Fully Electric Jeep Wagoneer S First Look: The Rivian R1S Has a New Rival

• Jeep today revealed the front end of one of its first battery electric vehicles, the Wagoneer S.
• The brand says the Wagoneer S EV will come with 600 hp and terrain management options.
• The electric SUV will be available in the U.S. this fall.

Jeep offered us a glimpse at its first all-electric vehicles — the Recon and Wagoneer S — in September 2022, promising to start production at the beginning of 2024. The moment has arrived, and the brand just unveiled a teaser image of the front end of the Wagoneer S today. From a style perspective, the front of the Wagoneer S looks like its gas-powered sibling with an illuminated version of its distinctive seven-slot grille.

In its debut YouTube short video, the narrator says: “Isn’t it interesting that some of the most beautiful things in the world are also some of the fastest?" Jeep is playing up an aspect many people don’t think of when it comes to its vehicles: speed. The automaker says the Wagoneer S will have 600 horsepower and can zoom from zero to 60 miles per hour in a quick 3.5 seconds. That's quick for something that's destined to be huge.

When the Wagoneer S was announced more than a year and a half ago, Jeep was targeting a 400-mile range. The brand hasn’t yet revealed the range of the new all-electric SUV, but that’s a respectable estimate that allows the Wagoneer S to compete with its contemporaries (assuming they manage to meet that target).

Jeep is known best for its off-roading prowess and has done very well with its plug-in hybrid 4xe vehicles so far. Sales of its 4xe lineup doubled in the first quarter of 2023 and the brand has big plans for its zero-emissions targets set for 2030.

Its biggest challenge may come in the form of the Rivian R1S EV — another larger electric SUV that comes from a brand that's making its name on the off-road abilities of its electric cars. The Rivian SUV comes with a dual-motor setup on the base model generating 600 horsepower, and the quad-motor option is capable of 835 horsepower. EPA-estimated range for the R1S starts at 274 miles and runs to 352 miles when fully charged, and Rivian says its range-topping Max pack is good for 390 miles.

Jeep says the Wagoneer S will be available in the U.S. this fall and globally after that.

Edmunds says

All signs point to a positive outcome for the Wagoneer S if the brand can continue its upward trajectory for its electrified models.