2026 Jeep Recon First Drive Review: Great Electric Wrangler, Not-So-Great EV

• What's new: The Jeep Recon is kind of like an electric Wrangler SUV. It's less capable off-road but far easier to live with.
• Why it matters: This finally gives Jeep an electric player in the off-road space — an alternative to the Rivian R2 or more expensive Rivian R1S.
• Edmunds says: The Jeep Recon is Stellantis' most successful EV yet, but it could still use some refinements. And with a starting price close to $70,000, it's out of reach for a lot of buyers.

So the Recon has the specs to be considered a real Jeep, though it's ultimately not as capable as the Wrangler. However, it's not impressive as an electric vehicle. Driving range for the Moab stands at an EPA-estimated 222 miles. If the Recon's EPA estimate is verified on the Edmunds EV Range Test route, it will be one of the shortest-range electric vehicles we've ever tested, falling below the last-generation Nissan Leaf but above the Mini Countryman SE. Stellantis EVs have shown mixed results in the Edmunds EV Range Test, with the Dodge Charger Daytona Scat Pack exceeding its 216-mile estimate with a result of 255 miles. On the other hand, the Wagoneer S traveled just 276 miles, which was well below its 303-mile estimate.

Even worse, the Recon achieves this underwhelming range estimate using a 100.5-kWh battery pack. The Wagoneer S uses the same pack and has quite a bit more range. The new Rivian R2 is a more direct rival to the Recon; it has a battery pack with 88 kWh of capacity and traveled 304 miles in our range test (though it does so with all-season tires, which are better for EV range than the Recon's giant all-terrains).

The big, heavy battery, all-terrain tires, and boxy design conspire to make the Recon one of the least efficient EVs on the road. Its EPA-estimated consumption of 48 kWh/100 miles is roughly comparable to that of the GMC Sierra EV, which has a battery pack with more than double the capacity of the Jeep's, allowing it to travel 507 miles in our test. Adding insult to injury, the Recon has a 400-volt charging system, rather than the 800-volt rail capable of charging at higher rates like you'll see on luxury electric vehicles and EVs with large packs. Jeep says the Recon can charge from 5% to 80% in 28 minutes, which isn't terrible, but because max range is low, you will have to charge more frequently than other EVs while on a road trip.

Better than an EV Wrangler

So the Recon isn't great as an electric vehicle. But what's it like as an electric Wrangler? Our first crack behind the wheel was during Jeep's press drive event in Healdsburg, California. The Recon makes a great first impression. It looks like it could preview the design of next-generation Wrangler, whenever Jeep gets around to producing one. The body's edges are a little more rounded, and the square headlights are meant to invoke the YJ Wrangler from the mid-'80s to the mid-'90s. But the design is very much a box on wheels in the same way the Wrangler always has been. Under the skin, however, the Recon employs a very unlike-Wrangler unibody construction rather than the classic Jeep's body-on-frame platform. Other than the electric powertrain, this is the one thing that makes the Recon and Wrangler feel so different.

On my drive route, I was first struck by how nicely the Recon rides. Even though my Moab tester was outfitted with the aforementioned 33-inch all-terrain tires, it rides just as well as any electric SUV (at first, at least. More on that later). The suspension soaked up bumps and cracks on the country roads we traversed, with none of the body shudder or jostling you'd get from a Wrangler. It's also quieter (sort of. Again, later) than the Wrangler, and not just because of the lack of engine noise. While the Recon retains the no-tools-required removable doors and windows of its gasoline counterpart, it also comes standard with a fixed roof with a panoramic sunroof. You can still get it with a power-operated soft top, but the fixed roof undoubtedly helps reduce exterior noise compared to the Wrangler. 

The EV underpinnings also do wonders for the steering. Instead of using recirculating-ball steering like the Wrangler, the Recon has a rack-and-pinion steering system like most other vehicles. You don't have to saw at the wheel on back-to-back turns, and you don't have to make minute adjustments to keep the Recon tracking straight. You still don't want to really tackle mountain roads with a lot of speed (the Recon readily serves ample body roll), but it's not disastrous either.

I also dug the interior, which gives you a healthy dose of tech without overdoing it. The 12.3-inch driver information display is bright, does a good job of conveying information, and isn't cluttered to the point of distraction. Stellantis' Uconnect infotainment interface has long been one of the standard-bearers due to its speed and ease of use, and the Recon's Uconnect 5C Nav system is no different. I just wish that the climate controls were more than just buttons on a screen. Give me big, chunky knobs and toggles any day.

Even though the floor is a touch high, the Recon feels quite spacious inside. Unlike the Wrangler, there's no roof crossbar behind the driver. That means a taller driver like me won't strike the back of their head simply piloting the Recon around town. There's good headroom and legroom for rear passengers too, adding to the Recon's sense of airiness.

I do have a few nits to pick, though. Jeep says our tester was a preproduction unit, but I would be remiss not to note a few groans and creaks coming from what sounded to be the panoramic sunroof. Braking also wasn't totally smooth. The handoff from regenerative to friction brakes was clunky and felt like the brakes were crunching on for the final couple of feet. I also noticed that on certain poorly paved sections of road, the Recon shimmied a bit in steady cornering. Your passengers might look at you cockeyed even when you have the wheel pointed right where it's supposed to be.

Who is this for?

Given Stellantis' track record with EVs of late, and the Recon's delayed release, this is a question I pondered during my drive. I think I have it, though. While Wrangler buyers are more likely to take their trucks off-road than most other vehicle owners, there are still plenty of people who want the Wrangler look but don't need the drawbacks it presents. The Recon is tailor-made for them. A Wrangler with the soul of an EV that can behave on the road but still has enough hardware not to muck things up when the trail turns rocky. Will it turn everything around for Jeep? Probably not, but it's a great option for people who want a capable off-roader that will save you a trip to the pump and is easier to use day-to-day. As far as I'm concerned, that's at least a step in the right direction.