is a really good acceptance of that technology.”
The next Jeeps to get the 4xe treatment are the full-size Jeep Grand Wagoneer and Wagoneer which will be offered as hybrids next year, providing 500 miles of combined range from the gas engine and electric motors. The electrified models are expected to prove popular in North America, Meunier says, and a nice bridge to battery electric versions in the future.
Jeep has also promised two more pure EVs for North America by the end of 2025, but the execs are not saying when we will see them.
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