Jeep’s next midsize SUV, which will be part of the high-end Wagoneer family when it comes out in 2024, now has a name. The smaller, electric Jeep SUV has always been called the Wagoneer S, which stands for “speed” because it has 600 horsepower and should be able to go from 0 to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds. In a conversation with MotorTrend, CEO of Jeep Brand, Christian Meunier says, “Now we have a name.” In June, we can also see the production form of the electric SUV that looks like a coupe and is smaller than a Jeep Grand Cherokee. So, it is the newest member of the Wagoneer family and the first all-electric car from the luxury sub-brand. The plan has been challenging to follow. Jeep’s management listed possible names, including new and old characters. The crew researched and talked about the terms. But they chose to ask the public for ideas about what to call the new global car in case someone had a better name. The Name Contest for the Electric Jeep Wagoneer Meunier says that people from all over the world sent in 80,000 entries to the challenge. They didn’t end up being as clever as the team had hoped. Many of them have to be taken down because they break the law. He says it’s hard to come up with a name that people worldwide know. Moreover, “we chose a name we already had, which many of the 80,000 people agreed with,” as Meunier put it. We’ve made a decision that we may share in June. Its name tells you what it is. The brand manager won’t say if the name is new or if it was used before and is being used again. He will say that the person who was picked was already on the automaker’s shortlist. The Jeep Wagoneer S is known to us. Stellate’s first car, the new Wagoneer, will be built on the STLA Large platform, which will also be used to make a Chrysler electric crossover and a Dodge electric power car. The base should have a range of 400 miles. Ralph Gilles, Stellate’s’ chief design officer for the Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, Maserati, and Fiat (Latin America) brands, says that the full-size F-segment Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer are “very different” from the medium D-segment Wagoneer S. “I think we’re coming up with a unique light signature.” The rest of the design emphasizes car appearance and assembly. The Wagoneer line should seem clean, high-quality, and simple. Gilles tells MotorTrend. There will soon be a Jeep Recon Electric Off-Roader. The Jeep Recon, a more brutal SUV, is the other electric Jeep that will quickly use the STLA Large base. Both are moving forward in the creation process and are aimed at different people. Gilles says that both of them go well with the other items in the portfolio. When the public sees the two new Jeeps, they won’t differ significantly from the models we’ve already seen. Next month, we hope to find out when bookings for the Wagoneer and Recon will be open. Next year, you can buy both cars, one in the first half of the year and the other in the second. Soon, it will be clear what order they came in. Both will be built in North America, but the exact place has yet to be decided. In this way, the Wrangler differs from the boxier Recon, which will finally be sold as a fully battery-electric vehicle. To keep its place as king of the mountain and brand icon, an electric Wrangler will use STLA Frame, while the Recon will use STLA Large, which is capable but more urban. Gilles says that the Recon will still be able to go off-road and is Trail Rated, but he compares it to the Wrangler’s younger, less experienced brother. Electric Jeep Wranglers Are Still Years Away Meunier and Gilles would not suggest a schedule for an all-electric Wrangler for a few years. Will it be possible to buy an electric Wrangler with a manual drive, as the Jeep Magneto concepts suggested? Meunier thinks driving will be fun, but he will wait to say more about it. But he gave the impression that there could be more Magneto concepts in the future, which could provide us with more details about a possible Wrangler EV. Stellates” investment in tried and true 4xe plug-in hybrid technology is one reason why there is no rush. Meunier says that 38% of Wrangler sales in the U.S. during the first quarter were of the 4xe, which will go up to 50% by the end of the year. “A lot of people use that technology.” Meunier says adding the great Hurricane engine to the SUV is optional because the 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee already has a 4xe, a V-6, and a V-8. The plug-in hybrid is robust, has a lot of torque, and uses very little gas—at least when filled. The full-size Jeep Grand Wagoneer and Wagoneer will be offered as hybrids starting the following year. The gas engine and electric motors will give them a range of 500 miles. Meunier thinks that electric vehicles will be popular in North America and will be a good step toward battery-powered cars in the future. Jeep has also said it will make two more all-electric cars in North America by the end of 2025, but a date has yet to be set. One will replace the Jeep Cherokee, which is no longer on the market. Meunier says that the redesigned Cherokee will be on the market in 2025. It will come with several different powertrain choices, such as battery, electric, and hybrid.
